PvE Mode: How the Matchmaking Toggle Works

Last updated: 2026-10-30

The PvE matchmaking toggle let Raiders drop into matches where other players could not hurt them — only the ARC machines on the map were hostile. Embark ran it as a limited beta from October 13 to October 20, 2026, going live with Update 2.1.0 in the week after Frozen Trail launched. It was a test, not a promised mode, and the toggle was removed when the week ended; feedback and in-game data will decide whether PvE comes back permanently.

• Test window: October 13, 2026 (11:00 CEST) – October 20, 2026 (11:00 CEST).
• Squad sizes: Solo, Duos and Trios; squad-size separation was not prioritized.
• Player damage: zero player-to-player damage in PvE servers.
• Loot: overall loot value lowered to protect the in-game economy.
• Status: limited test — the toggle is removed when it ends.

How the Toggle Worked

Before picking a map in the Play screen, tick the PvE Only option in the bottom-left of the screen. Any match you start with that checked runs PvE rules. You could switch between the standard PvPvE queue and PvE between raids — a relaxed solo PvE run one evening, a regular PvPvE match the next.

PvE play did not touch your hidden matchmaking rating, and standard matchmaking kept running during PvPvE sessions so Embark could measure how the toggle affected the live game.

What Changed in PvE Servers

Excluded Map Conditions

The biggest map conditions stayed PvPvE-only because they are built around the uncertainty of meeting other Raiders. During the test you could not play PvE on:

• Night Raid
• Locked Gate
• Hidden Bunker
• Frigate
• Redirection

That cuts into loot: the Frigate and Redirection routes (including Emperor Payloads and the Fallen Emperor key chain) were off-limits in PvE, so you could not farm those encounters without other players in the lobby.

The Downed Rule in PvE

Because other players could not shoot you, Embark added a rule to keep tension: after you are downed in PvE you get an eight-second grace period in which ARC enemies will not target you. Once that window passes, ARC may re-acquire and attack you if they catch you moving. Stay still until help arrives.

Why Embark Tested PvE

ARC Raiders began life seven years ago as a raid-based PvE co-op game before Embark reset it into the PvPvE extraction shooter it is today. After launch, the playerbase turned out to be more varied than expected. Embark’s own breakdown:

• 37% friendly co-op players (a group that has grown steadily since launch)
• 27% mixed players
• 34% pure PvP players (stable since launch)
• Over 70% of friendly players and 40% of PvP players want fewer hostile encounters
• 51% of surveyed players are interested in a dedicated PvE option

Embark’s stated risks: PvE could water down the tension the game is built around, and a big PvE turnout could hurt PvPvE queue quality. Both were watched during the test.

Tips for Playing PvE

When the toggle was live, the community treated PvE as a low-pressure sandbox:

• Treat it as a gathering run. With no hostile players you can focus on restocking supplies for Outpost upgrades and repairs, while accepting that another squad could still ambush you.
• Clear missions. Quests still progress and pay out their rewards in PvE, so it is a safe place to work through objectives.
• Bring ARC-focused weapons. You do not need a hybrid PvP build — take loadouts built to cut through ARC machines, and focus on the larger targets you might normally let other Raiders handle.
• Expect less loot. The lowered loot pool means fewer high-rarity finds; blueprints can still drop, but the best items are more likely in PvPvE. Community testing flagged Matriarch, Harvester and Close Scrutiny as worthwhile PvE targets, and the Bull Rush skill as a PvE-specific tool that lets you shove other Raiders away from loot without dealing damage.