How Last Of Us Fans Influenced The Design Of Arc Raiders' Matchmaking

During a presentation at the Game Developers Conference, Arc Raiders production director Caio Braga shared data regarding player satisfaction with the game's player-versus-player combat. Embark Studios grouped playtesters based on other video games they regularly play. Fans of specialized PvP titles like Rust, PUBG, Escape from Tarkov, and Hunt: Showdown reported the highest satisfaction during the early builds of the game. Players who favored generalist competitive shooters such as Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Counter-Strike also recorded high satisfaction scores.

In an interview with GamesRadar+, Braga focused on a separate category of players labeled as co-op and adventure gamers. This group included individuals who play Helldivers 2, Destiny, Elden Ring, and The Division. These five titles collectively yielded the lowest PvP enjoyment scores among the surveyed demographics. However, players identifying as fans of The Last of Us stood out in this group by reporting high satisfaction with the PvP mechanics. I think this specific feedback shows that traditional narrative audiences will engage with competitive extraction systems if developers do not force the interactions.

According to Braga, players from The Last of Us demographic did not want constant player-versus-player combat. They desired PvP encounters at a lower frequency. Braga noted that his data and user experience team predicted the game's visuals would attract this demographic, but the studio needed to find a gameplay loop that remained fun for them. This feedback influenced Embark Studios to describe Arc Raiders as an extraction adventure game rather than a pure extraction shooter.

Braga stated that the development team realized different demographics enjoy player-versus-player combat very differently. Satisfying both the pure PvP fans and the adventure-focused players simultaneously proved impossible. This conflict prompted Embark Studios to split its matchmaking system. The game now factors in a player's tendency to engage in combat when building lobbies. Players currently attempt to manipulate this matchmaking system by playing aggressively or passively to shift their internal rating toward lobbies that match their preferred playstyle.

Embark Studios is currently focusing on endgame players as some longtime users approach the limit of the current content. The studio employs a triage process to identify the top three problems, the top ten improvements, and elements that require no immediate changes. This system originally involved the entire 25-person team, but the current staff of 120 people now executes the process across five separate internal teams.

Braga cited balancing as a constant priority for the live environment. The studio is actively working to identify the most impactful updates for its player base. Embark Studios plans to increase the overall difficulty and danger of the game to challenge hardcore users. I run a lot of high-level activities in games like this, and providing tools for all skill levels is the only way to sustain a healthy community. Braga confirmed that the studio wants to give players advanced tools so that a wider audience can participate in the endgame challenges.

Read also, ARC Raiders’ Deadliest Enemy Is Expanding to a New Map in Flashpoint Update.