With its quirky setting and overwhelming hype, the shooter ARC Raiders could become a real summer hit on Steam. However, players who believed in a surprise release were disappointed.
What game is it about? The extraction shooter ARC Raiders has all the ingredients for a big hit: The developers have already proven with The Finals that they can create fun shooters, and the limited playtest in May thrilled thousands of players.
According to SteamDB, more than 150,000 players are following the game’s hub on Steam, and even more likely have it on their wish list. Since the shooter already seemed quite finished, the rumor mill was buzzing at the Summer Game Fest 2025: Is a shadow drop on the way?
The hype was fueled by a post from Geoff Keighley on X, showing a chicken on stage at the Summer Game Fest. This was interpreted as a nod to Scrappy the Rooster, who brings you materials in the game. The community was therefore sure that something big must be coming at the event.
In fact, Embark had something to announce – but instead of a spontaneous release, there was “only” a trailer, and the information that the launch will take a few more months, namely until October 30, 2025.
Players convince themselves of a shadow drop, are disappointed
How is this being discussed now? Many players are disappointed that they cannot dive into the world of ARC Raiders this weekend. They really cannot understand the decision to hold the shooter back for so long:
- FPS Frontline writes on X: “Feels like a missed opportunity. You should have gone on the offensive.”
- HCTHEMC asks on X: “Devastating disappointment. Your other game, The Finals, is dead, what are you waiting for?”
- Anil K also does not understand the decision: “LOL. Didn’t feel like they needed that much time?” (via X)
Some fans are now even worried about ARC Raiders. They fear that Embark has killed all the hype surrounding their shooter. One user writes on X: “You messed it up, folks. Killed the momentum of the potentially biggest game of the summer.”
The chosen release now brings ARC Raiders into a highly competitive release window, after Borderlands 4 and Marathon, and close to the expected Call of Duty for late autumn. One user even calls it an “impressively bad decision.” (via X)
However, the announcement probably hits no one harder than the guy on Reddit, who announced in advance that he would cut off a testicle if there was only a trailer at the Summer Game Fest.
Later release doesn’t have to be bad
Is the decision really that bad? Of course, one can only speculate about what exactly motivated the decision-makers to set the release date so far ahead. However, one must also concede that gamers do not always know what they really want.
While many are now saying that ARC Raiders is already more finished than some AAA games, it’s questionable how long this enthusiasm would have lasted had Embark really released the shooter unfinished.
After all, MMO players are notorious for sweeping through every new content within hours and then complaining about content emptiness until the next update – only to do it all over again.
Many new multiplayer titles struggle with this circumstance, as they simply cannot keep up with the amount of content established competitors have added over the years. A bitter experience that Embark already had with The Finals.
So it may well be that the decision pays off in the long run when ARC Raiders launches finished and perhaps even has some future content up its sleeve. However, player reactions indicate that there may need to be improvement in communication with the community.
Shooter fans are having a great year anyway, as the SGF was full of exciting announcements. We have summarized the most important ones for you here on MeinMMO: The highlights from the Summer Game Fest 2025: All trailers and announcements you don’t want to miss
