There is not much time left until the release of ARC Raiders and one of the topics that the community is concerned about is: How long will the game be supported in the future? According to the lead designer of the shooter, there are already clear statements on this.
Who spoke up? A video from design lead Virgil Watkins of Embark Studios was published on X. This recording featured an interview discussing the upcoming extraction shooter “ARC Raiders”.
The interesting part is a question that the chief designer answered in the video. It concerned what post-launch plans the fans can expect once ARC Raiders has been released. According to the developer, the studio already has rough plans since the game was developed with the idea of providing content for up to 10 years.
This already sounds very promising and could please some fans. However, such long-term plans also have their pitfalls. Many live-service games from the past that have faced problems illustrate this.
Live service is a dangerous topic in gaming
Where could there be problems? Live service is a difficult topic in gaming. While it can be great for fans to receive new content for beloved games, this approach often poses a mammoth project for developers and is associated with problems that fans often do not see.
With ARC Raiders, it is even more difficult whether Embark can adhere to this plan. The shooter is paid and will also offer microtransactions through its battle passes. This will result in fewer player numbers and thus fewer potential customers compared to a game offered for free.
Additionally, future financing and the development of potentially new content depend on the game’s popularity. If interest wanes, for example, after 3 years despite a successful release to the point where new profits can no longer be generated, the studio may consider whether it is feasible to really plan the game for 10 years.
Not only fans are involved in the success: Other problems have been revealed by one of the most well-known live-service games on the market – Destiny 2. In addition to constantly dwindling player numbers, it is also the performance of the shooter that constantly becomes its downfall.
The longer a game exists, the more difficult it becomes to manage the vast amount of content. The result: disastrous bugs and exploits could increasingly creep in as time goes on. Apart from performance, fans also require additional story-relevant content alongside battle passes to keep the enjoyment alive.
Simply having events is not enough, as these often lose their excitement and become monotonous after months or years of grinding. It remains to be seen how developers will decide in the future. Even though 10 years sounds fantastic, the endeavor does not come without its pitfalls.
Would you be interested in a 10-year journey with ARC Raiders or should Embark rather work on a sequel after 5 years? Let us know in the comments. You can find more about the extraction shooter here: ARC Raiders will be the next big extraction shooter, but only if the developers listen to their fans
