At the Game Awards 2021, Embark Studios presented their new co-op shooter Arc Raiders. The first scenes were shown in a trailer. The development involves numerous former employees of Battlefield developer DICE, including Patrick Söderlund, a former EA boss.
What is Arc Raiders? This will be a free co-op shooter from the relatively young Embark Studios. They were founded by former EA boss and former DICE vice president Patrick Söderlund. On board are several other former DICE employees and Battlefield developers.
Arc Raiders is a third-person shooter set in a sci-fi environment. Players set out in groups to dismantle enemy giant robots. These machines come in endless hordes from space to Earth, and the players are the last line of defense.
Here you can watch the new trailer:
You take on the role of a Raider and can rely on various weapons and gadgets. For instance, you can use a grappling hook to climb up the gigantic enemies or disrupt their movements with it. The game is designed to support teamwork and offers corresponding gameplay mechanics.
When is the release of Arc Raiders? So far, the only release timeframe indicated is the upcoming year 2022. In the coming months, the studio plans to reveal more information.
This is what the boss says about Arc Raiders: The co-op shooter will be the first major game from the developer studio. They started three years ago, after the founding, with “a blank canvas,” and from the ideas, Arc Raiders emerged.
With this reveal, we want to celebrate the gameplay and give players more than just a hint of what ARC Raiders looks like and how it feels to play it. After all, that’s the most important thing in a co-op action game like ARC Raiders.
via PCGamer.com
Through the official website, there are already some first images of the Raiders, enemies, and weapons available:
Rollerbots are among the smaller enemies. 
The so-called “Howitzer” is probably one of the larger weapons you can use against enemies. 
With Lance, there seems to be a type of android that can be played as a Raider. 
This is Celeste, one of the playable Raiders.
Initial reactions positive – “this is now the game I’m most looking forward to”
Players are definitely reacting very positively to the first trailer.
This is how players are reacting on YouTube: Many commenters are enthusiastic about the first trailer. They praise the art design of the game and the graphic quality.
Additionally, the scenes make players eager to try the game. The decision for a Free2Play model is also well received.
Here are some excerpts from the comments on YouTube (via YouTube.com):
- Jean-luc Dinello: “This is now the game I’m most looking forward to. […] I can’t wait to see what this artist team can do without being limited by an already established franchise. Free2play was also a wise decision. I really can’t wait.”
- jordanXbrookes: “Honestly, I’m really excited about the game. It looks fun and visually nice, AND IT’S FREE TO PLAY?”
- Andres TellO: “I didn’t expect that, oh my god, that was… ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! The BEST reveal of the show, I can hardly wait to sign up!”
- kikyfreaky: “Everything in this trailer screams the DICE that I know and love. Thank you so much, Embark Studios. This is so damn cool! I can hardly wait for next year.”
And so it goes on. Arc Raiders seems to have left a good first impression.
On which platforms will Arc Raiders be released? The game will initially be released for PC on Steam, in the Epic Games Store, and for GeForce Now.
If you want to know which former employees of Battlefield developer DICE are involved, you should check out theinsider report by Tom Henderson on Battlefield 2042.
