After weeks of speculation, Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund has confirmed that mythical Arc Raiders aggression-based matchmaking system is real.

Following comments from colleagues back in 2025, the CEO confirmed that the game does track the aggression of your play style to dump you in with like-minded players. While it’s not known exactly how matchmaking works in the game, players who go out of their way to attack others are more likely to be matched with players who do the same.

“Obviously, first it’s skill-based, of course,” the Embark CEO told GamesBeat. “Then you have solos, duos, and trios. And then we also – since a week ago or so – we introduced a system where we also matchmake based on how prone you are to PvP or PvE.”

When asked if this system was the mythical “aggression-based matchmaking”, Söderlund explained that “that’s exactly what it is”. However, the CEO was also keen to note that it’s “not a full science”. This means that even the most aggression PvP players will still be matched with peaceful players, they’re just more likely to find like-minded players.

Since Arc Raiders’ launch, there has been plenty of discussion surrounding the peacefulness of its player base. Some players have found the game to be cheerful with little PvP whereas others have found the game to be filled with bloodthirsty raiders. Now we know that your mileage with the game depends on how you contribute towards it.

Since Söderlund’s comments, the Arc Raiders community has been in arms across different social media sites wondering whether aggression-based matchmaking is the right call for the game. As an extraction shooter, Embark Studios’ extremely popular Arc Raiders relies heavily on the tension of wondering if your fellow human players are friendly or not. However, if you’re a thoroughly aggressive player, you now know that you should be less trusting of others.

On the other hand, this type of matchmaking is here for a reason. Extraction shooters can be a very punishing genre, and Arc Raiders has been designed to be a more casual-friendly, easy entry point into the gameplay style. With this in mind, it makes perfect sense why the game wants to give casual, non-PvP players an easier time than those who love a fight.

While the internet is constantly bickering about whether or not skill-based matchmaking belongs in video games, it undoubtedly has its place. For a game like Arc Raiders, which has amazing player retention for a multiplayer game, this form of matchmaking is likely keeping players more engaged than its detractors believe.

Embark Studios will likely never reveal exactly how the game’s aggression-based matchmaking works. However, it will also likely be tweaked as the game continues to evolve into the future with new updates, content and more.

For more Arc Raiders news, check out the game’s upcoming toxic map condition, or read about the next expedition date for the popular multiplayer game.