Does Arc Raiders actually match aggressive players with equally aggressive players? This question has been circulating the new extraction shooter’s community since launch with some players citing an extremely pleasant experience while others tell war stories of trench-based warfare as they scramble for a raider hatch every match.
As it turns out, there definitely is some form of aggression-based matchmaking in Arc Raiders, as much as some of the community claim the mechanic is actually a hoax. While Embark has not confirmed exactly how the matchmaking works, art director
When asked specifically about the existence of aggression-based matchmaking in Arc Raiders, Embark art director Robert Sammelin confirmed that player behaviour during matches is analysed during play.
“[Matchmaking] is quite complex,” the developer told the outlet just days ago. “So we do analyse behaviour and match accordingly.”
Sammelin did not confirm the exact parameters for matching aggressive players together, but it does serve as confirmation that the way in which you behave in Arc Raiders definitively alters what types of players you’re matched with. For example, players who shoot others on site and more likely to be paired with others with itchy trigger fingers.
There has been some talk of whether or not aggression-based matchmaking in Arc Raiders is a benefit or a detriment to the extraction shooter experience. Part of the appeal of the genre is never knowing who you’re up against, but if aggressive players are always (or largely) set to be matched with other aggressive players, the mystery is somewhat diluted.
Nevertheless, this form of matchmaking does appear to be a part of the game, and Embark is likely taking your post-match survey results as additional data to put players into matches they enjoy. With years of updates planned—including the upcoming Cold Snap update this week—you can expect Embark to be fine-tuning its matchmaking engine well into the future.
For more Arc Raiders covergae, read about how the sheer amount of exploits on launch surprised the dev team. Additionally, check out the best weapons tier list… well, until the next patch! (On the plus side, Embark’s plan to no longer release weekly patches will keep that guide up-to-date for longer!)
