As Arc Raiders prepares for the release of its massive Riven Tides update, developer Embark Studios has controversially changed how Expeditions work. However, this isn’t the only major change coming to the extraction shooter with Embark teasing a huge overhaul of the game’s skill tree.
While many are upset at the changes coming to Expeditions, it’s also not very surprising. In fact, just months ago, design director Virgil Watkins explained that the Expedition “system will change”, also explaining that Embark was looking for new ways t “incentivise” players to wipe.
After teasing major changes to Expeditions, those changes are now here, and Watkins is now teasing major overhauls to the game’s Skill Tree system as it simply isn’t satisfying enough right now.
Speaking to Game Maker’s Notebook, thanks RPS, Watkins explained that the introduction of the Skill Tree into Arc Raiders was “a tough problem space for us”. While players have found meta builds using the current system, many don’t find the micro-buffs very satisying, and Watkins admits something needs to be done.
“I don’t think, by any means, we, like, nailed it,” the design director says. “We’ve seen how players actually play the game because, of course, we operate by our own intent or even theory, but by how players actually engage with the game.”
Watkins explains that as “certain systems have changed or certain progression loops have changed”, the current incarnation of the Skill Tree doesn’t match the remainder of the game. As such, Arc Raiders’ skills setup will see “significant changes”, although the designer did not explain what that means exactly.
“There are definitely skills in there that are, like, undeserving their purpose,” he says, “and, you know, a lot of thought went into… whenever possible, I don’t love things that are like small statistical changes, but they do serve a purpose. As opposed to like, oh, I have a whole new ability now, or I can do this thing now that I couldn’t do before.”
The design director explains that adding skills that feel like major buffs is “a really tricky situation” as the game isn’t just balanced for PvE fights, but also PvP. As a result, the team can’t just make one wing of the skill tree “be obviously more capable” than the other, which makes creating a satisfying skill tree harder.
“It’s a tricky problem space,” Watkins says. “We’re evaluating some pretty significant changes to it to better serve the game that exists today, and the game that will exist in the future.”
Embark has been pretty clear that Arc Raiders is an evolving game that will change a lot as it goes on. Already the team has discussed the possibility of player trading, and the developers seem very keen on adding a full 3D player hub to the game that will allow players to properly explore Speranza.
While player counts may be lower than at launch, Arc Raiders still has years of life left in it, and Embark is keen to bring major, game-changing updates to the live-service title as the team continues to explore what the game should actually be.
