Developer Embark Studios has officially announced a somewhat expected delay on ARC Raiders, the studio’s first big offering, pushing back the free-to-play co-op online third-person shooter game to sometime in 2023. ARC Raiders was previously slated for release later this year, with planned launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Embark Studios announced the delay on Twitter stating:
An update from the team: pic.twitter.com/0J3imUtZP4
— ARC Raiders (@ARCRaidersGame) August 8, 2022
As noted in the message, it appears that the scope of ARC Raiders is the main reason for the delay, with Embark calling it ambitious in scale. That said, while the delay may be somewhat disappointing for those eagerly waiting for ARC Raiders, the studio did also mention that more details will be revealed soon on the game’s upcoming playtest with actual players, giving everyone a chance to check out the game early for themselves.
During the latest earnings call for Nexon, Embark Studios’ parent company, CEO Owen Mahoney stated that we could see ARC Raiders release in the second half of 2023, at the latest.
Embark Studios is a relatively new studio, formed by former members of DICE who previously worked on some Battlefield games at Electronic Arts. ARC Raiders, the studio’s first major offering under the Nexon brand, is a third-person free-to-play cooperative shooter in the same vein as Destiny 2 or EA’s tragic Anthem. ARC Raiders sees you and a group of other players – all called Raiders – resisting the onslaught of the ARC, a ruthless, mechanized, and alien threat descended directly from space.
As one of these Raiders, you take part in the resistance against this alien threat. Using an early warning system, Raiders fight off the ARC as they drop from orbit, with these destructive enemies becoming more dangerous as you and your group combat them.
ARC Raiders places huge importance on the concept of teamwork, as the game, according to the description, is very hard on lone wolves. The game allows you to scavenge for tools and weapons and wield them, alongside various gadgets and more equipment in your arsenal to out-skill your enemies.
