ARC Raiders is a cooperative third-person shooter where you and your squad of Raiders unite to resist the onslaught of ARC – a ruthless, mechanized threat descending from space.

In ARC Raiders you enter a vast and lethal world.

People have fled to the underground colony of Speranza, seeking supplies to survive, and shelter from ARC machines on the surface. Demand for resources is at an all-time high, but venturing the surface to get them is a risky job. 

You enlist as a Raider, fighting for your own survival and that of your neighborhood in the underground colony — scavenging and hunting for resources that must be extracted back safely from the surface.  Standing in your way are ARC machines — a mysterious, deadly foe — as well as other players — Raiders — who are also competing for loot and their own survival. 

To grow as a Raider, you must make it back down to the colony alive. There, you get to meet the traders of Speranza to trade your loot and valuables, embark on quests, upgrade and improve and expand your chambers, and grow your character to suit your playstyle — to become the Raider that you want to be.

Whether teaming up or going solo, it’s a game that rewards thinking ahead and carefully observing the world around you, rather than running into action guns blazing. The gameplay is tactile, visceral, and grounded, with a rich and playful sandbox of gadgets and tools, beyond just guns and ammo. 

Embark Studios is inviting players back to the Rust Belt with a new five-day public playtest of ARC Raiders.

Running from April 30 to May 4, Tech Test 2 gives players across PC and—now for the first time—consoles (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S) a chance to explore the lethal wilderness of the Rust Belt, battle ARC machines, and scavenge for high-stakes loot in the game’s expansive PvPvE sandbox.

Playtest registration is now open directly on Steam, or via arcraiders.com for console players or those on Epic Games Store. Players selected for previous ARC Raiders playtests will be granted automatic access to this test too.

“Over the past six months, we’ve worked hard to expand the core experience, based on community feedback,” said Aleksander Grøndal, Executive Producer of ARC Raiders. “This is our chance to see how those changes perform at scale. We’re especially eager to gather feedback on progression, the combat experience, cross-platform performance, and how the experience feels now that it’s more expansive and layered.”

In addition to a range of tweaks and improvements, Tech Test 2 introduces a wider range of ARC enemies, more weapons, gear, and gadgets, much deeper player progression and crafting systems, and a preview of ARC Raiders’ upcoming Battle Pass. 

Scavenge the ruins of the past. Wield tools and gadgets to outsmart the enemy. Use on-the-fly tactics, your surroundings, and physics to your advantage. Defeating ARC requires more than simply pointing and shooting a gun, and more than one person trying to be a hero. It’s a game that both emphasizes and rewards teamwork at every turn. If you and your squad play well together, one day the stars may again become beacons of hope, instead of omens of oblivion.

Loot your fallen foes, and scavenge the ruins of the past for tools and gadgets to outsmart the enemy. Come prepared and plan ahead, but remember that sometimes you just have to wing it.

ARC Raiders is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Epic Games Store, Steam, Nvidia GeForce NOW) in 2025 at $40.