Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 476 sampled Steam reviews (168 positive / 308 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Multiplayer & servers20% mention it
- Progression & loot5% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Multiplayer & servers65% mention it
- Bugs & crashes18% mention it
- Progression & loot11% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
65%
17 reviews
5-15h
53%
36 reviews
15-40h
51%
41 reviews
40-100h
42%
81 reviews
100h+
28%
301 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 87 | 194 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 40 | 2 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 82% | 76 | 1617 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 76 | 750 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 47% | 50 | 904 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 25, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 904 total reviews in window · weighted 115.7 up / 132.7 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (119)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 40
“Enjoyment can be finely sliced off of ARC Raiders like edible shreds from a doner kebab smeared in shit. That these slivers are entirely dependent on its players is hardly a triumph of the base experience, which is generally boring, flavorless, and lacking much of a point. If not for one intensely fragile hook, this is a sub-mundane peashooting box breacher that, despite a lack of originality or quality gameplay, still needed help from an algorithm.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“ARC Raiders offers a simple concept, but one that is refined down to the last detail. As an extraction shooter in PvPvE mode, it excels in its combination of action, strategy, chance, and luck, and especially in its incredibly entertaining gameplay loop. The story and quests aren't particularly original, but it's the amazing dynamics of the combat, the constant work with your inventory, resources, and equipment, and the currently sufficient amount of content that will convince you that "just one more round" won't be enough.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“ARC Raiders offers one of the best and definitely the most comfortable extraction genre experience.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Embark Studios' extraction shooter offers an innovative experience thanks to a combination of elements that make it one of the best games in its genre. It's an immersive experience set in a world invaded by ARCs, which pose a real and very well-executed threat. All this is accompanied by very intuitive and simple gameplay that allows us to learn as we go without any complications.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“ARC Raiders blends careful pacing, immersive audio, and high-risk extraction gameplay into a consistently engaging multiplayer experience. The mix of hostile machines and unpredictable player encounters keeps every raid tense and fun, whether played solo or with a squad.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“ARC Raiders is a great entry point for any gamer who, like me, is new to the Extraction Shooter genre. Despite some moral issues with the use of AI voices, which Embark are working on replacing, this game is my GOTY for 2025.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Arc Raiders is the extraction shooter we all needed. It is approachable, challenging, and puts player choices front and center. This is one of the most successful live-service games of all time.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“It's alright if you still can't warm up to the idea of extraction shooters, but if you were to ever consider the genre, Arc Raiders is inarguably the place to start. It's an incredibly deep, well-polished, and accessible extraction shooter that helps you along your way, while still remaining immensely fun every minute you're playing it.”
read full review ↗ - 84
“Embark Studios hit the mark by delivering an intense, strategic, and adrenaline-fueled experience. The complete focus on PvPvE works very well, combining exploration, survival, and constant tension, both against relentless machines and against other players hungry for loot and opportunities.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“ARC Raiders stands out as one of the most welcoming and rewarding extraction shooters ever, striking a near-perfect balance between risk and reward. Unlike most extraction shooters, ARC Raiders offers a lighter and more forgiving approach that encourages experimentation, cooperation, and exploration, prioritizing fun above all else. The game is definitely the best game I have played this year.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“ARC Raiders delivers a strong extraction shooter experience that works just as well solo as with friends. The loot hunts are intense and the short but varied missions keep things fresh. The controls feel solid, the arsenal is diverse and the different environments offer surprises even after multiple runs. The constant tension between machines and players plus the risk of losing everything add real stakes to each expedition. Small drawbacks like limited communication options and potential repetition exist but they do not overshadow the core fun.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“ARC Raiders has well and truly been worth the wait. This is a phenomenal showcase of what immersive multiplayer can be. Every run is different, and your squad will come out with stories to tell each time. It can be tougher on those planning to play solo, and the extraction loop won't be for everyone. But as far as extraction shooters go, this is one of the most accessible, and it respects your time, giving you a fun experience from your first match. We can easily say that ARC Raiders is one of the best multiplayer games this generation.”
read full review ↗
The Jimquisition
INDIANTVCZ
3DNews
La Orden del Pixel
PLAY Zine
Couch Soup
The Nerd Stash
XDA
Pizza Fria
Prima Games
Geeks & Com
Push Square…and 107 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Store Update 1.43.0Aug 25, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Live Update 1.42.0Aug 21, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Store Update 1.41.0Aug 11, 2026
- Store Update 1.40.0Aug 4, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Live Update 1.39.0Jul 28, 2026
- Store Update 1.38.0Jul 21, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Expedition Departure Issue UpdateJul 16, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Store Update 1.37.0Jul 14, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix 1.36.1Jul 9, 2026
- Live Update 1.36.0Jul 7, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Store Update 1.35.0Jun 30, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Store Update 1.34.0Jun 23, 2026
- Live Update 1.33.0Jun 16, 2026
- Store Update 1.32.0Jun 9, 2026
- Store Update 1.31.0Jun 2, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Store Update 1.30.0May 26, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Notes 1.29.0May 19, 2026
- Patch Notes 1.28.0May 12, 2026
- Riven Tides Feedback SurveyMay 8, 2026
- Patch Notes 1.27.0May 5, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix 1.26.1Apr 30, 2026
- Riven Tides - Patch Notes Update 1.26.0Apr 28, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix 1.25.0Apr 21, 2026
- Patch Notes 1.24.0Apr 14, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix 1.23.1Apr 10, 2026
- Patch Notes 1.23.0Apr 8, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix 1.22.1Apr 1, 2026
- Flashpoint - Patch Notes 1.22.0Mar 31, 2026
- Patch Notes 1.21.0Mar 24, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Notes 1.20.0Mar 17, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Notes 1.19.0Mar 10, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Notes 1.18.0Mar 3, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- SHROUDED SKY - Patch Notes 1.17.0Feb 24, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Headwinds January Update Feedback SurveyFeb 23, 2026
- SHARED WATCH - Patch Notes 1.15.0Feb 10, 2026
- Hotfix 1.13.1Jan 28, 2026
- HEADWINDS - Patch Notes 1.13.0Jan 27, 2026
- Patch Notes 1.12.0Jan 20, 2026
- Patch Notes 1.11.0Jan 13, 2026
…and 8 earlier patch announcements.