Extraction shooter Arc Raiders says no more playtests before launch

Battlefield 6 is proving just how powerful a well-oiled open beta can be for pre-launch hype. However, it seems Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios - which is coincidentally made up of plenty of ex-Battlefield devs - won't be following suit. Despite an immensely successful invite-only playtest (Tech Test 2) earlier in the year that drummed up huge support for the extraction shooter, you won't get another chance to try Arc Raiders before its launch in October.

There are two ways of looking at this announcement from Embark. The first is that this is an excellent, glowing sign of the studio's confidence in its Escape From Tarkov-rivaling multiplayer game. Arc Raiders' May playtest saw hype for the game go through the roof, despite dropping around the same time as the closed alpha for Marathon, Bungie's big-budget extraction shooter. I would've never predicted that it would end up on the front foot versus Marathon, but that's exactly what's happened - partly due to Arc Raiders' brilliance, and partly due to Bungie's fumbles.

The second, more cynical option is that Embark doesn't want to risk the current goodwill towards the game (which will be a paid release, not a free PC game) with another playtest or beta that might not dazzle as much as its previous one.

Either way, given how much excitement that Technical Test 2 created, and how colossal Battlefield 6's open beta has just been, it's a shame to hear that Embark won't be giving players another opportunity to try the game before Arc Raiders' release date. It also won't be appearing at Gamescom next week either, so don't expect any new trailers or announcements during Opening Night Live or hands-on previews from the press and creators.

"The team here in Stockholm is in full gear, getting ready for release on October 30," Embark says in a post on X. "Our focus is now on polishing and expanding the experience, and putting all the learnings from TT2 into action ahead of release. Just so you know, we're not planning additional public tests before launch. We've learned from our last announcement that it's crucial to keep expectations in check, so we also want to be clear that we won't be at Gamescom. But don't worry, our launch campaign will kick off before you know it!"

While the studio's transparency is being praised - a good sign, following its mishandled release date announcement - there is a sense of disappointment that there won't be a final chance to give Arc Raiders a go before launch. Nevertheless, I've got high hopes for it, even if it's going to drop within just a few weeks of Battlefield 6 and, presumably, Call of Duty Black Ops 7 too.

Until the big day arrives, get your trigger finger warmed up in some of the best FPS games, or get into the post-disaster mentality with some of the best survival games.

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