5 Facts About Embark Studios to Know Before ARC Raiders Release Date

The wait is finally over. Embark Studios’ ARC Raiders is finally coming out today, after years of anticipation and multiple pivots in development. As the game arrives on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and the Epic Games Store, let’s turn our attention towards the Stockholm-based team behind one of the year’s most anticipated extraction shooters.

ARC Raiders is now the number one top seller on Steam! pic.twitter.com/66fw6gbzFr

Embark Studios has become a rising name in the gaming industry, and the team there has mixed innovative technology with a deep understanding of what makes shooters engaging. But who exactly are the people behind this ambitious project? Here are five details about the developer you should know before diving into its new game.

1 Embark Studios Was Founded by Former EA and DICE Veterans

Embark Studios was founded in November 2018 in Stockholm by a team of industry veterans, including Patrick Söderlund, former president of DICE and executive vice president at Electronic Arts. Alongside Söderlund were Magnus Nordin, Rob Runesson, Stefan Strandberg, Jenny Huldschiner, and Johan Andersson.

The team set out to create large-scale, multiplayer-focused experiences using proprietary technology. By early 2019, the studio had around 50 employees, and by 2020, that number had quadrupled. Their goal was simple: move away from massive corporate production cycles and experiment with leaner, more creative ways to make games.

2 ARC Raiders Is the Studio’s Second Major Release After The Finals

Image Credit: Nexon

Before ARC Raiders, Embark Studios made its debut in 2023 with The Finals, a team-based shooter featuring destructible environments and a competitive, game-show-like flair. In case you weren’t around for it, the game was a big hit with its blend of spectacle and physics-driven gameplay.

Today’s new release is the studio’s second major title, and it’s a completely different experience. While The Finals was about close-quarter combat and chaotic, destructible environments, ARC Raiders is an extraction shooter that takes us to a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world overrun by rogue machines.

3 ARC Raiders Was Completely Reworked Mid-Development

Image Credit: Nexon

ARC Raiders’ journey to release has been anything but straightforward. Initially revealed at The Game Awards in 2021 as a co-op PvE shooter, the game underwent a major transformation after early testing revealed it was “not fun.” (via PCGamesN) So instead of rushing out an unfinished product like a studio might do under big-publisher deadlines, Embark took its time to overhaul the project.

The result has been a competitive PvPvE extraction shooter, which is a mix of looting, survival, and tactical combat. This pivot also delayed the game by nearly four years, and it goes to show Embark’s commitment to creative freedom and quality over speed.

4 Embark Studios Is Already Developing Two New Games

Image Credit: Nexon

While ARC Raiders launches across PC and consoles on October 30, 2025, Embark is already fooking to the future. CEO Patrick Söderlund has confirmed that the studio is already working on two new games, one described as “a lot more edge” than its existing two games, and another that’s “a little bit more conventional.”

Even ARC Raiders itself is built with longevity in mind. Embark has committed to a 10-year support plan that includes new content and an “Expedition Project” progression feature where players gather resources over weeks to unlock major rewards.

5 Embark Is Experimenting With AI, but Not in the Way You Think

Image Credit: Nexon

One of the most talked-about parts of ARC Raiders is its use of advanced technology, particularly artificial intelligence and machine learning. Executive Producer Aleksander Grøndal clarified earlier this week (via Rock Paper Shotgun) that while Embark does use AI for certain voice lines and animations, it doesn’t generate in-game assets like weapons through AI.

“That’s a research project, not something we’re using in the game right now,” Grøndal explained. Instead, the studio uses photogrammetry, which is when the studio captures real-world images to create detailed digital models, and machine learning to make robotic enemies move and react more believably.

So that’s all we have for you. Are you going to be diving into the extraction shooter today? Let us know in the comments!

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