Anti-Cheat Is Just the Start, Arc Raiders Has Another Big Ace Against Cheaters

Embark Studios is already making headlines with the launch of ARC Raiders, which released to more than 264,000 concurrent players on Steam and potentially half a million across all platforms. But one thing we need to talk about is how the devs have decided to handle cheaters in the game.

While most studios would just slap on any anti-cheat and move on, Embark is winning over players with a new system that not only detects cheaters but compensates you if you’ve been affected by them. This is a big quality-of-life improvement for players and could redefine how developers handle cheaters.

Embark Studios is Doing More Than Just Anti-Cheat in ARC Raiders

Cheaters have been an issue for every online multiplayer game. In fact, a recent PlaySafe ID report (via GamesIndustryBiz) found that 80% of gamers in the U.S. and U.K. have encountered cheaters, and over 40% have quit a game because of them. It’s a trend that costs studios player trust and real revenue. But Embark Studios has chosen to do things differently.

In a move that we’re all up in arms about, ARC Raiders players have reported receiving in-game messages telling them that items lost due to “unfair play” have been restored. The system automatically detects when a cheater eliminates you in the game and then compensates you for the lost loot, and it’s a genius idea. Here’s the full in-game message.

As you’d expect, fans are calling it “genius,” with many praising Embark for going beyond the usual ban wave strategy and directly addressing the player experience. As u/artosispylon said, “That’s kinda crazy they are able to see every item lost because of a cheater, what are other devs even doing ?“

ARC Raiders Had a Record-Breaking Launch and Has a Promising Future

Image Credit: Embark

Cheater detection aside, ARC Raiders’ launch has been nothing short of spectacular. The game hit a Steam peak of 264,673 concurrent players, surpassing the studio’s previous hit, The Finals. It also broke into Steam’s top 60 games of all time by concurrent count. And if we think of how many players are on console and the Epic Games Store, we could estimate that the launch-day count could have been more than half a million players.

Players are also loving the game, and we have the proof of it. ARC Raiders is currently sitting at a “Very Positive” score on Steam, as 90% of reviews are positive. Players are loving the intense encounters, the tactical part of the game, and the unpredictable chaos that extraction shooters are known for.

Embark has also revealed a roadmap for the remainder of 2025, which features two major updates. We’re getting one of them this month and the other in December. The November update will give us a new map, Stella Montis, new ARC machines, and community events. In December, we’ll get a festive Snowfall condition, a new expedition, and a new Raider deck.

If ARC Raiders can sustain its success at launch, Embark Studios can change our standards for an online multiplayer game. We can only hope that other live-service games will follow this example.

What do you think? Have you enjoyed ARC Raiders so far? Let us know in the comments!

Get Gaming! 🎮 Play free online games at FW Gaming