Embark’s Shock Comeback: ARC Raiders Beats The Finals Despite $40 Price Tag

Embark Studios overthrew the premonition that ARC Raiders wasn’t going to be a success because of releasing their free game, The Finals. Surprisingly enough, the paid release managed to overtake the peak concurrent players on Steam over their free alternative.

So despite having a $40 price tag, ARC Raiders was able to become more successful because they did it right. Furthermore, this provided added pressure to Battlestate Games because they were just gearing up for Escape from Tarkov‘s official release on Steam.

Embark Proves Price Tag Doesn’t Matter with ARC Raiders

All aboard the ARC train! | Image Credit: Embark Studios

The Finals have taken the show ever since its release as a free-to-play, which kind of made everyone doubt that ARC Raiders would be able to match the hype. Naturally, it was expected that not many players would be buying it because of $40 price tag, and free-to-play generally performs better in terms of player count.

However, that narrative is gone now as ARC Raiders has peaked at 264,673 concurrent players on Steam, while their free-to-play, The Finals, peaked at 242,619 players. As wild as it sounds, it’s true. It’s fair to say Embark Studio earned everyone’s respect with their free-to-play, giving players much-needed trust in their paid title.

Thus proving that free-to-play games can be outperformed by paid games, if the hype is enough. Additionally, the numbers are much higher because the title got dropped on consoles as well. With the right idea and hype, any game can become a success in 2025, and that’s the narrative.

Escape from Tarkov Should Start Worrying About ARC Raiders Overtaking Them

Speaking of extraction shooters, Escape from Tarkov surely pops into mind, and they’re going to have a Steam release soon. However, there’s a problem: Battlestate Games hasn’t confirmed a console release just yet. On the contrary, ARC Raiders has beaten EFT to the punch, as it has received a multi-platform launch.

While Battlestate Games were the pioneers of the extraction shooter genre, they’ve been beaten in their own turf. Embark Studios played it two steps ahead and put BSG in a chokehold. Most players are excited to try out ARC Raiders for all the features and variations it provides, which makes Escape from Tarkov look outdated.

If Battlestate Games does have to make an impact and captivate everyone’s attention, then the best way should be to go free-to-play. Do you think BSG will be able to gain everyone’s favor with their full release or be a dud? Share with us in the comments below.

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