ARC Raiders PvE Griefers Turn to Lure Grenades and Bull Rush as Embark Says the Mode Is for 'Dad Gamers'
Halfway through the PvE toggle beta, ARC Raiders players have found that turning off player damage doesn't turn off bad behavior. On October 15, IGN reported that PvE lobbies are filling with griefers who use the ARC itself as a weapon. At the same time, Embark executive producer Aleksander Grøndal has explained to GamesRadar+ exactly who the mode was built for.
Yesterday we covered the first wave of player reactions, from "bland" to "the game I always wanted." Since then, the griefing has escalated and Embark has given its reasons for the test.
How griefers get around zero damage
Embark's rules remove player-to-player damage and stop stun and fire throwables from affecting other Raiders. Barricades, ziplines and other physical interactions still work, though, and IGN says players are exploiting that:
- Bull Rush at extraction: clips show players shoving Raiders who are trying to extract, so ARC enemies finish them off and the griefer loots the body.
- Lure grenades into extracts: lures that pull ARC robots onto extraction points, which IGN calls "particularly devastating" when the robot is a Shredder.
- Key-room camping: players waiting outside locked loot rooms for someone with a key, then racing them for the contents.
IGN quotes one X user who says lure grenades were thrown at him and his wife while they fought ARC. She went down, and when he tried to revive her he was body-blocked. As IGN points out, the mode has no way to punish any of this. IGN's writer also suggests some griefers may be PvP fans hoping to get the mode shelved. That is his theory, not a confirmed motive.
Embark: this is for the "dad gamers"
In his GamesRadar+ interview, Grøndal said the studio had the same arguments internally that players are having now. What tipped it was the data: Embark saw "friendly" lobbies that were "almost playing out like they don't have PvP in them at all," and that group was "consistently growing."
He described the target audience as "dad gamers for lack of a better word": players with a couple of hours here and there who get frustrated by extraction campers and better-geared opponents. Removing that pain, he said, was "a fairly simple thing we can try to implement."
Grøndal also explained why Embark chose a quick toggle test over a fully designed mode, and he was careful to add "without making any promises." That fits Embark's September announcement, which said the test is no guarantee of a permanent PvE mode. Our earlier interview coverage has his comments on a possible long-term split.
Loot is lower, but not for everyone
Embark says overall loot value is reduced on PvE servers. Even so, IGN notes that some players are still extracting with "some crazy gear." Embark also warns that ARC can re-target downed Raiders after an eight-second grace period, which is exactly what makes a Bull Rush near a Shredder so punishing.
What's next
The beta ends on October 20 at 11:00 CEST (5:00 AM ET). After that, Embark plans to send a survey asking where the PvE option should go next. If griefing is ruining your PvE runs, that survey and the in-game data are the best ways to get it fixed. For the patch that started the test, see our Update 2.1 breakdown.
