ARC Raiders PvE Toggle Divides Players: 'Bland' vs the Mode They Always Wanted
One day into the PvE toggle beta, ARC Raiders players can't agree on whether a no-PvP Rust Belt is a dream come true or a letdown. The test went live on October 13 with Update 2.1, and the first wave of feedback, gathered today by GamesRadar+, is split right down the middle.
If you missed the launch details, our Update 2.1 go-live post covers the full patch. This one is about how players are actually reacting.
"Bland" and "soulless": the tension is gone
The loudest complaint is that taking away the threat of other Raiders also takes away the drama. GamesRadar+ quotes a Reddit player who expected to love PvE and instead found that matches "feel like a shop simulator": nobody talks or interacts, they just drop in, loot and leave. The same player called the mode "bland, soulless" and said they'd vote against keeping it.
Streamer Loochy agrees. According to GamesRadar+, he said PvE "got kind of boring after a few rounds" and argued on X that the game doesn't have a strong enough endgame to carry a pure PvE experience. His verdict: "It just feels hollow."
Others are having a blast
Not everyone is disappointed. GamesRadar+ also points to players who say they're "having a blast," with one reporting that ARC encounters feel about as frequent as in regular raids, though loot seems thinner. That matches Embark's official rules, which say PvE servers carry lower overall loot value.
For the many Raiders who have wanted a calmer way to explore the Rust Belt, the beta is simply the game they hoped for.
No damage, but players still find ways to annoy you
PvE removes player damage, but it doesn't remove players. GamesRadar+ highlights a Reddit clip of a Raider being shoved again and again on the way out, with the poster complaining that people "bull rush you off ledges," block looting and get in the way of extraction. Body-blocking does no damage, so for now it's fair game.
PCGamesN found more surprises:
- PvP practice: some early players are using the lower-pressure servers to rehearse firefight positioning, ironic given how hard parts of the community pushed back against PvE.
- Keyroom vultures: YouTuber itsDkal says players camp outside keyrooms waiting for someone else to open the door, calling them "vultures."
As PCGamesN puts it, social friction found a way back in, even in a mode built to remove it.
What PvE changes, officially
Per Embark's beta brief:
- Zero player-to-player damage, and throwables don't hurt other Raiders
- Lower overall loot value than standard servers
- No PvE option for Night Raid, Locked Gate, Hidden Bunker, Frigate or Redirection
What's next
The beta runs until October 20 at 11:00 CEST (5:00 AM ET). Embark says both player feedback and in-game data will decide whether the toggle becomes permanent. So if you love it, hate it or just want to stop getting bull-rushed off ledges, now is the time to play it and send feedback.
