Embark dispels myths about Arc Raiders' aggression-based matchmaking: 'We don't make any value or moral judgments … it's a bit of a blunt instrument'

arc raiders flickering flame update — (Image credit: Embark Studios)

When an extraction shooter comes out and says it's matchmaking people according to how much they decide to shoot, folks naturally have a lot of questions. Embark recently revealed that Arc Raiders is now using an "aggression-based matchmaking" system, as well as other unspecified parameters, to join players with similar playstyles.

"So if your preference is to do PvE and you have less conflict with players … you'll get more matched up [with that sort of play]. Obviously, it's not a full science," Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund told GamesBeat.

The news triggered all sorts of reactions—some celebrated the idea of being rewarded for peaceful play with peaceful lobbies, others felt like Arc Raiders was penalizing them for enjoying PvP, and some worried their bloody trios matches would poison their solo matchmaking.

As some assumed back when Söderlund described the system, Watkins says Arc Raiders is not making "any value or moral judgments" when you shoot someone in the back.

Arc Raiders Groundbreaking - Photographing a house — (Image credit: Embark Studios)

"We can track who shoots first and who takes damage and who [does] whatever. But the one thing the system does not do is attempt to assume intent. If I'm a very bad player and you're a good player, and I'm the aggressor and I just miss all my shots and you defend yourself, the game doesn't know what the intent was. They just saw you kill me because I'm terrible," Watkins said.

"It's not the game judging you for your actions. It's purely around, just, are you engaging in PvP at all? So it's a bit of a blunt instrument, which is why we're continuing to add and tune what we do with it."

Assumptions have been flying wild and freely, but personally, that is exactly how I interpreted the system originally. That means it's certainly possible to sidestep the system by adjusting your behavior to not look like an aggressor in the game's eyes, but Watkins says the team is fine with players having that amount of agency in the process.

The goal, as Söderlund also noted, is to push similar players together, not to lock away PvP players on their own blood island. I have just 13 player kills over 50 hours (all self defense, I swear!) and yet I still run into the odd serial killer.

Weirdly, Watkins also contradicted Söderlund's previous assertion that Arc Raiders uses traditional skill-based matchmaking in its equation.

"We don't do anything like skill-based matchmaking or gear-based matchmaking," he said. "It's really just this kind of rating system we have that maneuvers, and we're just going to keep monitoring match health and player response, and tune it from there."

Curious.

Morgan has been writing for PC Gamer since 2018, first as a freelancer and currently as a staff writer. He has also appeared on Polygon, Kotaku, Fanbyte, and PCGamesN. Before freelancing, he spent most of high school and all of college writing at small gaming sites that didn't pay him. He's very happy to have a real job now. Morgan is a beat writer following the latest and greatest shooters and the communities that play them. He also writes general news, reviews, features, the occasional guide, and bad jokes in Slack. Twist his arm, and he'll even write about a boring strategy game. Please don't, though.

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