Embark Apologizes For Not Shadow Dropping ‘ARC Raiders’

ARC Raiders made an appearance at Summer Game Fest on Friday, which came with a new trailer and a release date.

The release date was not that same day.

For a long while now, the ARC Raiders community expected that like Embark’s previous game, The Finals, the plan would be that it would be “shadows dropped” during SGF. There was also some internal file-digging and countdowns that seemed to indicate that as well.

That did not happen (the game will be out October 30), and despite never being promised that would happen, the community was not pleased. Not pleased enough where Embark has now issued a response that apologized for a countdown that players just assumed would be a launch. Here’s the statement that was posted on Discord:

“In the lead-up to the ARC Raiders date reveal, we put out a countdown to June 6. This gave the false impression that we would be shadow dropping the game. Instead, you found out that ARC Raiders is coming on October 30, making it a countdown to a countdown.”

“The frustration and disappointment that followed is 100% our fault. The teaser we posted came from a place of genuine excitement. We finally have an actual date! But it’s clear that what we saw as playful and hype-building came across as misleading and frustrating to many of you, and we get why.”

“We mismanaged the hype, we misread the situation, and we’re so sorry that this led to disappointment. We’re making this game for you and your reaction to ARC Raiders has been humbling and overwhelming and exciting.”

“Next steps: we’re putting our heads down and focusing on building the game. We know that games live and die by polish and quality, balance, and long-term fun. We need this additional time to ensure we can meet your expectations. Look here and on our socials for updates on our progress and the road to launch. Thank you for holding us to a high standard. We intend to meet it.”

It’s a weird situation that feels like a mix of both player entitlement and ARC not capitalizing on its momentum. Or at least not managing expectations about what was or wasn’t coming. ARC recent had a stellar Alpha that stepped on rival extraction shooter Marathon’s Alpha, and the game simply seemed ready to go. Though somehow, ARC is now coming out a month after Marathon, which looked far less polished in its Alpha (though there is a high chance Marathon will now be delayed after that poor showing and plagiarism issues).

In hindsight, the move was probably to just announce the release date at the end of the Alpha to not create a hype bubble that let fans draw their own conclusions. It does not seem like they simply could have changed their mind and shadow dropped it when they weren’t planning to, as despite what the Alpha may have suggested, there is clearly more work to be done over the next 4-5 months. But no one is happy after all this, developer or fans, and this all should have been handled better by both sides.

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