ARC Raiders on PS5 and Xbox Comes With a Catch

Developer Embark Studios has recently revealed that ARC Raiders will not have console-only crossplay. This is bad news for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S owners who intend to play ARC Raiders, as console gamers generally like the option to avoid playing shooters against others using a keyboard and mouse, or dealing with cheaters, who appear more prominently on PC.

ARC Raiders was originally announced during The Game Awards 2021 as a free-to-play coop shooter, but over the years, the title was changed into a PvPvE third-person extraction shooter. The game will be set in a post-apocalyptic world where most of humanity has been driven underground, and gamers will act as raiders, trying to scavenge for resources while surviving on a hostile surface. Earlier this year, it was revealed that ARC Raiders will be released on October 30, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

ARC Raiders Will Not Have Console-Only Crossplay

However, one of the latest posts in ARC Raiders’ Discord has bad news for console gamers. Embark Studios confirmed via the FAQ that ARC Raiders will feature full crossplay across all platforms, which can be turned on and off. The catch is that PS5 and Xbox gamers will not have the option for console-only crossplay, which may come as a disappointment to some. Other extraction shooters, like the popular Escape from Tarkov, have had serious problems with cheaters, so it’s understandable why some potential players may be concerned.

The wait for the launch of ARC Raiders has been somewhat controversial. Back in June, Embark Studios started a countdown online, which misled many fans into believing that ARC Raiders would be shadow-dropped. After the event, Embark Studios apologized to ARC Raiders players for giving them false hope and confirmed that the goal of the countdown was solely to be “playful” and “hype-building.”

Gamers who want to try out ARC Raiders will still get the chance to participate in the Server Slam Playtest before the release, which will happen from October 17 to 19. While Embark Studios has previously indicated that ARC Raiders would not have any more playtests, the developer recently went back on this decision. The Server Slam Playtest will not require any invites, and it will happen on all platforms globally. The goal of the server slam is to stress the servers, seeing how much traffic the game can get before release, hopefully to prepare better for the big launch, and it will be a unique opportunity for potential players.