Arc Raiders interview: Embark talks behavior-based matchmaking, map updates, and playing nice with strangers

Last week, as the industry converged in downtown Los Angeles for The Game Awards, we sat down with Arc Raiders art director Robert Sammelin for a debrief on the launch of one of the year's most popular shooters. The studio's second game was an instant hit, introducing a new crowd to extraction shooters with its semi-casual shooting, astonishing maps, and surprisingly chill social dynamics.

Sammelin spoke to the huge response to Arc Raiders at launch, touching on the unexpected strategies players have adopted, designing each map to evoke a different playstyle, and how pleased he is to see some players adopting a "talk first" approach to PvP.

We also asked Sammelin if there's any truth to the theories that Embark matches players partially based on their "niceness." In the example our interviewer gave, it would make sense for Embark to match players who clearly preferred pacifist runs with like-minded raiders, especially in solo Q. Sammelin was cagey about the details, but did confirm that player behavior is a factor in matchmaking.

Sammelin: "Without going into excruciating detail, it is quite complex. We do analyze behavior and match accordingly."

PCG: "But you can't say anymore?"

Sammelin: "No. (laughs)"

You can watch the full interview above, and below you'll find some useful time stamps to hop between subjects:

• Arc Raiders' unique art style
• Shadows and darkness in Arc Raiders
• Player creativity
• Player behavior and matchmaking
• Future maps and ARC plans