The breakout hit of 2025 almost never happened. Noclip just released Episode 1 of The Evolution of Arc Raiders, a three-part documentary series revealing the turbulent six-year journey that transformed Embark Studios’ passion project from a failed PvE experiment into the accessible extraction shooter dominating player counts and beating Call of Duty. The 25-minute documentary exposes near-cancellation moments, fundamental design pivots, and the brutal realization that their original vision simply didn’t work no matter how much they believed in it.
Arc Raiders launched in early access November 2025 and immediately captured massive audiences with its approachable take on the typically hardcore extraction genre. Peak concurrent players exceeded 480,000 on Steam, crushing expectations and proving that Embark Studios found something special. But the documentary reveals this success came after abandoning their initial concept entirely, rebuilding the game from scratch under impossible timelines, and making painful compromises that saved the project from oblivion.
The Original Vision That Failed
When Embark Studios formed in 2018 by veterans leaving DICE and EA, founders wanted to escape the constraints of massive AAA development. CEO Patrick Soderlund explained they believed large-scale game development with teams of 900 people had become counterproductive to efficiency and controlling quality. They envisioned a smaller, more agile studio creating innovative experiences impossible within corporate structures.
The team immediately began prototyping two games. Project Discovery would become The Finals, their destructive arena shooter. Project Pioneer would become Arc Raiders, initially conceived as a purely PvE cooperative experience where small humans fought massive machines in vast worlds. The concept was compelling on paper. Players would embody vulnerable raiders taking on towering mechanical enemies using guerrilla tactics and teamwork.
This version, internally called PIO1, featured bombastic player movement with characters adopting hero personas. The gameplay was arcadey with powerful abilities and collaborative hunting mechanics similar to Monster Hunter but with a sci-fi aesthetic. The team spent years developing bleeding-edge locomotion technology for machines that moved with realistic physics-driven animation, creating enemies that felt alive and threatening through groundbreaking AI and procedural locomotion systems.
Why It Didn’t Work
Despite the technological achievements, PIO1 had a fundamental problem. It wasn’t fun consistently. Some playtests delivered incredible moments where players coordinated perfectly, machines responded dynamically, and the fantasy of vulnerable humans toppling mechanical giants came alive. Other sessions dragged endlessly, with players wandering looking for objectives, fighting unresponsive enemies, or getting frustrated by unclear goals and pacing issues.
The documentary reveals the team struggled for years trying to distill the PvE experience into something delivering satisfying rounds consistently. They entered a six-month phase called the pivot where they reduced the game to its absolute core, stripping away complexity to find the fun underneath. Developer interviews describe this period as brutal. They knew something wasn’t working but couldn’t identify what needed fixing.
By the end of the pivot, they faced reality. The pivot had not worked. The documentary states this directly. Years of development, bleeding-edge technology, passionate belief in the vision, none of it mattered if the game wasn’t fun. They needed a more drastic solution. The older version of Arc Raiders would be put to rest and a new game built around PvE and PvP combat would emerge from its ashes.
The Six-Month Ultimatum
The most revealing moment comes when the documentary discusses timelines. In 2020, management asked how long it would take to deliver the game. After analyzing estimates, talking to the team, and understanding the full scope, the assessment came back: we need around 2 years. The answer from leadership was devastating: No way. We have 6 months.
Six months. To build a completely new game from the salvageable pieces of a failed project that had already consumed years. This impossible deadline forced decisions that would define Arc Raiders’ final form. They couldn’t create elaborate PvE narratives or scripted set-pieces. They needed emergent gameplay where players, machines, and the environment created stories organically. That meant adding PvP to create tension and unpredictability.
Many developers including co-founder Patrick Soderlund preferred a solely PvE experience. Adding PvP felt like compromising the original vision of cooperative machine hunting. But the team couldn’t make pure PvE work in the time available, and extraction shooters proved that PvPvE could deliver the emergent moments and replayability they needed. The documentary describes this as a necessary evil that became Arc Raiders’ greatest strength.
What They Kept
Not everything from PIO1 was abandoned. The emergent nature of how players interacted with each other and machines created good rhythm. The destruction of machines themselves, with gradual gratifying juicy visual feedback as components broke off, worked beautifully. The way machines navigated across environments detecting players through noise and creating traps for other players generated interesting dynamics worth preserving.
Most importantly, they kept the groundbreaking locomotion technology. Machines in Arc Raiders move unlike anything in other games because they use physics-driven procedural animation that responds to terrain, damage, and player actions in real-time. This technological achievement, years in development, became the foundation for a very different game than originally intended but remained distinctive and compelling.
Building the Extraction Shooter
With six months to prove viability, the team pivoted to extraction shooter mechanics. Players would drop into zones filled with machines and AI enemies, collect loot, complete objectives, and extract before getting killed. Other players would create tension through competition for resources and the constant threat of PvP combat. The loop was proven by Escape from Tarkov and other extraction games, giving Arc Raiders a template to follow.
But Embark wanted accessibility. Tarkov is notoriously punishing with steep learning curves, permanent gear loss, and hardcore mechanics that alienate casual players. Arc Raiders would be the extraction shooter for people with jobs, as PC Gamer described it. Matches would be shorter. Gear loss would sting but not devastate. Mechanics would be approachable without sacrificing depth for veterans who wanted to master the systems.
The documentary reveals this philosophy extended to development processes. Embark invested heavily in procedural tools and machine learning to speed asset creation. One example shows their procedural generation pipeline converting rough 3D objects into finished game-ready environmental assets in just minutes. At traditional AAA studios, this process takes days. The efficiency let a smaller team produce content at speeds matching much larger operations.
The Machine Learning Revolution
Embark’s technical innovations extended beyond procedural generation. They used machine learning to teach AI enemies how to walk and navigate complex terrain. Rather than hand-animating every movement or using traditional pathfinding, machines learned through reinforcement learning how to traverse environments naturally while responding to obstacles, slopes, and damage in real-time.
This created enemies that move organically rather than following scripted paths or repeating canned animations. When you shoot a leg off a machine in Arc Raiders, it doesn’t just play a limping animation. It physically adapts its locomotion in real-time, shifting weight and adjusting gait to compensate for the missing component. This creates moments of emergence where machines behave in ways even the developers didn’t specifically program.
The technology took years to reach acceptable quality bars. Early tests from 2020-2021 showed machines learning to walk but with unnatural movements or getting stuck. By early 2021, the quality bar was achieved and multiple AI enemy types were functioning properly. This timing aligned with the extraction shooter pivot, letting the team build around their technological achievements rather than abandoning them entirely.
The Finals Connection
While Arc Raiders struggled, Project Discovery, now called The Finals, progressed rapidly. The documentary briefly addresses how The Finals’ faster development influenced Arc Raiders’ trajectory. The Finals launched in December 2023 to critical acclaim and commercial success, proving Embark’s technical foundations and development philosophies worked when applied to the right project.
The Finals’ success bought Arc Raiders breathing room. With one successful game generating revenue and validating the studio, Embark could take more time perfecting Arc Raiders rather than rushing it to market to justify investor confidence. The documentary suggests this allowed the team to properly refine the extraction shooter rather than launching prematurely like many struggling live service games.
Many developers worked on both projects, creating cross-pollination of ideas and techniques. The destructive environments pioneered in The Finals influenced how Arc Raiders handles physics and destructibility. The approachable but deep gunplay from The Finals informed how Arc Raiders balanced accessibility with mastery curves. The studios’ commitment to rapid iteration and daily internal testing applied to both titles.
Why PvP Saved the Game
The documentary makes clear that PvP wasn’t just an addition but the solution to fundamental design problems. Pure PvE struggles with pacing because developers must script or procedurally generate interesting moments. Players quickly learn patterns and optimize fun out of experiences. PvP creates organic tension because human opponents behave unpredictably, forcing adaptation rather than pattern memorization.
Arc Raiders benefits from PvP in ways the team didn’t fully anticipate. The possibility of player betrayal creates paranoia during supposedly cooperative moments. Finding other players leads to interesting decisions: engage in PvP for their loot, cooperate against machines, or avoid conflict entirely. The extraction phase becomes tense because you must reach the extraction point while other players might ambush you at the last moment.
Interestingly, the Arc Raiders community developed emergent peaceful interactions despite PvP systems. Some players choose not to engage in combat, creating moments of unexpected cooperation. The documentary notes this fascinating aspect where player behavior exceeded design intentions, proving that emergent gameplay can create experiences designers never specifically programmed but enable through systemic design.
Episodes 2 and 3 Coming Soon
Episode 1 of The Evolution of Arc Raiders establishes the foundation, revealing the failures and pivots that created the current game. The episode ends teasing future content. Episode 2 will tackle the experience of being a raider, covering combat, loot systems, and moment-to-moment gameplay. Episode 3 presumably addresses post-launch plans, live service strategy, and lessons learned from the development journey.
Noclip, the crowdfunded documentary company producing the series, specializes in deep dives into game development. Their previous work includes documentaries on Final Fantasy XIV, The Witness, and Hades among many others. The collaboration with Embark Studios gives unprecedented access to internal discussions, prototypes, and decision-making processes that companies typically keep confidential.
The documentary serves multiple purposes. It builds community goodwill by demonstrating transparency about development struggles. It provides valuable content for players invested in Arc Raiders’ success. It potentially influences industry discussions about sustainable development practices and the dangers of believing in visions that don’t translate to fun gameplay regardless of technological achievement.
Lessons for the Industry
The Evolution of Arc Raiders offers crucial lessons for game development. First, technological innovation doesn’t guarantee fun. Embark created groundbreaking locomotion systems and procedural generation tools, but those achievements meant nothing when the core gameplay loop wasn’t satisfying. No amount of impressive tech saves a boring game.
Second, smaller teams with efficient tools can compete with massive studios. Embark’s investment in procedural generation and machine learning let them produce content at speeds matching operations with hundreds more people. This validates the founders’ belief that bloated AAA development had become counterproductive, though achieving that efficiency required years of upfront investment in technology.
Third, pivoting is painful but necessary. The team spent years on PIO1 before admitting it failed. That admission and willingness to restart saved the project. Many studios would have pushed forward with a flawed concept due to sunk cost fallacy, shipping mediocre products rather than acknowledging fundamental problems and starting over.
Arc Raiders’ Current Success
The gamble paid off. Arc Raiders launched November 2025 in early access and immediately dominated Steam charts with peak concurrent players exceeding 480,000. The game beat Call of Duty Black Ops 7 in player counts during the same launch window, a stunning achievement for a new IP from a relatively unknown studio. Battlefield 6 claimed best-selling shooter of 2025, but Arc Raiders arguably won the cultural conversation.
Players praise the accessibility that makes extraction shooters approachable for audiences intimidated by Tarkov’s hardcore systems. Match lengths feel reasonable rather than demanding hours per session. The machine enemies provide PvE challenge without requiring dedicated squads to survive. The PvP creates tension without being mandatory, letting players engage as much or little as they want with competitive combat.
Most importantly, the game is fun consistently. The problem that plagued PIO1 for years has been solved. Players report satisfying sessions every time they play rather than occasional highlights among tedious stretches. That consistency, the elusive goal the team chased through multiple pivots and rebuilds, validates every painful decision made during the six-year development.
FAQs
What is The Evolution of Arc Raiders documentary?
The Evolution of Arc Raiders is a three-part documentary series produced by Noclip in collaboration with Embark Studios. Episode 1 released November 20, 2025 and reveals the six-year development journey including failed concepts and complete restarts that led to the current extraction shooter.
Was Arc Raiders originally a PvP game?
No, Arc Raiders was originally conceived as a purely PvE cooperative experience where players hunted massive machines. The team added PvP and pivoted to extraction shooter mechanics after the PvE-only concept failed to consistently deliver fun gameplay despite years of development.
How long did Arc Raiders take to develop?
Arc Raiders was in development for approximately six years from Embark Studios’ founding in 2018 to the November 2025 early access launch. The game went through multiple complete restarts and fundamental design pivots during that time.
Who makes Arc Raiders?
Arc Raiders is developed by Embark Studios, a Stockholm-based developer founded in 2018 by veterans from DICE and EA including CEO Patrick Soderlund. The studio also created The Finals, which launched in December 2023.
What happened to the original Arc Raiders concept?
The original PvE-focused version called PIO1 was completely scrapped after years of development when the team realized it couldn’t consistently deliver fun gameplay. They rebuilt the game from scratch as a PvPvE extraction shooter under a six-month deadline to prove viability.
What technology does Arc Raiders use?
Arc Raiders uses Unreal Engine combined with proprietary procedural generation tools and machine learning systems. The game’s distinctive feature is physics-driven procedural locomotion for AI enemies that move realistically and adapt to damage in real-time.
When do Episodes 2 and 3 release?
Release dates for Episodes 2 and 3 of The Evolution of Arc Raiders haven’t been announced yet. Episode 2 will cover the raider experience including combat and loot systems, while Episode 3 presumably addresses post-launch plans.
Is Arc Raiders successful?
Yes, Arc Raiders launched November 2025 with peak concurrent players exceeding 480,000 on Steam. It beat Call of Duty Black Ops 7 in player counts during the same launch window and has been praised for making extraction shooters accessible to broader audiences.
Conclusion
The Evolution of Arc Raiders Episode 1 reveals uncomfortable truths about game development that studios rarely discuss publicly. Passionate belief in a vision doesn’t guarantee success. Technological achievement means nothing if gameplay isn’t fun. Years of work sometimes must be abandoned completely when fundamental problems can’t be fixed through iteration alone. Embark Studios spent six years learning these lessons the hard way, scrapping their original PvE concept after it failed to deliver consistent fun despite groundbreaking locomotion technology and procedural tools. The six-month ultimatum to prove a completely rebuilt extraction shooter could work forced painful compromises that ironically saved the project. Adding PvP felt like betraying the cooperative machine-hunting vision, but it created the emergent tension and replayability that makes Arc Raiders work. The documentary demonstrates that successful games often emerge from failure rather than executing perfect visions flawlessly from conception to launch. The current success, with 480,000 concurrent players and widespread acclaim for accessibility, vindicates every difficult pivot and restart. But Episode 1 makes clear this triumph came from willingness to kill beloved ideas when evidence showed they didn’t work, not stubborn attachment to original concepts regardless of feedback. That honesty and adaptability, painful as it was, separates Arc Raiders’ success story from the countless ambitious projects that fail because creators couldn’t admit when their visions didn’t translate to fun gameplay. The remaining episodes will presumably reveal how Embark refined the extraction shooter formula and what lessons they learned about sustainable live service development. For now, Episode 1 stands as essential viewing for anyone interested in game development reality beyond the polished marketing narratives studios typically present.