Arc Raiders players who join raids late may actually be more economically successful than those who start from the beginning, according to the game’s developer, Embark Studios.
Late Spawns: A Frustrating Feature With a Hidden Benefit?
The debate over late-game spawns in Arc Raiders centers on fairness and loot distribution.
- Embark Studios acknowledges frustration with late spawns, particularly the feeling of insufficient time to complete objectives.
- Data suggests late-joining players often profit more due to the state of the raid when they enter.
- The late spawn system is intended to mitigate deserted raids and ensure continued activity.
- Players have expressed concerns about unfair advantages given to late spawns, including spawning directly on top of other players.
The extraction shooter has sparked debate over its late spawn system, which can drop players into games with as little as 20 minutes remaining. While some find this frustrating due to limited time for objectives and reduced loot availability, Embark’s design lead, Virgil Watkins, says the data paints a different picture. “Players who late join economically profit way more than people who aren’t,” Watkins explained in an interview with GamesRadar. He noted that as sessions progress, they tend to quiet down, allowing latecomers to capitalize on remnants of fights or target high-value areas more easily.
What makes late joining advantageous in Arc Raiders? According to Watkins, late-joining players often encounter a less contested environment, allowing them to secure valuable loot and complete objectives with relative ease.
Watkins admitted the team recognizes the negative perception. “We 100% acknowledge the whole thing of, ‘Man, I came in to do that trial and now I clearly don’t have enough time to do that, and that sucks, so I’m just going to leave,’ or whatever. That aspect is definitely not great,” he said. However, he drew a parallel to perceptions surrounding free kits, suggesting that the benefits of late joining are often overlooked.
The goal of the late join system, Watkins explained, is to prevent raids from becoming deserted. Embark distributes loot in a way that ensures “there should be plenty of stuff for players to do” even for those joining late in the game.
The controversial system has drawn criticism from players. “It’s crazy that my team can clear a section of Stella Montis, place traps near the popular entrances, and start looting… only to have a full team of three, heavy shield, volcano running players spawn 50 FEET AWAY from us in a random room in the corner of the area… spawning basically on top of us, at 15 MINUTES REMAINING,” one player shared last month. Another suggested a system similar to Escape from Tarkov, where free loadout players spawn later in raids.
Concerns extend beyond fairness, with players reporting instances of late-spawning players appearing directly on top of others, resulting in unfair kills. “Spawning in a 20 with gear sucks. Most of the PVP is gone, half the loot is already extracted,” one player commented.
This week, Embark released a patch addressing out-of-bounds exploits in Arc Raiders, but players report issues with “rats” still present in the Stella Montis area. For those considering trying the game, guides are available on the best settings, recommended skills to unlock, and strategies for earning loot by delivering field depot crates. The team has also acknowledged interest in a potential TV show or movie adaptation, though they remain noncommittal.
