Quick answer: ARC Raiders is running a PvE matchmaking toggle test from October 13 to October 20, 2026. During that week you can flip between the classic PvPvE experience and a PvE-only experience where other Raiders can't damage you. Loot value is slightly lower in PvE to offset the reduced risk, a few high-tension conditions are excluded, and the toggle is removed when the test ends. It's a limited test, not a permanent mode — yet.
Embark Studios announced the test on September 24, 2026, and it's been one of the most-discussed topics in the ARC Raiders community since. A PvE option has been among the most persistently-requested features from players, and the studio finally moved on it: "We can't ignore what the data is telling us." Below is exactly what's happening, what changes on the ground, and how to squeeze the most out of a one-week window.
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Key Takeaways
- Dates: the PvE toggle test runs October 13-20, 2026 — one week only.
- What it does: lets you toggle between PvPvE (classic) and PvE-only matchmaking per session.
- In PvE: zero player-to-player damage. You still see other Raiders and can co-op against the ARC.
- Loot trade-off: overall loot value is lowered in PvE to compensate for the reduced risk.
- Session mix: PvE lobbies fold Solos, Duos and Trios into the same session.
- Excluded: high-tension conditions — Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate and Frigate — are off the table in PvE.
- Temporary: when the week ends, the toggle is removed and matchmaking returns to normal.
When is the ARC Raiders PvE test?
The PvE toggle test runs from October 13 through October 20, 2026 — a seven-day window. Embark has described it as a toggle added directly to matchmaking for the duration, so you can expect the option to simply appear in the menu that week and disappear when it's over, with no separate mode to download. If you want to try a genuinely PvP-free ARC Raiders run, this is your window, and right now it's the only one on the calendar.
Embark has been explicit that this is an experiment, not a launch. In the studio's words: "When the test ends, the toggle will be removed and matchmaking will return to normal. Your feedback and data will help to shape the future of this system." Translation: whether PvE becomes permanent depends on how many people actually play it — so if you want it to stick, playing during the test week is the vote that counts.
How does the PvE toggle work?
It's a matchmaking toggle, not a separate game mode with its own maps or campaign. Before you queue, you choose your experience:
- PvPvE (classic): the ARC Raiders you already know — other Raiders can shoot you, betray you, and take your kit.
- PvE: zero player-to-player damage. Other Raiders are still in your session and still visible, but nobody can hurt anybody. You can ignore them, or team up to bring down ARC threats and share the field.
Embark is designing it for seamless switching: run a relaxed PvE session solo, then flip back to high-tension PvPvE for the next raid without any friction. Everything else about the raid — the map, the objectives, the extraction — plays out the same. You're just removing the human threat.
One structural change worth knowing: PvE sessions combine Solos, Duos and Trios into the same lobby. Classic play generally keeps group sizes apart (outside opt-in options like Solo vs Squads); in PvE they're explicitly pooled, so you'll share the map with a wider spread of group sizes. Practically, that means a solo player and a full trio can end up on the same map at once — and because nobody can deal player damage, that mix is a non-issue rather than a threat.
PvE vs PvPvE at a glance
Here's the quick side-by-side of what actually changes when you flip the toggle:
- Player damage: PvPvE — on, anyone can kill you. PvE — off, zero player-to-player damage.
- Other Raiders present: both — yes, you still see and share the map with other Raiders.
- Co-op with strangers: both possible, but PvE removes the betrayal risk that makes classic teaming a gamble.
- Loot value: PvPvE — full. PvE — lowered to offset the reduced risk.
- Queue pooling: PvPvE — group sizes generally kept apart (aside from opt-in options like Solo vs Squads). PvE — Solos, Duos and Trios explicitly share one session.
- Downed state: in PvE, ARC can still re-target you while you crawl, so a knock is not a guaranteed safe reset.
- Availability: PvPvE — always. PvE — only Oct 13-20, 2026, then removed.
What's the catch on loot?
Lower risk means lower reward. Embark states plainly that overall loot value is lowered in PvE to compensate for the added safety of a no-PvP session. From the official post: "The overall loot value is lowered to compensate for the relative safety of PvE." You won't be locked out of anything, but expect the take-home from a clean PvE run to be a notch below a survived PvPvE run.
There's also a small survivability wrinkle: if you get downed by ARC in PvE, be careful crawling. Enemies can re-acquire you as a target even while you're moving when downed — so a knock isn't the safe breather it might feel like without other players around.
What's excluded from the PvE test?
Not every scenario is eligible. Embark is holding back the conditions that are built around uncertainty and tension — the ones that only work when you don't know who or what is coming. Excluded from PvE matchmaking:
- Night Raids
- Hidden Bunker
- Locked Gate
- Frigate
These map conditions lean on high-tension, high-stakes design, so they stay PvPvE-only for the test. Everything outside that list is fair game with the toggle on.
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Why is Embark testing PvE now?
ARC Raiders shipped as a PvPvE extraction shooter, and Embark has historically been cautious about a pure-PvE mode — the studio has openly said there's "a risk that introducing a PvE matchmaking toggle could reduce some of the tension that the game was built around." That tension is the identity of the genre.
What changed is the data. A large, persistent slice of the player base kept asking for a way to fight the ARC without fighting other Raiders, and the numbers backed it up — enough that the studio conceded it couldn't ignore what the data was telling it. The decision they landed on wasn't to flip PvE on permanently and hope — it was to run a controlled, one-week test and watch what people actually do with it. That's the honest way to answer the real question: does a no-PvP option broaden the audience, or does it hollow out the tension that makes an extraction shooter feel like an extraction shooter?
That trade-off is the crux. The whole design of ARC Raiders — the risk of losing your kit, the paranoia of a distant silhouette, the calculus of whether to fight or flee another Raider — depends on other players being a threat. Take that away and some of the game's signature pressure goes with it. Embark knows this, which is why the loot value is trimmed in PvE (a soft nudge back toward the higher-stakes mode) and why the highest-tension conditions are excluded. The test is as much about measuring whether PvE cannibalizes classic play as it is about proving demand.
Does the test change my progression, stash, or gear?
No. This is framed as a matchmaking toggle layered over the normal game, not a separate account, season, or stash. You bring the same gear into a PvE session, you keep what you extract with (at the trimmed loot value), and your progression carries on exactly as it would in classic play. There's no PvE-only currency, no reset, and no parallel save — you're choosing how a given raid is matched, then playing the same ARC Raiders you already own.
The one thing to keep straight: because it's temporary, nothing about PvE is a permanent unlock. When the week closes on October 20, the toggle disappears and matchmaking snaps back to standard PvPvE. Anything you built up during the test — materials, blueprints, levels — stays with you; only the no-PvP matchmaking option goes away.
How to make the most of the PvE week
Whether you're a returning player, a nervous newcomer, or a veteran farming quietly, a no-PvP week is a rare opportunity. A few ways to use it:
- New players: learn the maps, ARC patterns, and extraction routes without getting third-partied. It's the lowest-pressure on-ramp ARC Raiders has ever offered.
- Returning players: run the loop again to re-learn the current meta before deciding whether to commit.
- Farmers: grind materials and progress objectives with a lower chance of losing a full kit to another Raider — just remember loot value is trimmed, so volume matters more than any single big score.
- Co-op groups: with Solos, Duos and Trios pooled and no PvP, it's a clean environment to practice team fights against tough ARC without a squad wiping you mid-engagement.
If you're planning to farm hard during the window, it pays to go in kitted. Topping up materials and unlocking the blueprints you actually want beforehand means the week is spent progressing, not scavenging from scratch.
Want to hit the PvE week already geared up? Skip the grind and load in ready to farm:
- ARC Raiders Materials — from $0.02 — all rarities, instant delivery, so a trimmed-loot PvE run still nets progress.
- ARC Raiders Blueprints — from $0.99 — 80+ blueprints, unlock the weapons and gear you want before the toggle goes live.
- All ARC Raiders services — leveling, carries and more, fast and secure.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the ARC Raiders PvE toggle test? It runs from October 13 to October 20, 2026 — one week. The toggle is added to matchmaking for the duration and removed when the test ends.
Is ARC Raiders getting a permanent PvE mode? Not yet. This is a limited test. Embark has said the toggle will be removed after the week and that player feedback and data during the test will decide whether PvE becomes a permanent feature.
Can other players still hurt me in PvE? No. In a PvE session there is zero player-to-player damage. Other Raiders are still present and visible, and you can co-op with them against the ARC, but nobody can shoot or kill you.
Do I get the same loot in PvE? No — overall loot value is lowered in PvE to offset the reduced risk of a no-PvP session. You still earn loot and progress, just at a slightly lower value than a survived PvPvE raid.
Can people still steal my loot if they can't shoot me? They can't kill you for it, but other Raiders share the map and can grab loot and objectives in the same space — so contested pickups (like a downed ARC's drops) can still come down to who reaches them first. There's just no gunfight over it.
What maps or conditions are excluded from PvE? The high-tension conditions Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate and Frigate are excluded from PvE matchmaking. Everything else is available with the toggle on.
Does the PvE toggle affect my progression or stash? Embark has framed it as a matchmaking toggle over the normal game, not a separate account or stash — you play the same raids with the same gear. The main gameplay difference is no PvP damage and trimmed loot value; if you want it to become permanent, playing during the test is what signals demand.
