ARC Raiders fans are souring on the game again after latest update continues ‘pushing away PvP players’

It’s tough out there in the world of extraction shooters as game devs try to balance the wants and needs of different kinds of players.

The hugely popular ARC Raiders is advertised as a PvPvE game, as extraction shooters normally are. Every time you deploy topside, you run the risk of running into sweaty players looking to steal your loot. But more and more players have been feeling lately that the game is leaning more heavily into PvE, and now Embark Studios has taken away a big reason for people to fight each other.

In today’s patch notes, Embark Studios has “removed PvP Feats” entirely, which basically deletes a main source of incentive to fight other players. ARC Raiders players are saying that this is pushing the game further into full-fledged PvE territory, and some are none too pleased.

“PvP feats have been removed, so basically anyone who attacks you now is just doing it for the love of the game,” said an ARC Raiders news account on Twitter/X. Many of the replies are in disagreement, but the fact is that Feats to rank up things like Raider Decks and unlock cosmetics are a reason to play the game daily. Now, without PvP Feats, it’s once again all about peace as humanity unites against evil robots, in theory.

I don’t fully buy the notion that ARC Raiders is now a PvE-only game thanks to the removal of Feats. The incentive to fight others is to steal their gear. That’s the whole point of extraction shooters. But with inviting a more casual kind of player into ARC Raiders, it seems as though a good amount of the playerbase would rather peacefully PvE, or so says Embark’s data.

“Embark are clearly pushing away PvP players as hard as they can,” one gamer said. “Thank god Marathon drops next week.”

And therein lies an interesting discussion to be had. While ARC Raiders seems to be moving further away from PvP and leaning into its PvE popularity, Bungie’s Marathon is intent on pushing the PvP aspect of it. As both games move forward, I will be keeping my eyes on how they function as one seems more PvE-focused, and the upcoming FPS from the makers of Halo and Destiny wants you to fight it out.

One of the factions in Marathon is a death cult. I don’t see that faction’s missions encouraging harmony and love when it comes to its missions and unlockable abilities. Will PvP fans head to Marathon while the slower-paced PvE fans stay behind on ARC Raiders?

I think there’s room for both games with how popular the genre is becoming, but either way, it will be fun to watch it all shake out over the next few months.

The post ARC Raiders fans are souring on the game again after latest update continues ‘pushing away PvP players’ appeared first on Destructoid.

The launch of the Shrouded Sky update in ARC Raiders has a few new ways for players to be rewarded for their efforts, and the First Wave Raider Caches should be high on your priority list.

Not to be mistaken with the standard Raider Caches (in terms of their content), this variant is exclusive to the Hurricane map condition. While surviving the storm is filled with horrors and terrors, you can get some amazing loot in the process.

How to get First Wave Raider Caches in ARC Raiders

The First Wave Raider Caches are special containers that you can search for valuable loot. Not to be mistaken for Unconvered Caches, First Wave Raider Caches have been revealed by the strong winds of the Hurricane map event. These caches appear to be bigger than the standard ones (possibly due to the larger number of items).

Finding one is a huge challenge since it’s very hard to locate them in the dark. So far, I have found them on the Dam Battlegrounds and the Blue Gate maps. But some members of the community have also found success on Spaceport and Buried City.

I have marked the locations below (my own and based on the community). I have added the possible spots for Blue Gate and Dam Battlegrounds, but I will add more locations as I find more caches in the days to come.

First things first – the First Wave Raider Caches don’t have fixed locations on the map. Their locations appear to change with the raid, so that’s something to keep in mind. The locations shown on the images below are ‘possible’ spots where you should look. Finding one will also largely depend on your luck. Always look around the bushes because some of the caches can be hidden from open view.

If you’re on Dam Battlegrounds, you can check out the locations marked above.

If you’re on Blue Gate, you check the spots marked on the image above.

Are First Wave Raider Caches worth it in ARC Raiders

First Wave Raider Caches are incredibly valuable to find in the current version of ARC Raiders. I am unsure if the rate of rewards will be changed in the future, but you can find some amazing items. The pool of possible rewards includes blueprints (for weapons and explosives), among other things.

Hence, finding the caches should be your top priority if you’re willing to brave the challenges of the Hurricane.

The post How to find First Wave Raider Caches in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid.