Embark Studios Shifts the Focus with Arc Raiders and the New Shared Watch Event
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Embark Studios has launched Shared Watch in Arc Raiders, a two-week PvE-focused event that removes PvP merit rewards and encourages players to hunt mechanical Arc enemies for exclusive loot and progression rewards.
Extraction shooters thrive on tension, but Embark Studios is dialing down the crossfire for a couple of weeks with a brand new event in Arc Raiders. Titled Shared Watch, this two week initiative marks the first time the studio has introduced a strictly PvE-focused gameplay focus to the extraction shooter. Running from February 10 until February 24, the event applies universally to every topside run, meaning players cannot opt out of the ruleset. While PvP remains technically possible because player damage is not disabled, the game actively discourages it by completely removing merit rewards for player kills.
Instead of hunting other players, everyone topside needs to turn their weapons toward the mechanical threat roaming the maps. Progressing through the event track requires earning merits, which are generated by converting XP earned from damaging, destroying, and assisting in the takedown of Arc enemies. At a conversion rate of 100 XP per merit, players will need to grind out machine targets to unlock the full reward track, which peaks at 1,050 merits. You can still engage in standard looting and survival tactics, but ignoring the roaming Arc forces means missing out entirely on the cosmetic and progression loot tied to the event.
Alongside the Shared Watch rollout, the update also welcomes back the chilling Cold Snap map condition and introduces a handful of quality of life bug fixes. For players deep into the endgame grind or working through completionist projects like the Trophy Display, this shift offers a nice breather from constant player ambushes. It is an interesting experiment for a genre usually defined by ruthless player conflict, and it gives the community a chance to team up against a common enemy. You can read the original breakdown over at Polygon to check the full reward list and dive deeper into the patch notes.
Source: Polygon
Tags: Arc Raiders, Embark Studios, Extraction Shooter, PvE, Gaming News
Original article: Polygon