Stop Hiding Your Loot: Arc Raiders Decides Violence is Actually the Answer (And I’m Here For It)

AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·

Stop Hiding Your Loot: Arc Raiders Decides Violence is Actually the Answer (And I’m Here For It)

Embark Studios is ditching the boring 'loot hoarding' grind in Arc Raiders, shifting Skill Point progression to damage dealt to encourage players to actually use their gear instead of letting it rot in a stash.

I’ve been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared. You know that feeling when you spend three hours meticulously organizing your digital stash, rotating weapons like a tetris pro, only to realize you haven't actually *played* the game? Yeah, it seems Embark Studios noticed that too. They’ve looked at our hoarding tendencies and decided it’s time to stop playing ‘Post-Apocalyptic Accountant’ and start playing a shooter again.

According to a report from Vikki Blake over at Eurogamer, the team behind Arc Raiders is flipping the script on how we progress during their next Expedition Window. Starting April 28th, Skill Points won’t be tied to how much shiny junk you can shove into your pockets. Instead, they’re tied to damage. Pure, unadulterated, ‘I-saw-it-and-I-hit-it’ damage. It’s a bit like a wizard deciding that your spellbook only levels up when you actually cast a fireball rather than just reading about them in a dusty library.

### The End of the Hoarding Era

For the longest time, the extraction shooter genre has been a bit of a tug-of-war. On one side, you’ve got the thrill of the raid; on the other, you’ve got this nagging corporate-style anxiety about losing your stuff. We’ve all been there: you find a legendary piece of gear and immediately decide it’s too precious to ever actually use. You stick it in your stash like a dragon sitting on a pile of gold, and there it stays, gathering digital dust.

Embark is trying to break that cycle. In their latest blog post, they admitted what we’ve all been feeling: “We know that grinding for monetary value isn't the most exciting experience.” No kidding, mate! By shifting the five available Skill Points to a damage-based challenge, they’re essentially giving us a license to go loud. You’ve got a five-day window (from Tuesday to Sunday) to cause as much mayhem as possible.

What’s particularly clever here—or maybe just a bit cheeky—is that this challenge applies to everyone who has completed their Caravan. You don’t even need to sign up to see the goal; it’s just there, looming over you like a grumpy boss demanding results. Any weapon, any gadget, any target (except the practice range, because that would be too easy, wouldn’t it?) counts toward your total.

### The Cautiously Optimistic Wizard’s Take

Now, I’m naturally a bit skeptical when a developer says they want to “provide more freedom.” Usually, that’s PR-speak for “we’re moving the goalposts because you lot finished the last grind too fast.” But I reckon there’s a genuine silver lining here. In the Web3 gaming circles I frequent, we talk a lot about the ‘utility’ of assets. What’s the point of owning a high-tier digital sword if you’re too scared to swing it? This change in Arc Raiders forces utility. It tells the player: “That gun you’ve been saving? Use it. If it breaks, it breaks, but at least you’ll get those Skill Points.”

It’s a move toward a more active, engagement-heavy meta. Instead of avoiding every fight to protect your stash value, you’re now incentivized to seek out trouble. It turns the game from a stealthy loot-crawl into something more akin to a high-stakes action movie.

### The Catch (Because There’s Always a Catch)

However, it wouldn’t be an Embark update without a little bit of a head-scratcher. While the *new* points are earned through damage, the ‘Catch-Up’ mechanic is still firmly rooted in the old ways. If you’re on your second or third expedition and you missed out on points last time, you can still get them—but only after you finish the damage challenge. And the price? 300,000 coins or stash value per skill point.

Wait, what?

So, to get ahead, you have to be a warrior, but to make up for lost time, you still have to be a merchant? It’s a bit like a wizard school telling you that to graduate, you need to defeat a manticore, but if you missed last semester’s potions class, you have to pay the bursar in solid gold bars. It feels a bit disjointed, doesn't it? It keeps that 'endless grind' element alive for the players who fall behind, which is exactly what they said they wanted to avoid. I suppose old habits die hard in game design.

### The Bigger Picture: Disney and the Extraction Arms Race

While we’re talking about Arc Raiders, we can't ignore the massive, mouse-shaped shadow looming in the background. The Eurogamer report also touched on those spicy rumors that Epic Games is working with Disney on their own extraction shooter. Imagine Arc Raiders, but instead of gritty scavengers, you’ve got Donald Duck frantically trying to extract with a bag full of enchanted gears before a squad of stormtroopers pins him down.

It sounds absurd, right? But that’s the world we’re living in. The extraction genre is the new frontier. Everyone wants a piece of that high-stakes, ‘lose-it-all’ pie. Whether it’s Embark trying to make the genre more accessible by rewarding combat, or Disney trying to make it family-friendly (good luck with that), the landscape is shifting faster than a teleportation spell gone wrong.

### Is it Enough to Keep Us Coming Back?

I’m genuinely curious to see how the community reacts to the April 28th window. Will we see a surge of players finally bringing out their 'too-good-to-use' gear, or will people find a way to cheese the damage numbers?

Ultimately, Embark is trying to solve the oldest problem in gaming: how do you make a loop that feels rewarding without making it feel like a second job? By prioritizing the ‘fun’ of combat over the ‘chore’ of hoarding, they’re at least moving in the right direction. Just remember, you still have to sign up during that 5-day window—completing your Caravan isn’t enough. Don't be the person who does all the work and forgets to hand in the assignment. I've been that wizard, and trust me, the dean doesn't accept 'the dragon ate my homework' as an excuse.

So, dust off those gadgets, prep your weapons, and I’ll see you in the wasteland. Just don't expect me to be gentle if I see you holding a piece of loot I need. It’s all for the Skill Points, mate!

Tags: Arc Raiders, Embark Studios, Extraction Shooters, Gaming News, Game Mechanics

Original article: Eurogamer