Embark Studios is once again adjusting the matchmaking system for its cooperative first-person shooter, Arc Raiders, with the latest update prioritizing player intent in engagements. The developer has announced that defending oneself against an enemy will no longer impact a player's matchmaking tendencies.
This change, detailed in a recent blog post, stems from community feedback and developer experiments aimed at refining the player experience. Previously, while Embark stated matchmaking was not strictly "binary," players often felt solo matches were less intense than those played in groups. Early adjustments in May altered the system so that defending oneself mattered less than initiating combat but was still categorized as aggression.
With update 1.39.0, the distinction is now absolute: only fights that players choose to start will influence their playstyle estimate for matchmaking. This means that engaging in combat initiated by an opponent will not affect how the system pairs players together.
To clarify the new system, Embark has outlined the conditions under which a squad is considered to be defending: If an enemy player damages, downs, or incapacitates any member of a squad, the entire group is flagged as defending. The duration and intensity of a conflict also play a role, with prolonged shootouts involving multiple downs carrying more weight for the aggressors than brief exchanges where one side retreats.
Furthermore, entering an ongoing fight between two other squads, commonly known as third-partying, will now count as initiating a fight and thus influence matchmaking. These adjustments are in addition to previous changes, including separate squad-size matchmaking modifications from update 1.36.0 and general matchmaking optimizations introduced in 1.38.0, both of which remain active.
These matchmaking refinements follow a period where Arc Raiders has seen its development cycle shift, with major updates now planned on a six-month cadence instead of the previously announced monthly releases. The upcoming "Frozen Trail" update in October is anticipated to mark a significant resurgence for the game following this strategic shift.