The cooperative shooter continues to grow in popularity, surpasses Battlefield 6 once again, and ranks among the 25 most played games in Steam's history
ARC Raiders, the new third-person shooter developed by Embark Studios, is experiencing its best moment since its launch on October 30, 2025. The title has surpassed Battlefield 6 in concurrent players for the second consecutive week and is quickly approaching the threshold of half a million users connected at the same time, a milestone that only 21 games have achieved in Steam's history.
Last week, it recorded a peak of 481,996 concurrent players, far surpassing the 299,135 reached by Battlefield 6 during the same period. The sustained growth is turning ARC Raiders into one of the year's most significant surprises within the cooperative shooter segment.
The community: key to the new shooter's success
A large part of the current momentum comes from the community's enthusiasm. Content creators, positive reviews, and very active participation in specialized forums have helped consolidate a solid base of both new and veteran players.
In addition, Embark Studios' strategy of organizing participatory events, such as the recent collective challenge that allowed the Stella Montis map to be unlocked through massive resource gathering, has contributed to this success. Although the developers increased the difficulty of the objective, the community completed it in just one day. This collaborative dynamic generates a strong sense of belonging and improves daily user retention.
ARC Raiders rompe récords en Steam y se acerca al medio millón de jugadores simultáneos
The decline of historic franchises versus emerging studios
The impact of ARC Raiders becomes even more significant considering that Embark Studios is mostly composed of former Battlefield employees, including those responsible for the much-criticized Battlefield V from 2018. After that experience, Patrick Söderlund founded Embark with the intention of driving innovation in the genre.
Today, ARC Raiders consistently surpasses not only Battlefield 6 but also massively successful titles such as Fallout 4, Helldivers 2, Among Us, and World of Warships, ranking 25th in Steam's all-time ranking. Meanwhile, the Battlefield saga is experiencing a constant loss of players, reflecting a shift in preferences within the sector.
Challenges and expectations for the coming weeks
ARC Raiders rompe récords en Steam y se acerca al medio millón de jugadores simultáneos
Although the growth is remarkable, the challenge now is to maintain the game's relevance. Steam's absolute record remains distant: PUBG Battlegrounds reached 3.25 million concurrent players, a figure that no other title has come close to matching. Even Battlefield 6 keeps its own internal record of 747,440 players at launch, still above ARC Raiders' historical peak.
Nevertheless, the outlook is positive. The upcoming holidays and anticipation for new features, including advanced weather mechanics, could further strengthen the active player base. The big question is whether Embark Studios will ultimately manage to take ARC Raiders beyond the symbolic milestone of 500,000 concurrent players.
