ARC Raiders' design director explained how abandoning free-to-play improved the player experience
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ARC Raiders is one of the most talked-about shooters of the year, and its success was no accident. The game from Embark Studios changed course in time and left behind the free-to-play model.
According to its design director, Virgil Watkins, that shift was decisive.
ARC Raiders es uno de los shooters más comentados del año
From free shooter to paid game
ARC Raiders was introduced in 2021 as a free cooperative shooter. The initial idea was to launch it under a model supported by microtransactions.
However, after shifting its focus to the PvPvE genre and analyzing the market, the studio announced in August 2024 that it would be a paid game. The final release arrived at the end of October.
How the market and industry context influenced the decision
Embark acknowledges that the success of Helldivers 2 and the decline of several free-to-play games influenced the decision. Betting on an initial price gave them greater creative freedom.
Helldivers 2 se prepara para desembarcar en Xbox Series X/S
In markets where the price of games in dollars weighs more and more, the proposal sparked debate. Even so, the reception was positive.
The problem with free-to-play, according to its designer
In the documentary, Watkins was direct. "In a free video game, you have to complicate things that would otherwise be simple," he explained. The goal is not just to entertain, but to retain the player for as long as possible.
According to Watkins, the free ARC Raiders was going to include crafting timers. Every action had friction to encourage longer sessions.
ARC Raiders rompe récords en Steam y se acerca al medio millón de jugadores simultáneos
"With that philosophy, it was difficult to respect the player's time," he acknowledged. The switch to a paid game removed those barriers.
