Is ARC Raiders Free? Platforms, Crossplay, and What It Costs

ARC Raiders is free-to-play. There is no box price on PC, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X|S, and the game supports cross-platform social play, so a friend on another system can still squad up with you. What costs money is limited to cosmetics, and none of it changes your power.

What you need to play

Beyond a platform and an internet connection, ARC Raiders requires an Embark ID account and acceptance of the Embark terms, with a 13+ age gate. A linked platform account (Steam, Epic, PlayStation, or Xbox) is also needed. None of that is a purchase — it is account setup. On console, online play still needs the platform’s own subscription, and that is the one recurring cost the game itself does not set.

What actually costs money

The in-game shop currency is Raider Tokens, and it is spent only on cosmetic items: raider decks, bundles, outfits, backpacks, charms, emotes, and Scrappy-themed cosmetics. There is also a Deluxe Edition that bundles cosmetic content, but it is optional and does not grant gameplay advantage.

Where to get it

On PC, ARC Raiders is available through both Steam and the Epic Games Store, and on consoles through the PlayStation and Microsoft stores. All versions share the cross-platform social layer, so your friends list and squadding work across systems even if the storefront differs.

Why this matters for new players

Because the economy is cosmetic, your first hours are about learning the loop, not about paying to keep up. Free-to-play does not mean low stakes, though: the extraction loop makes your time and the loot you carry the real cost of a mistake. Your gear comes from traders and crafting, and the death penalty is the only thing that makes a bad raid expensive. The rarity tiers you chase are earned in raids, not bought in a store.