ARC Raiders: Dealing with Other Raiders (PvPvE Survival)

ARC Raiders is a PvPvE extraction shooter, which means the surface holds two overlapping threats: the ARC machines and other human Raiders. The machines are predictable. The humans are not, and they are the threat most likely to end an otherwise clean raid. You cannot remove other Raiders from the map in normal play — the October 2026 PvE toggle was a dated beta test that ended, not a permanent mode. So the skill is learning to live around them.

What actually happens when you die to a player

The loss rules are the same as dying to an ARC unit. You drop everything you brought into the raid and everything you picked up: your backpack, your equipped weapons, your gathered materials. What survives is exactly what the beginner death-loss page describes — your permanent Speranza stash and anything sitting in your Safe Pocket stay yours. The real cost of a PvP death is the loadout you risked, not your account. That single fact changes how you should think about gear. If you carry your best modified weapon into every drop, one ambush erases it. Balance the loadout against the run’s value.

Matchmaking reads your behavior

Embark’s matchmaking is not purely random. Players who shoot other Raiders get pulled into more aggressive lobbies, where everyone is hunting. Players who avoid contact tend to land in calmer ones. The community shorthand is “treat others how you want to be treated” — a peaceful run usually stays peaceful, and a loud run attracts loud neighbors. This is why the “Ghost” playstyle works: a stealth-focused solo operator who avoids hotspots, moves silently, and stays out of other Raiders’ lines of sight can loot and extract without ever firing at another human. You cannot switch the humans off, but you can often simply not meet them.

De-escalating a contact

When you do run into another Raider, most encounters are tense rather than instantly lethal. Tools for backing out of a fight:

• Proximity chat. If you have a microphone, talking is the fastest way to turn a standoff into a shrug.
• The emoji wheel. Phrases like “Don’t shoot!” exist precisely for this.
• Flashing your light rapidly is a widely understood sign of peaceful intent. New Raiders specifically report a benign early experience: most players ignore you, some drop items for you, and if you are hurt you may even get revived. The aggression is real but not universal.

The two playstyles

• Ghost (avoidance). Ideal for solo runs, low-risk looting, or whenever you are carrying high-value finds and are outnumbered. Move quietly, prefer suppressed fire, and let fights happen elsewhere.
• Hunter (aggression). Better suited to confident or squad-based players. The signature Hunter move is the vulture play: let another squad grind down an elite ARC, then third-party the survivors for a dual loot pool. This only works with a plan — dropping in blind gets you killed by the thing they were fighting.

Extraction is the kill zone

The moment you call an extraction — elevator, train, or beacon — the craft’s roar broadcasts your position across a wide radius. This is the single most dangerous beat in any run:

• Keep moving. Never stand still while the timer ticks; a stationary Raider is a free headshot for a lurking sniper.
• Use smoke. Mask your approach to the boarding ramp.
• Watch distinct angles. Squadmates should cover separate approaches where a camper might hold overwatch.
• Expect third-parties. Both ARC and rival players converge on extraction noise; finish your PvE step fully, then rotate to cover before trading shots. The extraction explained page covers the mechanical timing of each extract type; the human threat is the part those timers do not show.

Sound is your early-warning system

Headphones are not optional. Footsteps, drone thrusters, and distant gunfire all tell you where a fight is and whether it is moving toward you. Suppressed fire keeps you off another Raider’s radar. Most PvP engagements are decided before the first shot by whoever already had the better position.

Storing what matters between runs

High-value progression items — rare crafting components, blueprints, your best gear — belong in the permanent stash or the Safe Pocket, not loose in a raid loadout you might lose. The Safe Pocket guide explains what that slot protects and why a Free Loadout is the right tool for learning a map without risking your account’s best kit. The bottom line: in ARC Raiders you are never alone on the surface, but you are rarely forced to fight. Read behavior, control sound, de-escalate when you can, and treat every extraction as a contested objective.