Just one day after its release, Arc Raiders has already reached a peak concurrent player count of 264,673 on Steam, instantly establishing itself as one of the most successful extraction shooters on Valve's platform.
Considering Arc Raiders concluded its recent 'Server Slam' playtest with strong player numbers on Steam, developer Embark Studio was probably prepared for a massive launch day. This foresight paid off, as the game is now among Steam's most-played titles; only Battlefield 6, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, PUBG, and the viral sensation Escape from Duckov recorded higher 24-hour peaks.
Consequently, Arc Raiders attracted more players on Steam in the past day than popular free-to-play games like Apex Legends and Marvel Rivals.
The actual player base for Arc Raiders is certainly larger than the Steam figures suggest, as the game also launched on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. Neither Sony nor Microsoft disclose player counts. It's also important to note that Arc Raiders launched mid-week, so player numbers are expected to rise over its first weekend. For now, the launch can be considered a resounding success on Steam, where the game has earned a 'Very Positive' user review rating from over 8,800 reviews.
It will be fascinating to see how Arc Raiders performs when one of its major competitors, Escape From Tarkov, arrives on Steam next month. Another potential rival is Marathon. Arc Raiders' design director previously described the coinciding playtest launch of Bungie's extraction shooter as fortunate timing, calling it "a great A/B test for us."
Earlier this week, Embark Studios reaffirmed its confidence in launching Arc Raiders between major titles like Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, stating: "we believe the game can launch there."
“I know. It seems crazy,” CEO Patrick Söderlund told The Game Business. “People might see that release date and wonder, ‘What are they thinking?’ We've analyzed this from every possible angle and, whether it's the right move or not, we are confident the game can succeed there. This is just the beginning of a long journey. Every journey has to start somewhere.”
