Arc Raiders Matchmaking: Defense & Activity Update

Embark Studios has released a detailed breakdown of Arc Raiders matchmaking, accompanied by two significant live changes to the system. The developer plans to keep tuning the matchmaking as players respond to the update.

Matchmaking Changes: Defending and Activity Weight

The first change addresses a previous limitation: defending yourself is no longer treated the same as starting a fight. Previously, the system could not distinguish who initiated a PvP encounter from who merely responded, causing cautious players to be rated as more aggressive than they actually were. Now, the two actions are tracked separately.

The second change reduces the influence of low-activity rounds on a player’s playstyle history. This targets exploits such as spawning with free kits and immediately surrendering to appear less aggressive. By downweighting short runs, the system better reflects genuine playstyle choices over time.

How Playstyle Metrics Shape Lobbies

Matchmaking relies heavily on a continuous playstyle metric rather than binary labels like “friendly” or “aggressive.” Embark visualizes this as a scale ranging from cooperative through mixed to PvP-focused. The system aims to place players with others who sit near them on that scale, while still ensuring unpredictability in the Topside. Behavior shapes future lobbies gradually, not as a result of single rounds or immediate punishments.

Debunking Matchmaking Myths

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