ARC Raiders, the new premium extraction shooter by Embark Studios, has achieved a rare feat in multiplayer gaming by increasing its player base after the launch weekend. This is unusual, as most games see their highest concurrent-player numbers during their first weekend.
Initially, ARC Raiders attracted over 300,000 players at launch. However, by its second weekend, the game surpassed its release player count and reached over 416,000 concurrent players on Steam.
“In its second weekend, ARC Raiders has surpassed its release player count on Steam, which is a rare occurrence.”
This rise signals a sustained and growing interest in the game beyond initial hype, which is uncommon for premium multiplayer titles.
For comparison, Battlefield 6 launched with over 745,000 concurrent players on Steam but has not managed to exceed those initial numbers since launch.
Considering player bases on PS5 and Xbox Series, total active players of ARC Raiders could be roughly double its Steam count.
ARC Raiders stands out not only for its post-launch growth but also as a newly created intellectual property (IP), emphasizing the game's strong market reception.
“What makes this achievement by ARC Raiders more impressive is that it’s an all-new IP.”
ARC Raiders defies typical multiplayer trends by growing its player base after release, marking a rare success for a new premium game in a competitive market.