18 February 2026

ARC Raiders Director Gives Official Statement on Care Bear Lobbies

By newsgame

Apparently, testers and those who got to play ARC Raiders early showed little interest in PvE, which made it all the more surprising for the developer when “Care Bear” lobbies began to emerge after launch. For those unfamiliar, Care Bear lobbies in ARC Raiders refer to PvE-heavy servers where most players are friendly and avoid fights unless forced into them.

Developer Embark Studios previously confirmed an aggression-based matchmaking system in ARC Raiders, which explains why Care Bear lobbies exist in the first place. Roughly speaking, the more a player shows a desire for PvP action, the more likely they are to be matched with others who behave the same way, and vice versa. What is interesting, however, is that despite having this system in place, Embark Studios seemingly did not expect the servers to attract as many PvE-focused players as they have now.

If You’re a Jerk in ARC Raiders, Chances Are You Will Be Matched With Similar Players

A developer at Embark Studios seems to confirm that ARC Raiders does pay attention to certain things when placing players in matches.

ARC Raiders Devs Weren’t Expecting This Many PvE Fans

In an interview with PC Gamer, ARC Raiders‘ design director Virgil Watkins said, “People never worked together [in our tests],” adding that “This kind of surprised us, in exactly how many people latch onto, and are having fun with, these [PvE] elements of the game.” He also noted that players’ love for non-PvP content encourages Embark Studios to “lean more toward giving opportunities to have friendly and fun interactions.” This approach was evident in one of ARC Raiders‘ latest events, Shared Watch, which specifically asked strangers to team up against the ARC machines.

ARC Raiders’ Mantra Makes PvE Servers Seem Unlikely

[Fighting others] is entirely your own decision.

Virgil Watkins also said that ARC Raiders‘ design philosophy and mantra remain intact, focusing on not forcing players to fight. “[Fighting others] is entirely your own decision,” he pointed out, acknowledging that there will always be PvP-thirsty players and PvE fans, which puts the developer in a “precarious position.” However, Watkins’ emphasis on not pushing players into PvP could also suggest that the game will not swing fully in the opposite direction. In other words, ARC Raiders may avoid introducing PvE-exclusive lobbies, as it prefers to let players decide whether they want to be hostile or friendly. “I far prefer that we give players the means and the context and the opportunity to do these things, and then they do what they want to do,” he said.

Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.

Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)

Of course, this is just one interpretation of Watkins’ comments and should be taken with a grain of salt. Embark Studios has not ruled out the possibility of adding more PvE modes in the future and has already shown interest in Care-Bear-style content, such as the Shared Watch event. For now, it remains to be seen whether the Swedish company will consider removing PvP from certain modes to better cater to its “don’t shoot” audience.

Thousands of Players Are Pushing for PvE Servers

There are thousands of comments and posts on social media, all asking for the same thing: PvE-dedicated servers. These players want a safe, peaceful space to focus on ARC Raiders‘ lore and fight hostile machines without worrying about aggressive players, often labeled by PvE fans as “rats” or “griefers.”

In recent months, ARC Raiders‘ PvP has faced heavy criticism, mainly due to glitches and exploits that many claimed broke the game. One notable exploit was the duplication glitch, which allowed players to create an infinite number of items, including explosives, mid-match. Embark Studios has patched many of these issues and taken action against those who exploited them. However, as Virgil Watkins has acknowledged, the PvP economy in ARC Raiders still needs more balance-oriented updates. “There [are] still things we need to work out,” he said, explaining that the developer wants to ensure fights are as fair as possible.

On February 24, ARC Raiders will receive its next major content update, Shrouded Sky. It is expected to introduce a new map condition and a brand-new ARC threat. Other confirmed changes include a patch for the map, a new raider deck and project, and the start of ARC Raiders‘ second expedition window. The update is also likely to address some of the PvP and PvE issues players have faced in recent weeks, though no specific details have been confirmed at the time of writing.