ARC Raiders is a PvPvE extraction shooter from Embark Studios, the Stockholm studio behind The Finals. It released on October 30, 2025 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. You play a Raider living underground in the city of Speranza. On each run you go Topside, a ruined surface patrolled by ARC, hostile machines, to scavenge loot and complete quests, then get back out alive. Other Raiders are on the map too, and they may help you or shoot you.

It was a huge hit, reaching 12 million players in its first month. Embark has kept adding maps, map conditions and new ARC enemies through 2026.

How it plays

Maps: Dam Battlegrounds, Spaceport, Buried City, The Blue Gate and Stella Montis, with more added in 2026.
ARC alert levels: a blue scanner light means patrolling, yellow means alerted, red means attacking.
Loot or lose it: anything you carry is lost if you die before you extract, unless it is in a safe pocket.

ARC Raiders on Xbox

Is ARC Raiders on Xbox? Yes. ARC Raiders launched on Xbox Series X|S on October 30, 2025, the same day as PC and PlayStation 5. It is a native current-generation game, with a performance mode at 60fps and a quality mode with higher resolution on Xbox Series X, and a 1080p-focused version on Xbox Series S. Crossplay with PC and PS5 is on by default, so Xbox players share the same Topside matches as everyone else, and you can party up with friends on any platform using an Embark account.

How much is ARC Raiders on Xbox?

ARC Raiders is a paid game, not free-to-play. The standard edition costs $39.99 on the Xbox store, and a Deluxe Edition adds cosmetic items and in-game currency. It is not included with Xbox Game Pass, so you need to buy it even if you subscribe. Look out for discounts during the Xbox Spring Sale and Black Friday; see Xbox deals and sales.

Can you play ARC Raiders on Xbox One?

No. ARC Raiders is only available on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, not on the original Xbox One, Xbox One S or Xbox One X. Its large maps, physics and streaming technology were built for current-generation consoles. If you only own an Xbox One, the closest option is Xbox Cloud Gaming, but ARC Raiders is not part of the cloud library at the time of writing, so you would need a Series console or a PC to play it.

Do you need Game Pass Essential to play ARC Raiders online?

Yes. Because ARC Raiders is a paid online game on Xbox, you need at least Xbox Game Pass Essential for online multiplayer, just as you need PlayStation Plus on PS5. Free-to-play games are the exception, and ARC Raiders is not one of them. Details on every tier are on the Xbox Game Pass hub.

Getting started in ARC Raiders

New Raiders should spend the first few runs learning how ARC machines react to noise and light, rather than chasing other players. Bring free loadouts while you learn, so dying costs nothing, and focus on extracting with crafting materials. Back in Speranza, upgrade your workshop benches to unlock better weapons and gear, and complete trader quests for steady rewards. Play with a squad if you can: teams can revive each other, carry more loot and deal with Bastions and other heavy ARC far more easily. Our ARC Raiders beginner guide and ARC enemies guide cover each step in detail, and the wiki tab lists every ARC, weapon and map.

Best settings on Xbox Series X|S

On Series X, choose performance mode for smoother aiming in fights against other Raiders. Turn down motion blur and depth of field to make targets easier to read, and raise the brightness slightly for dark interiors such as Stella Montis. Lower the aim assist slowdown if you play with a high sensitivity. Use a headset: sound is one of the most important tools in ARC Raiders, because footsteps and the hum of approaching ARC often warn you before you see anything. See the best headsets for Xbox.

ARC Raiders maps at a glance

Dam Battlegrounds is the starter map: open fields, a large dam complex and plenty of medium-risk loot, ideal for learning. Spaceport is built around a launch site with tall structures and long sightlines, which favors players with rifles and good positioning. Buried City is a dense, half-buried urban zone full of interiors, where close-range fights and sneaking around ARC patrols matter most. The Blue Gate mixes forests, tunnels and industrial areas with some of the best mid-game loot. Stella Montis is a dark mountain research facility with tight corridors and high-value rewards for teams that can handle its dangerous ARC. Map conditions, such as night raids, storms and special events, rotate regularly and change both the loot and the threat level.

Progression and the Expedition system

Your Raider progresses through skill trees that improve survival, mobility and conditioning, while your workshop benches decide which weapons, armor and gadgets you can craft. Embark added an optional Expedition system that lets experienced players reset part of their progress in exchange for permanent rewards, which keeps the economy fresh for long-term players without forcing a full server wipe on everyone. Casual players can ignore it and keep building up their stash at their own pace.

Crossplay and parties

Crossplay connects Xbox, PS5 and PC players in the same matchmaking pool. You can turn off crossplay on console if you want to play only with other console players, but queue times may be longer. To play with friends on another platform, add them through your Embark ID in the social menu, then invite them to your party before you deploy. Voice chat works across platforms through the in-game proximity and team chat, so you can talk to your squad and, if you are brave, negotiate with strangers Topside.

Updates in 2026

Embark has released new maps, map conditions, ARC types, weapons and seasonal events through 2026, roughly every few weeks, with larger updates every couple of months. Check the updates tab on this hub for patch notes, and the codes tab for any active promotional rewards.