Fans torn between hope and mockery: ARC Raiders and The Finals are coming to TV

With ARC Raiders and The Finals, Embark Studios has built two successful multiplayer franchises in recent years. Now, both games are set to make the leap to the big and small screens. As Nexon has officially confirmed (on Japanese), the company has entered into a partnership with Chernin Entertainment. The production company will serve as lead producer on upcoming film and TV adaptations of the two franchises.

Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund describes the move as another step toward larger “transmedia experiences,” with the games intended to grow beyond their original medium over the long term. The developers will work closely with Chernin to ensure that the character of the games is preserved in their film and TV adaptations. However, exactly what the announced adaptations will look like remains completely unclear. Nexon has neither announced specific movies or series nor revealed which of the two franchises is intended for which format.

ARC Raiders, in particular, could provide interesting material for a film or TV adaptation. The extraction shooter is set in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world filled with mysterious machines, raiders and lore that has so far only been partially explored. With more than 16 million copies sold, the title has also become one of Embark's biggest successes. But The Finals could also lend itself to an adaptation: The Free-to-Play shooter is presented as a virtual game show, potentially providing a very different foundation for a movie or TV series.

Fans see the most potential in ARC Raiders

In a recent Reddit thread on the topic, ARC Raiders is also seen as having greater potential. Many users believe the game could make for a good movie or TV adaptation. However, opinions differ considerably on what form it should take. Suggestions include an origin story, an anthology or an adaptation similar to the Fallout series, retaining the atmosphere and world while telling an original story. Reactions to The Finals are noticeably more reserved. Some users question whether the game even has enough story material for an adaptation. One possible approach mentioned is following the story of a contestant within the virtual game show, a concept that has recently worked well with Squid Game, for example.

However, the thread also includes skeptical and sarcastic reactions. Some users fear the typical problems associated with such adaptations: directors or actors dropping out, major deviations from the source material or a project spending years in development before ultimately being canceled. Many Redditors are also poking fun at the kind of Hollywood casting they expect. The top comment in the thread reads: “Can't wait to see Tom Holland and Zendaya in this.” Other users jokingly add names such as Pedro Pascal, Jason Momoa and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.