This game is redefining a genre – and nobody seems to notice

Shortly after launch, ARC Raiders peaked at over 480,000 concurrent players on SteamDB, making it the fourth most played game on the platform – behind only Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2 and PUBG. Social media buzzed with player records, streaming highlights and praise for its atmospheric sci-fi setting. What many overlooked, however, is that developer Embark Studios may have introduced an entirely new genre. A recent article from Insider Gaming drew attention to this.

Most players label ARC Raiders as an extraction shooter, putting it in the same category as games like Escape from Tarkov or PUBG: Black Budget. While it does revolve around extraction gameplay, it differs in several important ways. That’s why the developers call it an “extraction adventure” – a distinction that has mostly gone unnoticed.

Even on Reddit, the difference has sparked little discussion. In almost every thread, the game is still referred to as an extraction shooter. Only one post from last year – including a screenshot where the word “Adventure” was even underlined – calls it a "multiplayer extraction adventure". With just 17 comments so far, the thread has long faded into obscurity.

Why ARC Raiders is an "extraction adventure"

While ARC Raiders follows the familiar extraction formula – looting gear and making it out alive – it offers much more depth than most games in the genre. Players explore wide open zones, from dusty deserts to decaying industrial areas and underground labs. Light RPG elements and an ongoing story gradually reveal more about the world and its characters.

In short, every mission in ARC Raiders feels more like a small adventure than a tactical raid. That’s what sets Embark Studios’ game apart from classic extraction shooters – and why it truly deserves its new genre label. If you have something to add, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.