ARC Raiders PvE Toggle testing has ended as of October 20, 2026. Embark says players completed more than 30 million PvE rounds during the October 13–20 experiment. The option has been removed for now while the studio analyses its data and decides whether a future version makes sense.
During the test, Raiders could enter PvE-only matchmaking with reduced loot and no player-to-player damage, but major map conditions were excluded. Embark says the experience divided opinion, and it has not announced a permanent PvE mode. A player survey starts October 22, with the next official update expected in November.
ARC Raiders PvE Toggle dates and times
The ARC Raiders PvE Toggle ran from October 13 at 10:00 AM BST until October 20 at 10:00 AM BST (11:00 CEST). The test is now finished, so its entry option is no longer scheduled to appear in the matchmaking menu. The normal PvPvE experience continues.
Embark confirmed the conclusion on October 20 and said more than 30 million rounds were played using the toggle. The studio is studying the effect on gameplay and matchmaking before deciding what happens next. That announcement does not promise the toggle will return unchanged.
How to use the ARC Raiders PvE Toggle
While the test was running, you selected either PvPvE or PvE from the matchmaking option before entering a raid. This option is no longer available after the October 20 test ended. If you can’t find it today, that is expected, not an account restriction or a missing update.
During the October 13–20 test, ARC Raiders PvE was still a shared raid rather than a private instance. Other Raiders could appear in the same session but couldn’t damage each other, making encounters with strangers less hostile while ARC machines remained dangerous.
Does the PvE Toggle completely remove player damage?
Yes. During the test, the ARC Raiders PvE Toggle set player-to-player damage to zero. Fire and stun throwables stopped affecting other Raiders as well. These were beta settings, not permanent changes to ordinary matchmaking.
Barricades and ziplines still had their normal physical interactions. Raiders could still alter the space around you with these items even though direct player damage was disabled.
Which map conditions are unavailable in PvE?
| Map condition | Available with PvE Toggle? |
|---|---|
| Night Raid | No |
| Locked Gate | No |
| Hidden Bunker | No |
| Frigate | No |
| Redirection | No |
The exclusions applied to map conditions, not entire maps. During the beta, players who wanted Frigate, Redirection or another excluded major condition needed to use the ordinary PvPvE queue. The temporary choice has now been removed.
Is loot worse on ARC Raiders PvE servers?
For ARC Raiders PvE, Embark reduced the overall loot value on PvE servers during the test, balancing the higher chance of a successful extraction. The regular PvPvE experience had slightly stronger loot incentives because of the danger from other Raiders.
Embark didn’t specify an exact percentage for the temporary loot reduction. There is no permanent separate PvE loot table now that the test has ended.
Can solos, duos and trios all use the PvE Toggle?
During testing, solo, duo and trio parties could use the PvE toggle, but matchmaking didn’t prioritise separation by group size. Solo Raiders could encounter groups of two or three in the same PvE session.
You remain in the party you entered with; the mixed matchmaking simply means the other groups populating the same raid can be different sizes.
Can you complete quests in PvE?
Players could scavenge, finish quests and explore in the PvE queues, with protection from player-to-player damage. ARC enemies were still dangerous, so PvE wasn’t a free-loot or risk-free mode.
ARC enemies remain fully dangerous, so the lack of PvP does not guarantee a successful extraction. The test changes the Raider-versus-Raider threat, not the machines roaming the Rust Belt.
What happens when ARC downs you in PvE?
There is an eight-second grace period after you are downed where ARC enemies will not reacquire you as a target. After those eight seconds, they can target you again if they catch you moving.
Staying still after the initial knockdown can therefore be safer than immediately crawling through an exposed ARC patrol. PvE removes hostile Raiders, but it still leaves real risk when machines put you on the ground.
Does PvE affect your PvPvE matchmaking rating?
Embark stated that playing through the beta PvE toggle didn’t alter a player’s ordinary PvPvE matchmaking rating. That policy applied to the temporary experiment; the option is no longer available after October 20.
During the test, queue times could change because players were separated into PvPvE and PvE populations. Embark said quieter hours and low-population regions might see longer waits, and it monitored the impact on ordinary matchmaking. Now the toggle has ended, that split is no longer active.
Will the ARC Raiders PvE Toggle become permanent?
No permanent PvE mode has been announced. Embark will send a survey to a representative sample of players from October 22, and the PvE-test-feedback channel in its Discord community is open for comments from everyone. The developer expects to share more information in November 2026.
The first results show strong interest alongside disagreement about whether separate PvE should exist. Embark calls the test polarising and says any decision will prioritise the long-term health of the game. If you enjoyed it, sharing the actual difference it made to your raids is more useful than assuming the 30-million-round number guarantees a permanent mode.
Related Guides
Official Embark sources: PvE Matchmaking Toggle Test: Thanks for taking part and the October 13–20 test rules.
