Arc Raiders has made a remarkable entrance into the gaming world, achieving significant milestones just one day after its launch. With an impressive peak of 264,673 concurrent players on Steam, it has quickly become one of the platform’s standout extraction shooters.
Record-Breaking Launch
Building on the momentum from its ‘Server Slam’ playtest, reports suggest that Embark Studio anticipated a strong launch for Arc Raiders. Currently, it’s among the most popular games on Steam, surpassed only by titles like Battlefield 6, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, PUBG, and Escape from Duckov in 24-hour peak numbers. This means Arc Raiders had more players than free-to-play giants such as Apex Legends and Marvel Rivals in the last 24 hours.
Multi-Platform Success
The player base for Arc Raiders extends beyond Steam, as it was also released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. Although exact numbers from Sony and Microsoft are not available, the game’s launch mid-week suggests its popularity will likely increase as it approaches the weekend. On Steam, Arc Raiders boasts a ‘very positive’ user review rating with over 8,800 reviews, indicating widespread acclaim.
Looking Ahead at Competition
The future for Arc Raiders looks promising, but there are challenges on the horizon. One of its significant competitors, Escape From Tarkov, is set to debut on Steam next month, with another potential rival being Marathon. Arc Raiders’ design director noted the beneficial timing of their playtest coinciding with Bungie’s Marathon, describing it as “a great A/B test for us.” Despite its launch between major titles like Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, CEO Patrick Soderlund expressed confidence in their decision, stating, “This is the start of a long journey. It needs to start somewhere.”