Key Takeaways
1. Successful Playtests: Arc Raiders conducted a Server Slam playtest with nearly 190,000 players online, just before its launch on October 30, while Bungie ran a private, invite-only playtest for Marathon.
2. Coincidental A/B Testing: The overlapping playtest schedules allowed both studios to compare player reactions and design elements, providing valuable insights for their game development.
3. Player Feedback Insights: Feedback for Arc Raiders has been largely positive, but some players expressed disappointment over the lack of a first-person mode, which was omitted due to asset fidelity issues.
4. Interest in Game Design: Virgil Watkins highlighted the differing designs of Arc Raiders and Marathon, noting the importance of observing player reactions to understand what works in each game’s context.
5. Competitive Genre Landscape: Both games are launching in a rapidly expanding genre, alongside notable titles like Helldivers 2 and Escape from Tarkov, indicating a competitive market for new releases.
Embark Studios’ Arc Raiders and Bungie’s revamped Marathon have become quite the discussion, especially with their playtests happening at the same time. These playtests aim to gather feedback from players. Arc Raiders recently held a successful Server Slam open playtest that saw nearly 190,000 players online at once, just ahead of its launch on October 30. Meanwhile, Bungie is running a private, invite-only playtest that is under a non-disclosure agreement to keep details secret.
Insights from the Playtests
Virgil Watkins, the design director for Arc Raiders, shared his thoughts in an interview with PC Gamer’s Tyler Wilde. He mentioned that the overlapping testing phases for both games turned out to be a sort of unplanned A/B test. He said, “It was very coincidental that they had their test around the time we did. To my knowledge, I don’t think any of us knew that was going to happen.” This situation allowed the team to “compare and contrast how some of those things shook out.”
This unexpected timing is significant as both studios prepare for launches in a genre that has expanded rapidly in recent years. Notable titles like Helldivers 2, Escape from Tarkov, and indie successes like Escape from Duckov are part of this trend.
Player Reactions and Observations
Watkins found it to be a fantastic chance to observe player reactions to the two games’ very different designs. He commented, “It was quite interesting to follow in what players thought about those certain things, or what did work in their context and didn’t, and what may have worked in ours.” He also mentioned that he hasn’t been able to see much of Marathon gameplay, as most playtests have been restricted. Still, he expressed hope for its success when it finally releases, stating, “I found the art style very evocative… I’m personally curious to see how that ends up. I hope to see more of that in the future.”
Playtest Details and Player Feedback
Embark held its Server Slam playtest from October 17 to October 19, 2025, available on PC through Steam and Epic Games Store, as well as on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X. The playtest impressively reached a peak of 189,668 concurrent players on Steam alone, despite some initial server issues that led players to reinstall the entire game, which affected the experience for a few.
Feedback for Arc Raiders has mostly been positive, though some players have voiced their disappointment about the absence of a first-person mode. Watkins explained that this feature was not included due to issues with asset fidelity at close range. The tremendous success of the Server Slam playtest suggests a promising future for Arc Raiders’ full launch, potentially making it a standout hit in a competitive genre.
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