Embark Studios slows Arc Raiders content cadence after 16 million sales overwhelm pipeline

Published 2 Nov 2026 · Games Atlas Editorial · Operational Strategy Shift · Companies: Embark Studios, Nexon

Games Atlas summary: Arc Raiders sold 16 million copies in about six months, Nexon's biggest launch ever. 80% day-one retention burned through Embark's content pipeline within roughly 100 hours of play. Embark halted monthly updates to rebuild systems, accepting a hit to sales and engagement. Söderlund says Embark must now cater to both PvP and PvE player camps.

Success outpaces the content pipeline

• Arc Raiders sold 16 million copies in roughly six months, Nexon's best-ever launch.
• 80% day-one retention meant nearly every player kept returning, intensifying demand for new content.
• Players exhausted the roughly 100 hours of launch content within months, per Söderlund.
• Embark front-loaded systems and content into launch season, leaving January and February thin, Grøndal says.
• Cheating also scaled with popularity, costing Embark resources despite ML detection improvements.

Embark pulls the handbrake on monthly drops

• Embark stopped monthly content drops to slow down and rebuild, Söderlund says.
• The studio knew this would hurt sales and engagement but prioritized product integrity.
• "There were absolutely moments of a little bit of panic." - Patrick Söderlund, CEO, Embark Studios
• Last month's Frozen Trail update brought players back, Grøndal says, validating the pause.

PvE test reveals a split audience

• A toggleable PvE-only test mode drew roughly 50% of all rounds played, Söderlund says.
• Insider Gaming reported 30 million PvE matches played during the single test week.
• "We now have a large enough audience that we need to listen and cater for both camps." - Patrick Söderlund, CEO, Embark Studios
• Some players who requested PvE abandoned it once tried, Söderlund says, complicating a permanent split.

New-game pledge lacks a concrete timeline

• Söderlund says Embark must keep building new games despite two live-service commitments.
• The Finals, Embark's other live-service title, posted 47% year-on-year revenue growth in Q1.
• Nexon's May earnings letter listed two new Embark titles in early development.
• Söderlund disclosed no genre, platform or release window for either project.

What this means

• For Publishers & Developers: Stockpile a second content season before locking launch dates for retention-heavy live-service shooters.
• For Investors & VC: Add pre-built post-launch content runway to live-service diligence checklists.
• For Service Vendors: Pitch anti-cheat and live-ops content co-dev to breakout studios within their first launch quarter.

Sources

• Why Embark had to “pull the handbrake” on Arc Raiders | Full Interview (thegamebusiness.com)
• ARC Raiders CEO Admits Both PvE and PvP Need To Be Catered For - Insider Gaming (insider-gaming.com)
• Arc Raiders Studio Doesn’t Want To Be Just A Live-Service Developer - Power Up Gaming (powerupgaming.co.uk)
• ARC Raiders "Can and Should" Live for a Long Time Says Embark (mp1st.com)