Pummeled by 100 variations of the same outfit, Arc Raiders players finally get a cool new skin but are dismayed to realize it comes with leather "BDSM knee pads"

A new set of Arc Raiders armor has, for many players, raised and expertly dashed hopes for a classic sci-fi soldier look. But at least it's very funny.

I hope you like brown leather, olive green wool, jump suits, and comically large pockets, because you're going to see a lot of them in the many outfits Arc Raiders has to offer. Embark has fleshed out the fashion landscape since launch, offering some more distinct (and often pricier) looks like the witchy Bonecrown set or BioShock-like diving suit, but the baseline outfits are largely a collection of near-future, unassuming grunge with either a cassette-retro or sporty veneer. It's a little unfair to say the majority of outfits are just 100 iterations of an NPC in the Metro series, but only a little, and that's the wild part.

So, when the January 13 update added a new outfit called Abyss, promising a "heavily armored suit" built "to absorb the punishment of the machines," players perked up. Alas, many players perked right back down when their gaze reached the bottom half of the Abyss armor, which comes with, checks notes, a crotch plate and thigh-high leather kneepads threatening to give "absorb the punishment" a different meaning.

Dubbed "BDSM knee pads" by one Reddit user in a red-hot post, the Abyss armor has stoked a mix of incredulity, comedy, and a few staunch defenders in parts of the Arc Raiders community. Another player compares them to corsets. Except, you know, for your thighs.

"Are we deadass?" asks user Vexaus, putting these thigh constrictors head to head with the iconic all-in-one Converse jeans.

"Finally a nice Skin," says user LavishnessDue6, abandoning all subtlety and just throwing stockings and high heels on this thing.

"NOW it fits thank you Embark for fixing!" reads a separate post from the same user, completing the outfit by removing the under layer and going for a muscle-exposing leather frame from top to bottom.

When I posted an image of these leather leggings in our work chat, my US colleague Ashley Bardhan optimistically responded, "I think they're kind of cute." Then I showed her a screenshot of the whole outfit. "Nevermind," she added.

I'm thrilled for the folks in the center of the venn diagram for "people who like super soldiers" and "people who like leather girdles," but I also sympathize with the players who hoped this armor – which has been seen in previous teasers and was hotly anticipated – might be a little less extravagant. The best part is that the Abyss armor has toggles for several details, like the helmet, the diving flippers on the back, and the life vest around your neck, but not for the all-consuming leg huggers. Charitably, I'd say the discussion here is a sign that the aesthetic of Arc Raiders still has ample room for exploration.

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