"The first dialog we had was obviously centered around [GTA 6]": Arc Raiders devs "did not want to be close" to Rockstar at launch, but were just fine challenging Call of Duty

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It certainly worked out for Embark

GTA 6
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

After a late pivot to $40 premium pricing largely inspired by Helldivers 2, Arc Raiders developer Embark faced another quandary: should we delay this thing? Studio CEO and Battlefield veteran Patrick Söderlund says a few big games cast shadows over their planned launch, none bigger than Rockstar's GTA 6, which nobody "wanted to be close to".

Speaking with GamesBeat, Söderlund recalls discussions of when Arc Raiders should launch (thanks, PC Gamer). "When we spoke about whether we should move the game, the first dialog we had was obviously centered around GTA," he says.

"As we started to see more of Battlefield 6, we thought that looked good; we didn't see much of Call of Duty," Söderlund adds. "But at the end of the day, we felt that the game was ready to be launched."

Intentionally sandwiching Arc Raiders between two established giants like Battlefield and CoD may have worked to the game's favor, Söderlund reasons. (That $40 price tag probably helped, too.)

"We also believed that we could get to a place where we could be competitive in a different way," Söderlund says. "We, of course, didn't think it was a Battlefield in that way, but that the game had enough uniqueness that it could stand on its own legs.

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

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