How you choose to engage in fights in ARC Raiders can now influence not just the outcome of a match, but the players you’ll face in the next one.
What if the game isn’t just reacting to your skill, but to your attitude? With the confirmation of aggression-based matchmaking in ARC Raiders, every shot you fire may now be shaping the enemies you face next.
Aggression-Based Matchmaking Is Real In ARC Raiders And It Raises New Questions
Some time ago, comments by an art director sparked an intense debate around aggression-based matchmaking in ARC Raiders. Now, Patrick Söderlund, CEO of Embark Studios, has stepped in to clarify the situation. Aggression-based matchmaking is implemented in ARC Raiders.
This confirmation validates a suspicion that had been circulating within the community for quite some time and was only amplified by the earlier comments from the art director. At the same time, Söderlund emphasized that this system was introduced only recently and was not part of the game at launch. According to Söderlund, aggression-based matchmaking is only one element within a broader matchmaking structure:
"Obviously, first it's skill-based of course. Then you have solos, duos, and trios. And then we also, since a week ago or so, we introduced a system where we also matchmake based on how prone you are to PvP or PvE. So if your preference is to do PvE and you have less conflict with players, you'll get more matched up. Obviously it's not a full science."
While this statement confirms what many players already suspected, it also raises new questions. How exactly are players categorized within this algorithm? Purely aggressive behavior is easy to identify, but what about players who adapt their playstyle depending on the raid or their mood? Does killing another player in self-defense result in being placed into more PvP-focused lobbies?
The statement also makes clear that aggression-based matchmaking is only one layer of the overall system. Skill-based matchmaking remains the primary factor, followed by team-size parity between solos, duos, and trios. Where aggression fits into this hierarchy, and how much influence it ultimately has on matchmaking outcomes, remains unclear.
So if you do not want to end up in the sweatiest lobbies, it might be worth thinking twice the next time you spot an unaware Raider.
Has the matchmaking in ARC Raiders felt fair to you? Let us know in the comments!
