The fact Arc Raiders players are griping about its thin endgame—despite the fact only 5% of players have reached it—is proof you can min-max the fun out of anything

We’re just weeks away from the very first Expedition Project wrapping up, a little over one month into Arc Raiders‘ life span, and we’ve already got people complaining that there’s nothing to do. I’ve heard people proudly proclaim they have max benches, completed all quests, and map events, and that because of that, there “really is no point other than going in to shoot people.” How about: “There isn’t a hook to get you to play the game anymore,” or that “there needs to be some real endgame juice” to avoid serious issues very soon.

We can’t ignore the fact that we’ve already had a new map, two new killer robots, and three quests, and there’s even more lined up in the roadmap. Arc Raiders is, at the end of the day, a live service game.

Nevertheless, they have a point. In part thanks to its more easily accessible gameplay with a low barrier to entry and limited grind, Arc Raiders doesn’t really have anything to strive for and work towards. You search containers (or bodies) in hopes of finding the best guns (or just use a basic Stitcher and Ferro), kill elite machines like Matriarchs, inevitably die, and do it all over again.

My question is this: Does Arc Raiders need an endgame? I’ll admit, I’m a bit confused about the whole obsession with an endgame in an extraction shooter like Arc Raiders; it’s not an RPG or MMO.

Like multiplayer shooters of days gone by, I’ve found Arc Raiders is best enjoyed as a semi-casual game that you can pick up and play for guaranteed fun. Simple looting, remarkably inventive PvEvP combat, and sprinkling in the inevitable absurdities of proximity chat, Arc Raiders makes for an endlessly entertaining extraction romp. You can keep playing it once you’ve ticked off all the upgrades and quests because it’s fun.

It’s also worth noting that most players haven’t even finished what’s already in the game, so those asking for an expanded endgame are massively in the minority. For example, only 4.6% of Steam players have earned the Legend of Speranza achievement to reach level 75. Just 1.5% of players have A Tale for the Ages to kill a Queen (though this only counts if you score the killing blow, it seems).

If you’ve marathoned through all the existing content already and are pondering Arc Raiders’ longevity, either start the Expedition Project or do challenge runs. Try going in naked, with not even a weapon or shield to your name and seeing how far you get. Attempt to rack up a high kill count in a Hairpin-only run.

Now, that’s not to say I would be against more endgame content, of course. I love Arc Raiders’ elite machines like Queens and Matriarchs, and how they interact with the multiplayer component, so more unique encounters are always welcome. I think an endgame map with a barrier to entry, such as requiring a kit over a certain value, would be perfect for upping the ante as you gain experience too. A bounty board and more challenging quests would be great.

However, saying Arc Raiders is lacking endgame content or really needs it is missing the forest for the trees. I lament my days of booting up Call of Duty, Battlefield, Halo, Team Fortress 2 and so on just to shoot things and have fun. Sometimes I don’t want anything more elaborate, especially because once a game gets on that treadmill, you can’t really turn it off.

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