Arc Raiders PvE Mode
Arc Raiders does not have a permanent, separate PvE-only playlist yet, but the game is leaning heavily into cooperative player-versus-environment play through limited-time events and its core PvPvE design.
The extraction shooter structure still keeps other squads in the mix, yet most activity already revolves around teaming up, fighting ARC machines, and trying to escape with loot rather than hunting every human seen on the horizon.
For many players, the experience already feels “mostly PvE with a side of chaos,” and current updates are nudging it even further in that direction.
Shared Watch: The New PvE Event
The Shared Watch event is a new PvE-focused cooperation event in Arc Raiders running from Tuesday, February 10, 2026, to Tuesday, February 24, 2026, giving exactly two weeks of machine‑hunting without constant fear of third‑party ambushes.
During this period, Squads are encouraged to team up with strangers, focus fire on ARC enemies, earn Merits from XP gained by damaging and destroying machines, and unlock rewards like Raider Tokens and a cosmetic set called The Slugger.
The tone from Embark Studios is deliberately friendly and community‑driven more “watch each other’s backs in Speranza” than “sweat it out in extraction lobbies,” which makes this event a useful testbed for a more PvE‑centric style of play.
How PvE Fits the Arc Raiders Experience
Arc Raiders was originally pitched and prototyped as a co-op PvE shooter before it evolved into a PvPvE survival extraction game, and that history still shapes how the combat and encounters feel today.
Raids against towering ARC machines, environmental storytelling across the Rust Belt, and the need to coordinate movement, revives, and ammo usage all push squads toward cooperative tactics first and competitive play second.
Community discussions repeatedly highlight a desire for PvE-only servers or solo-friendly environments, especially from players who enjoy the atmosphere and AI fights but are less interested in constant human ambushes.
Rewards, Progress, and Why PvE Matters Now
The current PvE-focused content, especially Shared Watch, matters because it ties meaningful progression to cooperative play: Merits from machine damage feed into an event track, while tokens and cosmetics give visible proof of time spent helping Speranza survive.
This kind of design supports long-term engagement, since players who prefer focusing on AI enemies still gain tangible progression without needing to treat every run as a hyper-competitive extraction sprint.
In broader live-service terms, a healthy PvE offering also widens the audience, giving newer or more casual players a way to learn movement, weapons, and enemy behavior before stepping into the full PvPvE pressure cooker.
Will Arc Raiders Get a Full PvE-Only Mode?
There is no official confirmation of a permanent, dedicated PvE-only mode or offline option in Arc Raiders as of February 10, 2026, but developers have repeatedly acknowledged the community’s interest and are clearly experimenting through events like Shared Watch.
Previous interviews and tests show that Embark is cautious about splitting the player base or undermining the game’s extraction identity, yet the growing focus on cooperative events suggests further PvE experiments are likely if engagement stays strong.
For now, players looking for the closest thing to a PvE mode have two main paths: lean into the community’s informal “don’t shoot first” culture in regular raids, or jump into Shared Watch during its February 10–24, 2026 window to experience Arc Raiders at its most cooperative.
Disclaimer: This is for general informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as official guidance from Embark Studios or any publisher. Game details, events, and dates may change with future patches or announcements, so always double-check in-game or on official channels.
