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Yes, you can play ARC Raiders solo, but solo play is not the same as offline single-player: standard runs still include other Raiders, and choosing to go alone does not disable PvP. From October 13 at 11:00 CEST through October 20 at 11:00 CEST, 2026, Embark is testing a PvE matchmaking toggle that disables player-to-player damage on eligible servers. Outside that limited beta, the practical approach is to keep your objective small, plan a route to an exit, bring only gear the run justifies, and disengage from optional encounters. None of those tactics guarantees a PvP-free run.
Can you play ARC Raiders solo?
Yes. ARC Raiders is an online multiplayer game, but you can enter Topside on your own. That means solo is a way to play without a squad; it is not an offline campaign or a setting that removes other players from a standard match. The official PlayStation description characterizes the game as multiplayer-only while confirming that a player can go solo. Epic Games Store’s beginner guide says a player selecting a map alone can make a solo run and is more often matched with other solo players. “More often” is not a guarantee: other Raiders may still be present, and they may choose to fight.
The standard run asks you to scavenge Topside and get back to Speranza. You face two kinds of risk: ARC machines and other Raiders. If your aim is to avoid PvP rather than to win fights, plan around limiting the time and places where you are exposed. During Embark’s October 2026 PvE matchmaking beta, there is a more direct option for eligible runs, but it has its own restrictions and does not remove ARC or extraction danger.
The PvE toggle is a limited test, not a permanent solo mode
Embark announced a PvE matchmaking toggle beta running from October 13, 2026 at 11:00 CEST through October 20, 2026 at 11:00 CEST. The official October 13 update says the test is live. It lets players switch between the normal PvPvE experience and new PvE servers. Embark says feedback and in-game data from the test will help it decide whether the toggle should become permanent. Do not assume it remains available after October 20 unless a later official update confirms that.
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Check the current in-game menu and Embark’s current announcements for availability. The beta is a time-limited test, and eligibility depends on map conditions. Its rules also make “PvE” narrower than “nothing can hurt me”: player combat is disabled, but ARC enemies and the risks of a run remain.
What changes on PvE servers
| Factor | PvE beta | Standard PvPvE |
|---|---|---|
| Damage between players | Player-to-player damage is disabled. | Other Raiders can be a combat threat. |
| Throwables against players | Throwables, including stun and fire items, do not work on other players. | The beta announcement does not change the standard mode’s usual PvPvE rules. |
| Other physical-interaction items | Items such as barricades and ziplines remain unaffected. | The beta announcement does not describe a corresponding change. |
| Loot value | Overall loot value is lower, according to Embark’s beta rules. | No comparable value is stated in the beta announcement. |
| Map-condition eligibility | Unavailable for Night Raid, Locked Gate, Hidden Bunker, Frigate, and Redirection. | The beta’s five listed exclusions do not apply as PvE-toggle exclusions. |
| ARC and extraction danger | ARC remains hostile; getting to an extraction point and leaving safely still matter. | ARC and extraction remain risks, alongside other Raiders. |
| Queue time | Embark warns waits may be affected in low-population regions and during quiet hours. | No comparative wait-time figure is stated. |
The mechanics and exclusions in this table come from Embark’s October 12, 2026 beta announcement and its October 13 update; the announcement does not give numerical loot reductions or queue-time estimates. It also says the system does not prioritize separating different squad sizes, so differently sized groups may meet more often. PvE therefore means no player-to-player damage under the test rules, not necessarily a lobby made up only of players with the same group size.
What happens if ARC downs you
Embark’s beta rules describe an eight-second grace period after a player is downed before ARC can reacquire them. After that, ARC may attack if it catches the player moving. The rule is a specific interaction with ARC, not protection from every risk or a promise that a downed player can safely wait out trouble. Treat a down as an emergency and avoid relying on the grace period as a tactic.
How to choose the beta or a standard run
- Choose the PvE toggle when it is available and avoiding player damage is the priority. Accept the reduced overall loot value and check that the current condition is eligible.
- Use standard matchmaking when the PvE toggle is unavailable or the map condition is excluded. In that case, solo selection can still support a solo run, but you must account for possible encounters with other Raiders.
- Do not wait indefinitely for a supposedly safer queue. Embark warns that queue times may be affected during quiet hours and in low-population regions, but it does not provide a guaranteed wait or a way to predict one.
The ARC Raiders Team described the beta as a test: “This is a test, and to get the very best data, we need you to play, experience the changes, and leave us as much feedback as possible.” The statement accompanied Embark’s October 12, 2026 announcement. It is not confirmation that the feature will be permanent.
How to plan a low-PvP solo run in standard matchmaking
Outside an eligible PvE beta run, no route or loadout can guarantee peace. The useful decision is whether the goal is worth the exposure it creates. Epic Games Store’s beginner guidance emphasizes learning resource areas and extraction locations, including Raider Hatches, Cargo Elevators, and Airshafts. The official PlayStation description notes that weather, time, and special map conditions can change a run. Use those facts to plan a short, condition-aware route rather than assuming a familiar map always plays the same way.
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1. Set one objective before entering
Pick one main reason for the run: progress on a quest, a particular resource, or a short loot-and-extract trip. Decide what would count as success before you leave. If the target is obtained, the next decision is whether there is a compelling reason to stay or whether to head toward an exit. The game’s basic loop is to scavenge and return to Speranza; spending longer for marginal extra loot increases the time you remain exposed. That is risk-management advice based on the loop, not a promise about how likely an encounter is.
Keep the goal narrow enough that you can abandon it if the area becomes dangerous. A plan that depends on visiting several distant points gives you more reasons to cross the map and more time in which circumstances can change. If a quest or resource demands a longer trip, identify the important leg and the exit options before committing to it.
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2. Check the condition and choose a route with an exit
Before committing to a route, check the map condition currently shown in game. Conditions can affect the run; a location or approach that seemed manageable on another visit may be less attractive now. The January 2026 official notes, for example, said the Buried City Bird City condition could bring more combat around rooftops and more players into proximity. That is an example of condition-specific congestion, not a permanent prediction for every later rotation.
For the objective you chose, identify a nearby extraction option and at least one alternative if the first route no longer seems sensible. Epic’s guide names Raider Hatches, Cargo Elevators, and Airshafts among the extraction locations to learn. The point is not that one type is always safest—the available evidence does not establish that—but that knowing exits in advance lets you change plans without first having to search for a way out.
- Favor a route that reaches the objective without unnecessary detours.
- Know which extraction locations are relevant to that route before you enter.
- Reconsider a route when the current condition suggests a point of interest may draw more combat or player traffic.
- Do not treat yesterday’s route or an old map condition as proof that the same approach is safe today.
3. Match the loadout to the goal, not to a fight you hope to avoid
A loadout can include an augment, shield, up to two weapons, ammunition, and consumable or throwable items. Epic Games Store’s beginner guide also describes a Free Loadout option. Choose what the specific objective justifies instead of carrying equipment simply because a long fight might happen. A free or inexpensive setup can limit the cost of a failed, low-stakes run; it does not guarantee survival, and it may not suit every objective.
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Before deploying, ask whether each item supports the plan. If the run is a short resource trip, unnecessary gear adds risk without advancing that goal. If a quest requires a particular kind of preparation, bring what that task requires rather than following a blanket “always use minimal gear” rule. This is a personal risk choice: a player who wants to protect valuable equipment may prefer to leave it behind, while another may judge that the objective warrants carrying it.
4. Treat another Raider as a reason to reassess, not as a guaranteed fight or truce
If another Raider appears and combat is not part of your goal, change direction or leave the area when you can. Do not rely on a voice line, emote, or friendly appearance as enforceable protection. ARC Raiders remains multiplayer, and the official PlayStation description warns that Raiders may prey on others. An encounter can turn hostile even if you did not intend to fight.
Make the decision around the objective: if the encounter is optional, preserving distance is consistent with avoiding PvP. If continuing would require moving into the other player’s path, abandoning the resource or taking another route may be the lower-exposure choice. This is practical guidance, not a verified mechanic that forces another player to leave you alone.
5. Leave when the objective is complete
Once you have the quest progress or resource you came for, compare the value of staying with the added time and route exposure. If there is no specific reason to remain, begin the return leg rather than treating every uncollected item as a reason to extend the run. The official sources do not provide a formula for when to extract; this is a conservative way to apply the scavenging-and-return structure to a low-PvP goal.
On the way out, use the exit plan you identified, but reassess it against the current run. If the route looks compromised, a known alternative is more useful than continuing just because it was the original plan. Learning exits and landmarks is valuable precisely because it gives you choices, not because any one location guarantees a safe extraction.
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Can matchmaking put peaceful players with other peaceful players?
Embark has confirmed that behavior informs matchmaking, but the available public statements do not establish that peaceful play reliably produces peaceful lobbies. In a PC Gamer interview published December 15, 2025, ARC Raiders art director Robert Sammelin said: “Without going into excruciating detail, it is quite complex. We do analyze behavior and match accordingly.” He did not disclose the full system.
Later GamesRadar reporting described an Embark clarification that only PvP fights a player chooses to initiate affect the playstyle estimate, while defensive actions have no influence. The report presented this as a current adjustment or trial-period development. That supports a limited conclusion: the system considers behavior, and the reporting distinguishes initiated fights from defensive actions. It does not support a promise that a player who avoids starting fights will be placed with peaceful Raiders, an explanation of every matchmaking factor, or a repeatable method for engineering a lobby.
Use behavior-based matchmaking as context, not as a safety plan. Make decisions as if another Raider could still attack, because neither the interview nor the later reporting guarantees a particular match outcome.
Common mistakes when trying to avoid PvP
- Assuming “solo” means alone on the map. Solo describes entering without a squad; standard matchmaking remains multiplayer and PvP remains possible.
- Confusing the PvE beta with a permanent mode. The announced test ends October 20, 2026 at 11:00 CEST unless Embark later confirms a change.
- Assuming PvE removes all threats. The toggle disables player-to-player damage, but ARC remains dangerous and you still need to extract.
- Using an excluded condition without checking eligibility. Night Raid, Locked Gate, Hidden Bunker, Frigate, and Redirection are excluded from PvE in the beta rules.
- Staying for loot after the run has already succeeded. Extra time may not be worth the exposure if the objective is complete.
- Treating friendliness as a contract. Social signals do not make another player’s actions enforceable.
- Taking old condition advice as a current forecast. The Bird City example came from January 2026 notes; check the current condition rather than treating that example as a permanent map rule.
- Betting on a matchmaking loophole. Public statements do not disclose enough to make peaceful-lobby outcomes predictable.
How to keep the advice current
The most time-sensitive details are the PvE beta’s schedule and availability, its excluded map conditions, loot balance, queue behavior, and any later matchmaking changes. The information here reflects Embark’s October 12 announcement and October 13, 2026 update, along with the dated sources identified above. Check the current in-game menu and Embark’s official news or patch notes before relying on the beta after its announced end time or assuming a condition and rule are unchanged.
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