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ARC Raiders is an extraction adventure built around scavenging and escaping with loot; THE FINALS is a team arena game built around completing and contesting match objectives. Both are multiplayer combat games, but they give players different reasons to fight: ARC Raiders asks how much risk you will take before extracting, while THE FINALS asks whether your team can win the arena objective.
What kind of game is ARC Raiders?
Embark Studios describes ARC Raiders as a multiplayer extraction adventure set on a dangerous future Earth. You play as a Raider scavenging the surface for valuable loot while facing mechanized ARC enemies and other players. The setting combines remnants of Italy with infrastructure tied to space travel.
Its central decision is whether to keep searching for more or try to extract with what you have collected. Loot and the possibility of getting out with it shape the stakes of a run; this is not simply a round-based arena match with one fixed objective. Embark describes the game as blending extraction-shooter tension with atmospheric adventure.
What kind of game is THE FINALS?
THE FINALS is a free-to-play team arena game with several competitive modes. In Cashout, teams find and activate vaults, deposit them at cashout stations, then defend those stations; the team with the most cash wins. Other modes include Point Break, Team Deathmatch and Power Shift. In Power Shift, two teams of five fight to control and move a platform across the arena. The official rules for Cashout and Power Shift explain those objectives.
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The game presents matches as arena spectacles, emphasizing team play and destruction alongside defined objectives. Its official site also advertises cross-play and cross-progression, allowing players to join friends across supported platforms and carry progress across them.
How the games differ
| What to compare | ARC Raiders | THE FINALS |
|---|---|---|
| Core objective | Scavenge a hostile surface, gather loot and extract. | Compete in a team arena mode; in Cashout, deposit and defend vault cash. |
| Main tension | Decide whether to keep risking a run against ARC machines and other Raiders or leave with collected loot. | Complete or contest the mode’s objective against the opposing team. |
| Match structure | An extraction-adventure loop with loot stakes during a run. | A selection of competitive team modes, including Cashout and Power Shift. |
| Setting | A lethal future Earth with atmospheric exploration and mechanized threats. | A virtual competition arena featuring destruction and changing match objectives. |
| Access information | The official site lists Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and GeForce NOW. | The official site advertises free-to-play access, cross-play and cross-progression; check the relevant regional storefront for platform availability. |
That distinction is more useful than calling one game PvE and the other PvP. ARC Raiders names both AI-controlled machines and other Raiders as threats, while THE FINALS is explicitly organized around competing teams and objectives. The difference is the structure and stakes of play, not a simple split between fighting players and fighting AI.
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Which game fits the kind of match you want?
- Choose ARC Raiders if you want exploration, scavenging and the pressure of deciding when to leave a run with loot.
- Choose THE FINALS if you want structured team competition where the immediate goal is to complete or disrupt an arena objective.
These describe the games’ respective loops, not a claim that one is easier, more popular or better. Both involve multiplayer combat, but one centers on a risky loot run and the other on a defined team contest.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Current ARC Raiders access notes
Embark announced a full-game free-play period for ARC Raiders from October 8 at 09:00 UTC through October 12 at 08:00 UTC, 2026, across Steam, Xbox and PlayStation. The announcement describes a dated event, not ongoing free access: official free-play announcement.
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Embark also announced a PvE matchmaking toggle test for October 13–20, 2026. The announcement says the PvE option has zero player-to-player damage and groups solo, duo and trio players together. It is a limited test, not evidence of a permanent mode; see the official PvE test announcement for its stated terms.
For THE FINALS, the official site advertises free-to-play access, cross-play and cross-progression. Exact platform availability and storefront terms can vary by region, so check the store for the platform you plan to use.
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