Escape From Tarkov. Hunt: Showdown. Modern Warfare 2 DMZ. Escape From… Duckov? Extraction shooters are big business, for good reason. They combine the great gun-feel of classic shooters with an extraction mechanic that encourages you to push your luck. The more risks you take, the more rewards you reap-provided you make it out alive. Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios pivoted the multiplayer game to the extraction genre after figuring out its first iteration wasn’t much fun and, after some initial tension, players got on board with the new direction. If you’re still not sure what to make of it, Arc Raiders’ Server Slam (that’s Arc speak for a free weekend) kicks off now.
Players who took part in Tech Test 2 get priority access to the Arc Raiders Server Slam, and might already be in there as we speak. But for those that haven’t dabbled in the game before, Steam is rolling out batches of playtest invites over the course of the day. Check the Arc Raiders server status before you hop in, and then proceed to shoot all the terrifying robots you can before it’s time to extract.
Despite a rocky restart when Embark announced the shift from PvE to PvPvE, Arc Raiders fans soon jumped on the hype train. With solid mechanics and a stylish, post-disaster setting, the game quickly shot up the Steam wishlist charts, now sitting as the fourth-most wanted game on the entire platform.
Considering Deadlock shouldn’t really count (seeing as you can already play it) and both Subnautica 2 and Light No Fire are survival games, Arc Raiders is probably the most-anticipated shooter and definitely the most-anticipated extraction shooter on PC.
The Server Slam acts as a way for Embark to stress-test Arc Raiders’ servers ahead of its release in a couple of weeks, but there’s plenty of fun for players, as well. This weekend, you get access to the Dam Battlegrounds map, plenty of “early and mid-tier equipment,” and some quests, but there are plenty of surprises being kept in store for the full release.
The Arc Raiders Server Slam is available now, until Sunday, October 19 on Steam and the Epic Games Store. It’s your final chance to try the game for free before it launches at a $39.99 / £30.99 price point on Thursday, October 30.
If you can’t make it in this weekend, I’ll point you to our list of the best co-op games for something similar. Just make sure your PC meets the Arc Raiders system requirements before heading in this weekend or for the full release.
What do you make of the server slam? Let us know in our community Discord server, where staff and readers discuss the best builds, robot-beating strategies, and all the latest gaming news.
