Even if Arc Raiders isn’t as high up on the Steam charts as it was a few months ago, it’s still doing well and choosing to step away from live-service tradition. Meanwhile, a new Chinese version of the game with region-specific quirks might be teasing a PvE-oriented map condition.
Sites like Insider Gaming learned about the in-the-works map conditions through chatter on Chinese social media platforms. In practice, limited-time and rotating map conditions are Arc Raiders’ version of game modes, so this could be a good sign for players who prefer to battle killer robots over other players.
According to Insider Gaming, the ongoing tests for Arc Raiders in China include two previously unseen map conditions: Rebellion Incident and Double King/Queen. The latter apparently adds both a Queen and a Matriarch (boss-like bots) to a map at the same time. But it’s Rebellion that feels the more intriguing, with fans on Chinese social media describing the map condition as a “low-difficulty mode” where players are friendly by default but can go rogue and become “rebels” to everyone else. The Division did something similar with its Dark Zone area, but this reads like a more seamless and friendlier experience.
At the time of writing, it’s unclear if these map conditions will make their way into the version of the game everyone else is playing, but looking at the demands for modes tailored around more specific play styles and types of players, I’d personally be shocked if they aren’t added sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, Marathon’s second season is promising both meaner PvPvE content and the first serious PvE experiments. Considering Embark Studios is taking a more relaxed approach to updating its extraction shooter, Bungie might have a good opportunity for growth right there.
