Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios has confirmed that no additional public pre-launch playtests are planned for the title ahead of its October 30 release date, meaning fans looking to dive back into the game will have to wait for the full release. Arc Raiders has undergone two public playtests, coined Tech Tests 1 and 2 by the team. Tech Test 1 was carried out between October 24-27, 2024, and Tech Test 2 ran from April 30 to May 4, 2025. Reception from the testers was overwhelmingly positive, including that of content creators who streamed their experiences live on platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
Earlier this year, Embark Studios pushed a silent update for the Arc Raiders Playtest on Steam that was only available for a few minutes. Enterprising users who managed to snag the update dissected the game’s .exe file to discover a hidden countdown timer pointing to June 6, the date of Summer Game Fest, leading many to believe that either the full game or an open beta was going to be announced at the event. It turned out, however, that the countdown was actually for Arc Raiders’ release date reveal rather than a shadow drop, resulting in backlash from community members who had their hopes raised by the marketing campaign.
Arc Raiders Will Not Have Another Playtest Before Release
In a recent post on Twitter from the official Arc Raiders account, Embark Studios clarified that there are no plans to release another playtest, or a Tech Test 3, between now and the scheduled release date of October 30. In addition, it was also announced that Arc Raiders will not make an appearance at Gamescom 2025, as the team is entirely focused on polishing and finishing touches to make sure the game is in its best possible state on release.
In the post, the developers also acknowledged the need for tempered expectations, as the negative consequences of the Arc Raiders countdown marketing campaign are still being felt. The mismanaged hype turned a lot of people sour, and with the transparent approach, the studio hopes to avoid the same in the future.
While Arc Raiders has experienced multiple delays in the past, its October 30 release date seems fairly rock solid. Given the great state that the game was in during Tech Test 2, there is little reason to suspect another delay, especially since the developers have given no indication otherwise.
Some are concerned, however, that the fall season is packed with great games that could give Arc Raiders stiff competition. In particular, Battlefield 6 is slated for an October 10 release, putting the two shooters firmly in each other’s crosshairs. Considering the impressive turnout for Battlefield 6’s first open beta, Arc Raiders may find its core audience enticed away by EA’s shooter when it does finally drop.
