Could this finally be the year where a new extraction shooter actually sticks the landing and challenges the persisting forces of the genre like Escape From Tarkov and Hunt Showdown? We now know that Bungie's slick-looking Marathon is going to drop this year, and so too is the other FPS that I think could give Tarkov and co. a run for their money – Arc Raiders. They're probably going to lock horns at similar times, but even now, they're doing battle. With Marathon's closed alpha getting underway later this month, so too is the largest playtest yet for Arc Raiders.
Delta Force, released at the very end of last year, has already shown that new Arc Raiders is facing some stiff competition, but I've still got high hopes for it.
The Finals, Embark Studios' debut shooter, is a bit of a gem and proves that the Swedish developer can make unique-feeling multiplayer games. I'm already seeing signs of that same magic in what's been shown of Arc Raiders so far. It's got a surprisingly vibrant aesthetic despite taking place in deserted, post-disaster maps, its robot PvE enemies look imposing and varied in their design, and the general premise of living in an underground settlement of survivors adds a bit of a Fallout-y vibe to its overarching narrative.
Having already hosted a few closed playtests on PC, Embark is now looking to ramp things up further. A new five-day closed playtest, known as Tech Test 2, has been announced, and it opens things up to console players as well as PC. It also contains a lot more content than the previous one.
"Tech Test 2 introduces a wider range of ARC enemies, more weapons, gear, and gadgets, much deeper player progression and crafting systems, and a preview of Arc Raiders' Battle ," Embark says.
Interestingly, it'll also be going directly up against Marathon's closed alpha, which starts next week. While both tests are invite-only and not open to all players, it's still going to make it a busy, interesting week for extraction shooter fans.
Arc Raiders new playtest will run between Wednesday, April 30 to Sunday, May 4. Invited PC players can play via Epic Games Store or Steam, and PS5 and Xbox players will be included as well. You can sign up here, or if you participated in a previous playtest, you'll be automatically invited to this one.
For more, check out some of the biggest best survival games you can play right now.
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