Since launch, one of the biggest talking points around Arc Raiders has been its so-called “aggression-based matchmaking.” Players quickly noticed that some matches felt calm and cooperative, while others were pure chaos. The assumption? If you so much as fire a single shot at another Raider, you’re banished to an ultra-violent PvP lobby forever.
According to Embark Studios, that’s not how it works.
In a recent discussion with PC Gamer, design director Virgil Watkins clarified that the system is far more nuanced than players believe. The idea of clearly divided “friendly” and “aggressive” lobbies is, in his words, a misconception.
Let’s break down what’s actually going on.
The Myth of the “Aggressive Lobby”
Shortly after release, players began speculating about how matchmaking works. Earlier comments from Embark’s leadership—including CEO Patrick Söderlund—confirmed that the game evaluates how inclined you are toward PvP or PvE when forming matches. That led to the popular community term “aggression-based matchmaking” (ABMM).
But here’s the key takeaway: the system isn’t binary.
Watkins explains that there’s no hard split between peaceful and violent matches. The algorithm doesn’t categorize you as “friendly” or “bloodthirsty” based on a single encounter. Instead, it looks at your behavior over multiple rounds.
So if you defend yourself once—or even initiate a fight—it won’t automatically send you into a permanently hostile matchmaking pool.
It’s About Patterns, Not One-Off Actions
One of the strangest rumors circulating among players is that even minor actions can permanently affect your matchmaking. Some believe you should never return fire. Others suggest avoiding looting bodies altogether to stay in “safe” lobbies.
Embark says that’s simply not true.
The system tracks broader, long-term tendencies. Your PvP engagement is evaluated as part of a pattern across several matches. It’s not triggered by a single decision in a single round.
In other words, Arc Raiders isn’t judging you for one bad (or good) moment. It’s observing consistent playstyle trends over time.
Do Post-Match Surveys Affect Matchmaking?
Another common theory is that the game’s post-match surveys influence the type of lobbies you get next.
They don’t.
According to Watkins, those surveys are purely for feedback. They help the team understand how players felt about a round but have no mechanical impact on matchmaking. The only factor that matters is what you actually do in-game.
Why Behavior-Based Matchmaking Exists in the First Place
Arc Raiders walks a delicate line. On one side, you have players who enjoy cooperative scavenging and tense PvE encounters. On the other, there are players who thrive on high-risk PvP, ambushes, and extracting with stolen loot.
Trying to satisfy both audiences in the same ecosystem is challenging—especially in an extraction shooter, where player interaction is a core mechanic.
Watkins emphasizes that the game needs tension. The possibility of betrayal or confrontation is part of what makes it compelling. At the same time, Embark has been surprised by how many players genuinely enjoy cooperative or lower-conflict experiences.
This unexpected enthusiasm for “safer” matches has encouraged the studio to explore more opportunities for positive player interactions—without alienating the competitive PvP crowd.
Arc Raiders and the Social Experiment Factor
The friendliness emerging in some matches is unusual for the extraction shooter genre. Traditionally, these games lean heavily into paranoia and aggression.
But as Watkins puts it, much of this dynamic comes down to human motivation. Even in a relatively calm lobby, nothing stops someone from turning hostile at any moment. That unpredictability is intentional—and central to the game’s identity.
Rather than forcing players into strict categories, Embark appears to be fine-tuning a system that blends playstyles while subtly nudging players toward similarly inclined opponents.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve been worried that one impulsive firefight has doomed you to PvP chaos forever, you can relax.
Arc Raiders’ matchmaking system evaluates consistent behavior over time—not isolated incidents. There are no permanently “friendly” or “aggressive” lobbies, just a complex system designed to balance tension, risk, cooperation, and competition.
For now, the message is clear: your actions matter—but they’re judged in context, not in isolation.
And in a game built around uncertainty, that seems fitting.
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