Since its release, ARC Raiders has lost a significant number of players and even faced public ridicule from the creator of its competitor, Escape from Tarkov.

If you're a die-hard ARC Raiders fan, you might feel angry. However, as a highly popular and controversial game, it's normal for it to have various controversies, and the game certainly has its well-known flaws.

With the Riven Tides update, I want to discuss the controversial aspects of the game and what changes players want to see. Specifically, this includes the Skill Tree issue, the disorderly matchmaking system, and player suggestions.

Skill Tree Issue

The Skill Tree is arguably the most controversial system in ARC Raiders.

In a recent lengthy interview on the popular podcast Game Makers Notebook, Arc Raiders' design director Virgil Watkins openly admitted, "I don't think we did a very good job with the Skill Tree system." Indeed, the problems with the Skill Tree can be divided into three categories.

Skill Value Imbalance

Watkins pointed out a serious problem with the current skill tree: a severe imbalance in skill utility. Some skills are almost completely ignored in actual combat, while others are practically mandatory for all players.

This imbalance renders the game's advertised high degree of freedom meaningless. Most players will prioritize maxing out stamina - related skills in the early game, as the vast majority will choose the most efficient and cost - effective playstyle.

Skill Design Contradictions

Watkins also pointed out another, more serious problem in the interview: the skill tree design has flaws, forcing players to make trade - offs between PvP and PvE gameplay.

For example, some skills in the current version are naturally more suitable for players who prefer PvP, while others are only effective against Arc enemies in the game - such as increasing damage to monsters or reducing the chance of being detected by monsters.

The problem is that Arc Raiders is a game that combines PvP and PvE, and a player often cannot predict which type of threat they will encounter in a single game.

When you've invested heavily in PvE skills and equipped PvE - optimized ARC Raiders items, only to suddenly encounter a real - time squad, you'll be at a significant disadvantage; conversely, the opposite is also true.

This inherent contradiction in the mechanics forces players to choose between two playstyles when deciding how to progress.

Insignificant Numerical Gains

Another issue is that the Skill Tree seems to offer only minor changes, lacking truly transformative moments. For example, a 2% increase in movement speed or a 0.5 - second faster reload speed. These buffs are almost imperceptible in intense combat.

This results in weak positive feedback for players, and the lack of positive feedback from the Skill Tree system makes it easier for players to become bored with it and the game as a whole.

In contrast, players crave transformative moments - such as unlocking a new tactical move or gaining a unique active skill. This would increase player engagement.

Disorderly Matchmaking System

Compared to before, ARC Raiders player activity has declined. Players have observed that on a typical Thursday morning, the game had approximately 30,000 concurrent players, while the peak in the last 24 hours reached 82,000. This figure can be considered the lowest and most critical concurrent player count.

Why does a decrease in concurrent players disrupt the matchmaking system? The reason lies in the development team's introduction of an Aggression - Based Matchmaking mechanism. Its principle is simple: the system matches players with similar preferences based on their historical behavior - such as whether they prefer PvP or PvE.

This allows players who enjoy intense combat to engage in fierce battles, while those who prefer peaceful exploration can enjoy the game in a relatively safe environment.

However, due to the reduced concurrent player count, the system cannot find enough players within a reasonable timeframe, inevitably mixing PvP - oriented and PvE - oriented players together, causing the matchmaking mechanism to malfunction.

As a result, a large influx of players with aggressive playstyles floods previously peaceful matches, randomly attacking players focused on PvE. This has resulted in a poor gaming experience for many casual players, further exacerbating the conflict between PvP and PvE players.

Clearly, this matchmaking system needs modification, at least to ensure that players who only enjoy PvE are not dragged into PvP matches.

Player Suggestions

In addition, players have offered suggestions and expectations regarding the ARC Raiders Riven Tides update and subsequent updates. Here's a brief overview:

Some players mentioned hoping the next update would add new craftables, equipment, and weapons, while also retaining the project system, as it gives players a clear reason to loot and complete missions.

This makes sense; after all, replayability and a sense of purpose are crucial for extraction shooters, and craftables and projects provide those experiences.

Furthermore, while some new high-tier ARC Raiders items have recently been added, low-tier equipment remains the same as before.

Some players believe the game also needs a wider variety of low - tier weapons and armor, as these are the tiers most frequently used by new players or those on a tight budget. Constantly releasing high-tier weapons would significantly diminish their gaming experience.

These are my summaries of controversial points in the game and suggestions. What do you think?