Arc Raiders has a cheater problem, but Embarks says 'significant changes' are coming to detection and ban systems

4 days ago 17

(Image credit: Embark Studios)

Like any multiplayer game newly minted with millions of players, Arc Raiders has a cheaters problem. But, as of today, Embark says it's on it.

"We’ve seen the discussion around the topic of cheaters in ARC Raiders. Please know that we are taking this issue very seriously and are listening to, and acting on your feedback," Embark said on the Arc Raiders Discord server.

"Over the next few weeks, we are implementing significant changes to our rulesets and deploying new detection mechanisms to identify and remove cheaters. This includes updating our Anti-Cheat systems for improved detection and bans, as well as applying client-side fixes specifically addressing the 'out of map' glitch. Furthermore, we are introducing tools for streamers to help mitigate stream sniping."

While it's important and good that Embark reinforces its anti-cheat priorities early on, it's arriving on the heels of a wildfire of unrest that's outsized its true impact over the last few days. Streamers have been quick to declare that Arc Raiders is already "killing its potential," but the truth is that the average player is unlikely to regularly run into wallhackers while casually scavenging for springs, especially if you're a peaceful player with little PvP experience.

We've seen this cycle enough to know that cheating epidemics tend to be top-heavy. The rise in cheating became particularly visible online because of Arc Raiders' popularity on Twitch. Streamers play a lot, get good enough to be in the top MMR brackets, and end up more likely to play against cheaters than the majority of the playerbase.

If PC Gamer's running Arc Raiders group chat is any indication, the true scourge of Speranza at the moment are players using macros to fire rapid-fire Kettles like they're machineguns thanks to the guns implausibly high potential fire rate. The Kettle is one of several guns and gadgets already targeted for upcoming nerfs, as detailed by community rep Birdie on the Discord.

"The dev team wants you to know that they are looking into balance: For example, the Stitcher, Kettle, and Trigger Nade."

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Morgan has been writing for PC Gamer since 2018, first as a freelancer and currently as a staff writer. He has also appeared on Polygon, Kotaku, Fanbyte, and PCGamesN. Before freelancing, he spent most of high school and all of college writing at small gaming sites that didn't pay him. He's very happy to have a real job now. Morgan is a beat writer following the latest and greatest shooters and the communities that play them. He also writes general news, reviews, features, the occasional guide, and bad jokes in Slack. Twist his arm, and he'll even write about a boring strategy game. Please don't, though.

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