Embark Studios has officially pulled back the curtain on its next major beat for ARC Raiders, announcing a new PvE-centric event titled “Shared Watch.” Scheduled to debut on February 10, the update represents a notable pivot for the extraction shooter, which has largely defined itself through the high-stakes tension of its PvPvE mechanics since its launch in 2025. While the game has maintained a steady rhythm of rotating map conditions and seasonal refreshes, Shared Watch appears to be the first time the developer is explicitly incentivizing players to lower their weapons and find common ground with strangers in the field.
The core of the event centers on the game’s PvE elements, pushing the relentless threat of the ARC machines to the forefront. Traditionally, players—known as Raiders—have had to balance the risk of machine encounters with the constant threat of rival players. In the current ecosystem, every silhouette on the horizon is a potential enemy. Shared Watch aims to disrupt that cycle by introducing objectives that are difficult, if not impossible, to overcome without forming ad-hoc alliances. It is a bold move for a genre often defined by its “trust no one” philosophy, testing whether the community is willing to trade a quick kill for a collective victory.
From a design perspective, this shift suggests that Embark Studios is looking to deepen the social fabric of Speranza. By asking players to partner with those outside their immediate squads, the studio is leaning into the narrative potential of the world—one where the survival of humanity theoretically outweighs individual greed. While the freedom to be hostile remains a cornerstone of the ARC Raiders experience, the rewards and structure of Shared Watch are clearly tuned to favor those who can coordinate under pressure. It’s a classic “enemy of my enemy” scenario that could provide much-needed variety for long-term players.
As the industry continues to watch how extraction shooters evolve beyond the initial honeymoon phase, Embark’s decision to prioritize cooperation over competition is a calculated risk. The success of this event will likely depend on how naturally these interactions occur and whether the loot is enticing enough to prevent a betrayal at the extraction point. For now, Raiders have less than twenty-four hours to prepare for a different kind of fight—one where the person in their crosshairs might just be their only way out.
