Arc Raiders Release Time Shared by Nexon but Devs Warn They ‘Didn’t Announce Exact Time’

On the Arc Raiders website, Nexon reports that the “official” release time for the game is 9:30AM UTC on October 30th. This should translate to 2:30AM PT/5:30AM ET/9:30AM GMT, but the issue is that community manager, Birdie, has posted on the game’s Discord that developer Embark “didn’t announce an exact time”.

In another message, Birdie posted that “If you see a releasing time in your platform, then it should be it”. Sony’s PSN store has a countdown saying the game will release at 3AM PT/6AM ET/10AM GMT, so that might be when the game launches rather than the time posted by Nexon.

When does Arc Raiders release?

Arc Raiders will release on October 30th, and both community manager, Birdie, and Embark Ossen have stressed there is no early access for pre-ordering the Deluxe edition. Birdie has also said “release times may vary,” but Embark is aiming for the game to be “released at around mid-day/lunch time CET”. This means that the game should be out by at least 12PM CET which translates to 4AM PT/7AM ET/11AM GMT. We will update this article if Embark announce a definitive release time on socials.

As of writing, there is no published roadmap for the game. However, Embark have said they have “ambitious post-launch plans,” and they also internally consider it a “10-year game”.

The developer has also shared changes from the Server Slam for the full release, including nerfs to the Flying Arcs. Embark are “looking into” the graphical downgrade seen in the Server Slam from Technical Test 2, but no updates have been provided since.

Is Arc Raiders Free to Play?

Arc Raiders is not free-to-play, although that was the original intent. The recent Server Slam was free for everyone, but, at Gamescom 2024, executive producer, Aleksander Grondal, explained that free-to-play no longer felt right for the full release.  

Grondal said, “For the game we’re building, we looked at that game and we felt that it became clear to us that it operates much better in a premium model than a free-to-play model”. He elaborated, “It’s a better game for it. This is not just a pure business decision. It’s also something that the developers on our team have been telling us. They feel like it’s more of that type of game”.

As for why it feels better as a premium product, the executive producer rationalised, “free-to-play games have to strike a careful balance between providing engaging content and encouraging players to make purchases,” whereas the premium model “will allow us to focus more on the engagement and fun and the impact and choices with regards to how the game evolves over time”.

Price and Pre-Order Bonuses

Below is the price and pre-order bonuses for both the Standard and Deluxe editions:

Standard edition – £32.99/$39.99:

• Lucky Duck Bundle
  • Hatchling Backpack
  • Golden Rubber Duck Backpack Charm

Deluxe edition – £49.99/$59.99:

• Lucky Duck Bundle
• Astro Bundle
  • G-suit Outfit
  • Salvager Backpack
  • Spaceship Souvenir Backpack Attachment
  • Outfit color variants
• The Wanderer Bundle
  • Valente Outfit
  • Pathfinder Backpack
  • Blanket Roll Backpack Attachment
• Lip Scar Character Cosmetic
• Legendary Emote
• Scrappy Skin
• 2, 400 Raider Tokens

Leading up to the game’s release, Embark has decided to ditch “mandatory wipes” in favor of a player-driven reset system. They have also told fans there are no plans to add a first-person mode as it’s “very implausible”.