The extraction shooter wars are heating up. Just a few days after Bungie revealed Marathon gameplay for the first time, Embark Studios has brought back Arc Raiders, its co-op-turned-extraction shooter game out of the shadows for its first public playtest in 2025.
Arc Raiders was Embark’s original project before The Finals, but it took a lot longer to develop than we anticipated. It has, however, changed quite a bit since that initial pitch. in 2021, and this next test will show off some of the progress that’s been made.
The first Arc Raiders tech test took place last October, which is when we properly got a look at the new, extraction shooter direction Embark took the game in. Tech Test 2 will build on the feedback from the first one, and reveal some new content.
Tech Test 2 is a five-day affair that kicks off Wednesday, April 30, and will remain playable until Sunday, May 4. The test will be available on consoles for the first time, as well as PC, where the original test was playable.
This test is public, so everyone is invited to play. If you got selected for the last one, you’ll automatically have access to this one, too, so no need to sign up again. You can throw your name in the hat on Steam, the Epic Games Store, or the Arc Raiders website for console players.
Embark said Tech Test 2 will show off a much expanded game, including new enemies, as well as more weapons, gear, and gadgets to loot and make use of. This build will also include some proper player progression, which was something of a question mark coming out of the last test.
Players will also get to use the new crafting system, and even get an early look at the game’s battle pass. Though Arc Raiders doesn’t yet have a solid release date, it’s looking like this may be the last test before we learn when the full game is actually going to arrive.
