Congrats, you played yourself, Arc Raiders' machines aren't actually learning: 'That's just the way we author them'

Congrats, you played yourself, Arc Raiders’ machines aren’t actually learning: ‘That’s just the way we author them’ | PC Gamer Skip to main content Open menu Close main menu PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES US Edition UK US Canada Australia Subscribe Sign in View Profile Sign out Search Search PC Gamer Games Hardware News Reviews Guides Video Forum More PC Gaming Show PC Gamer Clips Software Codes Coupons Movies & TV Magazine Newsletter Affiliate links Meet the team Community guidelines About PC Gamer PC Gamer Magazine SubscriptionWhy subscribe?Subscribe to the world’s #1 PC gaming magTry a single issue or save on a subscriptionIssues delivered straight to your door or device From$1Subscribe now Don’t miss these Third Person Shooter Let’s settle this: Should Arc Raiders add a PvE mode? AI A human software engineer rejected an AI agent’s code change request, only for the AI agent to retaliate by publishing an ‘angry’ blog about him AI This space MMO was coded by AI, is played by AI, and all us meatbags can do is watch them Third Person Shooter ‘Arc Raiders is almost like a social experiment’: Embark Studios’ CEO reveals a neurology professor encouraged him to submit the game for scientific testing to study player behaviour Third Person Shooter Arc Raiders design director says players ‘never worked together’ in testing, but the emergence of care bear lobbies ‘encourages us to lean toward giving opportunities to have friendly interactions’ Third Person Shooter I ranked Arc Raiders skins based on how likely I am to shoot them on sight, and I’ve become the thing I swore to destroy Third Person Shooter Arc Raiders’ matchmaking isn’t ‘binary’, says design lead: ‘There’s no such thing as a friendly lobby or an aggressive lobby’ Third Person Shooter Duck dupe criminals nabbed: Embark is dishing out warnings and even ban hammers for miscreants abusing recent duplication glitches in Arc Raiders Third Person Shooter Arc Raiders’ contentious ‘aggression-based matchmaking’ isn’t just smart, but absolutely necessary Third Person Shooter Embark admits Arc Raiders’ bosses are dying too fast because ‘they’re not intended for the full server to go up against’ and ‘we gave players too effective abilities’ Third Person Shooter Arc Raiders guide: Quests, loot locations, and tips on the best gear Third Person Shooter ‘The game isn’t about shooting other players’: Embark CEO says Arc Raiders is unlikely to get a PvP leaderboard because the devs ‘don’t necessarily want to foster that kind of gameplay’ Third Person Shooter Please stop scooting around while you’re downed in Arc Raiders: it’s making you die faster Third Person Shooter The Speranza Watchlist isn’t Arc Raiders’ answer to evil players—it’s just a roleplaying tool for people who want to spice up their games Third Person Shooter Arc Raiders may finally change the late spawn mechanic, but in the meantime, its design lead tells players that late joiners ‘economically profit way more’ PopularNEW: PC Gamer Clips!Arc RaidersBest PC gearFalloutGame Quizzes Games Third Person Shooter Arc Raiders Congrats, you played yourself, Arc Raiders’ machines aren’t actually learning: ‘That’s just the way we author them’ News By Rory Norris Contributions from Tim Clark published 18 February 2026 Players had begun to wonder whether the robot enemies were using AI to learn new tactics based on player behaviour, but Embark has shot the theory down. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Embark) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter PC Gamer Get the PC Gamer Newsletter Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday GamesRadar+ Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you’re going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Signup + Every Thursday GTA 6 O’clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O’clock experts. Signup + Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what’s on the horizon. Signup + Every Thursday The Setup Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more. Signup + Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo’s new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play. Signup + Every Saturday The Watchlist Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we’ve got you covered. Signup + Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter There’s been a theory developing since launch that Arc Raiders’ robots are reacting to players’ habits and learning how to counter them. Stuff like searching spots we often hide in, or finding better angles to pick us off. I’ve even read one comment saying that the Arcs will soon start taking out rats because they know where they hide, and watched Leapers cram themselves into ever-tighter spaces.The idea that the Arc might be evolving seems to stem from a talk given by Embark’s Tom Soldberg, a machine learning software engineer, back in 2021, about how the studio used the tech to teach the in-game enemies how to move and navigate the environment organically, rather than animating it all themselves.I love the idea that the same machine learning might have been applied to the Arc’s ability to hunt, as it would be perfect for the game’s lore. Unfortunately, it’s not true. If you’ve been noticing the Arc getting smarter, you’re gaslighting yourself. Related articles ‘We don’t use AI…to replace people,’ claims Arc Raiders CEO, without actually explaining what they do use it for Even after its success, Embark design lead is still lukewarm on AI usage for Arc Raiders: ‘I don’t think it’s fallen any way or the other’ Embark dispels myths about Arc Raiders’ aggression-based matchmaking: ‘We don’t make any value or mora