Embark Studios says it ‘should do a lot more’ with trading in Arc Raiders, but some players are worried about how a potential in-game market might affect the experience.
CEO Patrick Söderlund expressed interest in a more robust trade feature for the popular extraction shooter during a recent interview with GamesBeat. The chat, which took place during an Arc Raiders session that lasted nearly two hours, saw the studio head touch on everything from movie deals to aggression-based matchmaking, but it’s the topic of trading that managed to get the community riled up.
“We’re going to want to do more [with trading] because it’s fun. It’s a good part of the game,” Söderlund teased. “I agree: We should do a lot more of the trading component in the game, and also allow people to trade amongst each other, etc. I think it’s fun. It’s something that we absolutely have to look at long term.”
Although some players have found their own ways to swap weapons and other rare loot between each other, proper trading support is largely absent from Arc Raiders. While Embark is interested in changing that, portions of the community aren’t thrilled about how something like an in-game marketplace, or even auctions, could impact the sci-fi shooter.
As Söderlund’s comments made their way to the internet, so, too, did posts from users concerned that trading could take away from the thrill of extracting. For these players, it’s a matter of keeping the fundamental Arc Raiders gameplay loop intact.
“The entire point of this game is to find loot and extract safely with it,” one Reddit user explained. “If you add a system where people can stockpile coins and then purchase everything without any risk, what is the point? Where will be that moment where you find something you're looking for and rush to an extract on the edge of your seat?”
“I hope they won’t add a player to player trading system,” another added. “There is no need for that. All we need is nice events, new content/maps once in a while and a fix for micro stutters. Love the game.”
Fear of a fleshed-out trade system for Arc Raiders also seems to stem from those who believe players will simply be able to purchase any weapon or item they want. Some Escape from Tarkov fans have also stepped in to warn of how they feel trading affected that game, with one player saying, “Once trading is added, everything turns into a dollar value and that’s all that matters.” Others question how additional trade support would even work in Arc Raiders in its current form.
“What the hell am I supposed to trade with people?” another post asks. “Reset was 3 weeks ago and I have pretty much everything again. There's not nearly enough loot in this game for a trading system to work. Unless they introduce items with random attributes, like in Warframe or Diablo, which would destroy balance.”
There is a section of the Arc Raiders player base concerned about trading, but there are also those who believe slight changes for player-to-player exchanges could actually improve the experience. Some have already organized trading services outside of the game itself, with others believing that an in-game system, if done right, could encourage the more casual fans to stick around.
Either way, players should note Embark has far from confirmed that official Arc Raiders trading additions are on the way, nor has it explained what shape something like that could take.
“There’s nothing that we’ve decided yet, but that’s the fun part of building something like this: This is really the start of something,” Söderlund added. “We believe that there’s so many things that we can look into and do and add to the game. It’s fun.”
Now that the holidays have come to an end, Arc Raiders is gearing up for 2026. Today, Embark outlined its plan to tackle cheaters after fans and streamers began publicly voicing their concerns online. The studio is also looking into balance updates, with a new patch set to roll out soon, but don’t expect any leaderboards to make their way into the game.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
