ARC Raiders Server Slam Draws Nearly 200k Players Ahead of Launch

ARC Raiders is still two weeks away from its official release, but players are already flooding the servers during the game’s final open test.

The “Server Slam,” which runs through October 19, has given fans one last chance to try the game for free before its October 30 launch, and the response has been massive.

According to SteamDB, ARC Raiders peaked at 189,668 concurrent players during the test, making it the most popular extraction shooter on Steam to date.

ARC Raiders dominates Steam with nearly 200K players during Server Slam, building hype for its Oct 30 launch.

To put that into perspective, other titles in the genre have never come close to those numbers. Arena Breakout: Infinite peaked at 66,007, Gray Zone Warfare at 72,548, and Dark and Darker at 57,164.

What Makes ARC Raiders Stand Out

Developed by Embark Studios, the team behind The Finals, ARC Raiders is a third-person PvPvE extraction shooter set in a world ravaged by a robot uprising. Players take on the role of scavengers, venturing into dangerous zones to complete quests, gather loot, and survive encounters with both AI enemies and rival squads.

The Server Slam has focused on the Dam Battlegrounds map, giving players a taste of the game’s progression, crafting, and quest systems. While progress won’t carry over to launch, participants will unlock an exclusive “Server Slammer” backpack cosmetic when the full game goes live.

From my own time with the test, the polish is impressive. Running on Unreal Engine 5, ARC Raiders manages to deliver smooth framerates and striking visuals, something not every UE5 game can claim. It’s a reminder that optimization really does come down to the developer, and Embark seems to have nailed it.

On Steam, the game has already climbed to the number two top seller, just behind Battlefield 6. Given the overwhelmingly positive reception to the beta, it feels like only a matter of time before it challenges for the top spot.

If you haven’t jumped in yet, the Server Slam is live on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store until Today, October 19. No codes or pre-registration are required — you just download and play.

ARC Raiders officially launches on October 30, 2025. And with full support for Xbox Play Anywhere, you’ll be able to play across both Xbox and Windows PC with a single purchase.