ARC Raiders beta quietly appears ahead of Summer Game Fest, kind of

Embark Studios can be pretty crafty in its games, leaving breadcrumbs behind for players to agonize over. ARC Raiders appears to be no different, because if you’re like me, you’re eagerly anticipating the chance to play another ARC Raiders beta. In the build-up to Summer Game Fest, the developer is seemingly deploying some changes to the game’s launcher across various storefronts.

Right now, the running theory according to this mysterious ARC Raiders countdown is that Embark Studios is preparing to reveal a launch date, or the next ARC Raiders playtest at Summer Game Fest. Although I think the former is more likely, wouldn’t it be nice if Embark gave us a new beta to ease the wait?

Well, that could be the case, as ARC Raiders reporter ‘RoosterScrappy’ notes that the developer is retooling to Tech Test application to be known as the ‘ARC Raiders beta’ on the PlayStation and Xbox marketplaces. In a follow-up post, RoosterScrappy adds that “the Xbox TitleID (7E4295F1) confirms ARC [Raiders] is registered with Xbox’s backend, needed for full release. It’s also age-rated, meaning a feature-complete build is submitted.”

I investigated this for myself and can confirm that the Steam Deck game is bearing the new title on both storefronts. In a quick check on SteamDB, Embark is continuously tinkering with ARC Raiders’ metadata, notably with how the game’s listing appears. Although the developer is remaining tight-lipped, it isn’t uncommon for these changes to surface ahead of a major announcement.

Embark’s highly underrated FPS game The Finals shadow dropped during The Game Awards in 2023, with the shooter’s launch slightly spoiled by sleuths noting the game’s appearance on various marketplaces.

Another beta could be a great chance to reveal new features and capitalize on the exceptionally positive Tech Test reception, one that exceeded Embark’s expectations. If you missed your chance to play, then my ARC Raiders preview has what you need to know, especially if you’re keen to find out how well it runs on portable gaming consoles like the ROG Ally.

Alongside ARC Raiders, Summer Game Fest may also give us our first look at Project 007, the new James Bond game from Hitman studio IO Interactive. Both of these would make this year’s presentation worthwhile, so let’s hope Geoff Keighley has secured the goods.

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