Embark Studios Prioritizes Visual Identity Over Novelty Cosmetics
Embark Studios won't be adding immersion-breaking skins to Arc Raiders. Design director Virgil Watkins told PCGamesN on October 30 that the team plans to maintain the game's established visual identity rather than chasing novelty cosmetics.
"What I believe to be true is that we will maintain the current aesthetic that we have," Watkins said. "It will fit within our sensibilities of how these things look and fit within the world and inside the fiction."
While Watkins acknowledged the decision isn't his alone to make, he made the studio's protective stance clear. "We're pretty protective of making sure that anything that goes into the game fits within the visual identity, fits within the tone, fits within the setting."
Where the Studio Draws the Line
Watkins used specific examples to illustrate Embark's approach to cosmetic design. During an internal meeting, the team discussed a Santa Claus outfit as something they'd never create in its literal form.
But that doesn't mean seasonal content is completely off limits. "We may make something that is of our own tone and our own aesthetic that evokes a Santa Claus," Watkins explained. The studio might reference themes through color schemes and design elements instead of direct recreations.
The same philosophy applies to other outlandish concepts. "I think because so much of our game is strong around that element, it would be really unfortunate to upset that by injecting, I don't know, a T. rex costume running around," Watkins said. "I don't think the novelty is worth the trade."
This means no celebrity cameos like Nicki Minaj or Snoop Dogg. No pop culture crossovers. Just cosmetics that fit Arc Raiders' established world.
Players Still Get Customization Options
Despite the restrictions, Embark isn't limiting player expression entirely. Watkins said the studio plans to give "as much freedom as possible" and allow the community to freely express themselves within the game's aesthetic boundaries.
The approach suggests players can expect plenty of customization variety, just without the immersion-breaking elements that have become controversial in other shooters.
Industry Pushback Against Outlandish Cosmetics
Arc Raiders joins a growing movement of developers responding to player backlash over cosmetic design. Call of Duty has become the poster child for this controversy, featuring collaborations with celebrities and entertainment properties like Beavis and Butt-Head that many players feel break the game's military aesthetic.
Activision recently acknowledged this criticism by canceling the Carry Forward feature for Black Ops 7, which would've let players transfer cosmetics from Black Ops 6. The decision came after massive community backlash over constant microtransactions and the overall style of cosmetic bundles.
Battlefield 6 developer DICE made similar commitments this year, stating it's "really important to us" that cosmetics "feel grounded." The promise became one of several jabs Battlefield 6 took at Call of Duty throughout 2024.
Some Battlefield fans felt the Season 1 skins didn't go far enough with the grounded approach, but the commitment itself resonated with players tired of "troves of incongruous cosplayers traipsing into the field," as DICE put it.
The trend reflects a broader shift in premium shooters. Free-to-play games like Fortnite and The Finals rely on wild cosmetic crossovers as vital revenue streams. But when premium-priced titles adopt the same approach, players push back harder.
Strong Launch Backs Up the Strategy
Arc Raiders' early performance suggests Embark's approach is working. The extraction shooter launched on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on October 30 and immediately found an audience.
Arc Raiders surpassed 250,000 peak concurrent players on Steam within a day of release. That record didn't last long. On November 1st, the game hit 328,062 simultaneous players, making it the most popular Steam release for a PvP extraction shooter to date and the fifth biggest game on Steam over the last 24 hours.
Steam reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with an 88% positive rating. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S player counts remain unknown.
This marks Embark Studios' first extraction shooter after their work on The Finals.
What Players Can Expect
Embark has revealed a roadmap covering the initial months post-launch, including new maps, community events, and quests. If the studio replicates The Finals' post-launch support quality, Arc Raiders should maintain strong player engagement.
In Eurogamer's Arc Raiders preview, they described it as "a third-person extraction shooter. It is a factory that mass produces tense moments, by its own nature a source of intense anxiety: high stakes, devastating losses, rapturous victories. Pulling back, it's a game of gradual self-refinement, both of your inventory full of resources and your characters abilities, and likewise your own know-how."
For players worried about visual immersion in multiplayer games, Arc Raiders offers reassurance. The game will preserve the aesthetic that attracted players at launch instead of chasing novelty. Cosmetic additions will expand customization options while staying faithful to the game's visual framework.
The commitment to thematic consistency positions Arc Raiders alongside Battlefield 6 in what looks like a market correction. After years of increasingly wild cosmetics in premium shooters, developers are betting that aesthetic coherence matters to their audiences. Arc Raiders' launch numbers suggest they're right.
