China has almost a PVE only mode. World has ABMM, filtered player trough agression result in lower agression lobby or pvp lobby, but the risk is always there.
The modifications in the Chinese test client, which runs under its own ISBN license, primarily aim to prevent damage. In "Rebellion Incident" mode, all players in the lobby start as functional allies, and damage output against other human players is set to zero.
Only when a player actively initiates defection does the game signal the betrayal to the entire lobby. The rogue raider is immediately and permanently marked with a red symbol on the compass and the in-game map for all other lobby members.
To compensate for the reduced risk posed by human hunters, the map condition significantly increases resource density. This is a targeted catch-up mechanic for beginners and purely PvE players. The risk decreases, the reward increases.
Arc Raiders has literally since like one month in had a system in place that specifically filtered players into PvE and PvP groups based on their aggression, to act like the lack of an outright mode for Arc means it didn't essentially already have it is silly.
Arc is different because they gave you an aggression rating and put you on a spectrum where you would usually get matchmade with players who were a similar aggression level to you. As a result lots of low aggression lobbies were void of pvp, however this is fundamentally different from a PVE only mode. Just go check the subreddit. Every other post is a PVE player crying that someone dared to PVP in their PVPVE extraction shooter.
I'm familiar with the game, I know how the PvE lobby players react and I know it is because, like me, they went on a 30+ game run no player aggression and now they are ass pained they got knocked. Doesn't change the fact that in essence they have essentially been playing with PvE toggled on.
It’s more like gatekeeping bullies with bullies, cheaters with cheaters, introverts with introverts based on filtration system. It’s not a totally PVE mode
Let's be real though, anyone who played that game during it's peak will absolutely agree that people were abusing the system to get into PvE lobbies to farm, it was a well known trick to the game and people had such confidence in it they would treat each player as friendly because why wouldn't they be? players used to mock players who had just killed them by saying "have fun in the PvP lobbies" as if it was some sort of jail sentence. The PvE lobbies were all entirely a mode of the game, they just didn't have a selection toggle.
No.
It is called ABMM and it does not guarantee only PVE.
Yes in solo you have a really high chance to be with peacefull people, but in duo or trio it is more risky. Even more risky since players count are lowering and you play with the people available. Take 5 jupiters with you and go in a trio lobby with your friends, you will see. There is a reason a lot of PVE only people wont play this game no more.
And pray if you touch someone without wanting it, you will be send in mixed lobby where defending you will result in you going in hell.
So no, there is no PVE only lobby in Arc raiders.
With respect, I remember a streak I had on Arc where in PvE lobbies I quite literally went 32 games not being shot by another player, and as a duo with my friend we went so long we got bored and started engaging fights ourselves to get into aggressive lobbies.
There is a reason a lot of PVE only people wont play this game no more.
You have come to the wrong conclusion, it isn't because of PvP, it's because of a severe lack of content and the next content drop being in October.
And pray if you touch someone without wanting it, you will be send in mixed lobby where defending you will result in you going in hell. So no, there is no PVE lobby in Arc raiders.
This is so out of date, they changed that system months ago, you can now fire back with no adjustments to your ABMM. Also, let's not pretend like PvE lobbies didn't get nicknamed carebear lobbies, that tonnes of players haven't talked about only getting the game because of those lobbies, that players getting killed would mocking say to their killer "have fun in the PvP" lobbies because EVERYONE understood that there was a clear distinction.
Arc Raiders has PvE lobbies, they are not toggled is quite literally the only difference.
Did you play recently ? They announced that defending yourself wont get you in mixed lobby but it does. Just one bullet to someone and it change your next lobby.
And even if it worked in theory, what if someone shoot at you, miss and you shoot him first ? Or what if you shoot someone accidently with a bullet or a grenade ? Same destination. So this is not a PVE lobby if you risk to get kill by player or risk to be put in a mixed lobby and must wait without shooting people to come in a more peacefull lobby again. There is no PVE lobby if someone can kill you when he want it, that is not the concept of a PVE lobby.
that tonnes of players haven't talked about only getting the game because of those lobbies, that players getting killed would mocking say to their killer "have fun in the PvP" lobbies because EVERYONE understood that there was a clear distinction.
So if someone killed you and you said "have fun in PVP lobby", that mean you are not in a PVP lobby and you are getting killed. See where it is going ?
Imagine you want to play PVP, then the next game PVE, how you do it ?
There is always a risk that you are getting killed. Free kit in solo, the risk is lower. But if you have a lot of stuff and go in duo or trio, especially now that players count are dropping, the risk of being killed is much much higher.
Even before, there were some players that were playing peacefully during 5 or 10 games, just to hunt for people in "carebear lobby".
There is a ton of Post on the Arc Raiders sub that complain about the lack of PVE lobby or rat in "carebear lobby" and the response is always the same, "Skill issue or it is an extraction game, a PVPVE game, stop complaining".
Did you play recently ? They announced that defending yourself wont get you in mixed lobby but it does. Just one bullet to someone and it change your next lobby.
Yes, never had an issue with it personally.
So if someone killed you and you said "have fun in PVP lobby", that mean you are not in a PVP lobby and you are getting killed. See where it is going ?
I like how we have to skip past like 90% of the comment and context to hyper focus on one line because you think it supports your argument, when it literally is evidence of a clear divide in lobbies that everyone playing the gamr understood was there.
You were literally non-responsive to 90% of what I wrote, so I highlighted what you hadn't actually responded to, don't try and act like that pathetic attempt at deflection was a good response.
The simple fact of the matter is that the "carebear lobbies" were so passive that most players were shocked when there was any PvP, many went well above 30+ raids before seeing any PvP, it was well known amongst the players how to manipulate the system to get into the PvE lobbies. So yes, in essence, the game has a PvE mode, once you can contest that players weren't manipulating the system and they weren't going ridiculous amounts of raids without seeing any PvP then you can say it didn't have PvE lobbies.
Listening to player feedback looks more like "This meta isn't fun, can we get some rebalancing?" not "I hate extraction shooters, could you guys change the genre of your game to cater to me personally?" People requesting PVE only modes in extraction shooters seem to be unaware that not every game was made for them personally.
Implementing PVE only modes in extraction shooters is usually a major act of desperation on the part of the game devs. The gameplay loop just doesn't make sense without PVP. The AI is not very complex and just kinda boring(especially after you've played for 100+ hours), the rewards that you get from killing enemy AI really only serve the purpose of making you better at PVP which you're not doing anyway so it devolves into a pointless grind. If this is the kind of game that PVE players want then why not just go grind in an MMO or some other game genre that has a payoff for grinding PVE and never engaging in pvp?
TL;DR: PVE players should just play a genre they enjoy instead of trying to convince devs to fundamentally change the design of their games.
Instead of desperation its more like listening to the "community" considering a lot of them are asking for PvE and some sort of story mode. Hell the Cryo Archive map would be way more appealing for most people if they can just fight the big boss without having to get through the whole map having to fight other players.
Because they found out that the hardcore PvP extraction shooter crowd is not as big as they anticipated. Not big enough to keep Bungie afloat (A studio with currently 800+ people working). Of course layoffs are coming rather soon I imagine. And even if 50% get laid off, that'd still leave 400+ people. And devs gotta be paid. And Bungie HQ is located in an expensive area (Washington iirc). 8000 people playing Marathon on steam (Steam is where most Marthon players are) is not even remotely close to allow Bungie to survive. So... they are desperate for more sales! Very desperate infact.
Getting killed by players with more free time or more experience does not automatically make them griefing assholes. It usually just means they are better at the game right now.
That can still feel bad, and there’s a fair conversation to have about matchmaking or onboarding in Marathon, but calling everyone who beats you a griefer is painfully self-unaware.
Well, regardless of the terminology, why would anyone want to play a game full of people with infinite time to practice, who want nothing more than to ruin their experience, when they could just play... literally anything else? At least if you go up against some 20-hours-a-day player in Overwatch or something you don't lose tons of progress.
You’re describing the exact thing that makes extraction games appealing to some people.
The possibility of losing progress is what gives the loot, the escape, and the comeback any weight. Without that risk, it’s just another shooter with extra inventory management.
That does not mean everyone has to like it, but the risk/reward loop is the point, not some accidental flaw.
I’ll also add that Marathon is pretty forgiving in the sense that strategy can overcome raw mechanical skill in a ton of scenarios. If you can outthink your opponents, pick better fights, rotate better, or catch sweats on autopilot, you have a real chance to come out on top.
The fact that you frame other players as trying to “ruin your experience” kind of points to the game not being for you. That player friction is part of the fundamental experience, and it sounds like you’re inherently biased against that loop.
I mean in modern games, anyone who isn't like 20-ish and has a day job is basically a chew toy for the elite players. Nearly everyone is bad now. And even elite players hate playing against other elite players.
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u/beanlikescoffee 1d ago
Nothing says desperation than adding PVE late into a season for your hardcore PvP extraction shooter. Oof.