Summary
- Embark Studios acknowledged their mismanagement of expectations with a countdown teaser for ARC Raiders.
- The developer admitted to misreading fan sentiment concerning the announcement of the October 30 release date.
- Many fans were disheartened, believing that ARC Raiders might be stealthily launched during the Summer Game Fest.
An Embark Studios developer has publicly apologized following a countdown teaser that mistakenly suggested ARC Raiders would be shadow-dropped. Fans believed the long-awaited game would finally be available at the Summer Game Fest 2025, which led to considerable disappointment at the event.
Initially introduced four years ago at The Game Awards 2021, excitement around ARC Raiders has only grown. The countdown linked to June 6 led many to infer that the release date was imminent, with community speculation about a surprise drop. This assumption was somewhat justifiable since a previous release by Embark, The Finals, did have a surprise launch at The Game Awards 2023. However, it later turned out to be just a new release announcement.
In a statement made on Discord, the developer expressed regret for misleading fans, stating, “The countdown gave the false impression that we would be shadow dropping the game… leading to disappointment. We mismanaged the hype, we misread the situation, and we’re sorry that this led to disappointment.”
As they focus on the project’s completion, the studio reassured fans, saying, “We are committed to building the game right and need this extra time to align with your expectations.”
While waiting additional months might be frustrating, especially after four years since its announcement, many can appreciate that these few months will be crucial to ensure the game meets high standards.
