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Arc Raiders just wrapped up its third and final technical test with the Server Slam event. For three days, players were given access to the game's almost finished build. The game was received with open arms across all platforms, with critics labelling it as an early success indicator for Embark Studios.
While most aspects of the game received widespread appreciation, players were quick to share their discontent regarding the visual downgrade from the second technical test. Embark Studios addressed the issue and stated that it was strictly done to provide 'stable framerates' for mid-spec hardware.
Embark Scaled Back Arc Raiders Graphics to Optimize Performance on Mid-Spec Hardware
Embark Studios ran their third and final technical test of Arc Raiders from October 17 to 19. With players jumping in for almost 30 million rounds in 3 days, it's safe to assume that the game has been received positively across all platforms.
While the game ran in the same way on consoles, PC players were quick to point out a visible graphical downgrade in Server Slam from the second technical test back in April. An Arc Raiders player pointed out the visual downgrade in a Reddit post in the Arc Raiders subreddit.
In response to the visual downgrade issue, Embark Community Lead OssenJ posted a comment stating, "We have done optimisation to ensure higher and more stable frame rates on low- and mid-spec hardware." The visual downgrade was specifically made so the game runs in the way Embark intended on all systems, including the ones with low and mid specs.
However, the visual downgrade has noticeably affected the game's atmosphere. In the second technical test 2, the game was visually more vivid, with a foggy and dystopian ambiance. However, in the Server Slam build, the game felt a lot lighter in tone. Even though the game was still visually beautiful, the changes were still noticeable for most players.
In addition to addressing the visual downgrade issue, OssenJ also mentioned that they will look into the matter. All hope is not lost, as further affirmations were made in the Arc Raiders official Discord server stating that player feedback is noted and will be passed on to the development team.
A visual downgrade might not seem like a larger issue for most players, but it might backfire for the game's quality of life in the long run. For instance, on lower settings some vegetation or items in the game might disappear; at the same time, for a player running the game on high settings, the same items will remain visible. So, on an occasion where a player with high settings might use the vegetation as cover, another player with low settings might end up seeing through it.
Arc Raiders is slated for release on October 30, 2025, across all platforms. As the devs have addressed the issue of visual downgrade and mentioned they will work on it, we can expect to see some changes in the release build of the game.
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