Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund says the success of Arc Raiders has given the workforce “stability [and] long-term safety” because it continues to help its new extraction shooter by means of 2026.
The studio head opened up about how the developer has modified for the higher as half of a current interview with IGN. Throughout our chat, we discovered extra about how the shock hit online game, which has offered over 12 million copies since occurring sale in October, has impacted its workforce and the way it will proceed to have an effect on them within the months forward.
Söderlund acknowledged the “unlucky” actuality that mass layoffs have rocked the online game business for the final two years. It’s marked a interval of uncertainty for builders of each form and dimension, however for Embark, Arc Raiders’ reputation amongst avid gamers throughout PC and consoles means security – and even room for development – for not less than some time.
“We will reside for a very long time on the cash that Arc Raiders has been producing, and that does give monetary safety and employment stability for the folks that work there,” he mentioned. “We’re rising our studio, we’re hiring folks, we wish to construct extra of Arc Raiders, we wish to construct extra of The Finals.”
Arc Raiders launched for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Sequence X and S priced $40 on October 30, 2025, and follows the workforce’s 2023 multiplayer shooter, The Finals. At 12.4 million copies offered as of January 13 and an all-time concurrent participant peak of 481,996 on Steam (through SteamDB), the success of Arc Raiders must also assist Embark because it continues work on two new, unannounced video games. What these appear to be or when they’ll launch stays unclear for now, however Söderlund and the remaining of the workforce present no indicators of slowing down.
“For us, it is a sigh of reduction, clearly for any developer, and we’re extremely glad for that and grateful for everybody that is been supporting us by shopping for the sport,” he added. “It feels nice. Clearly, hopefully, we are able to have aggressive salaries, good bonuses for the folks that have achieved all this difficult work and need to be taken care of adequately.”
The Stockholm-based developer hasn’t formally confirmed the precise funds for Arc Raiders, nor has it mentioned how a lot it’s profited since its October launch (fast maths tells us 12.4 million gross sales is roughly $500 million in income, but it surely may now be way more). In the meantime, business analyst Michael Pachter recently claimed the undertaking was made on a $75 million funds (through Insider Gaming). Söderlund wasn’t prepared to speak specifics however advised us that quantity is “not too far off.”
Arc Raiders is at the moment within the “Shrouded Sky” portion of its early 2026 roadmap, with Embark telling followers to anticipate a brand new map situation, new Arc menace, new Raider Deck, and extra. Whereas we wait to see what’s in retailer, you possibly can take a look at our full interview. You may as well learn up on some of the newly introduced modifications to Expeditions.
Michael Cripe is a contract author with IGN. He is greatest identified for his work at websites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure you give him a comply with on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).