Former Bungie developer Chris Sides has known as out the time period “extraction shooter,” saying it is a “horrible” style identify as a result of it would not inform the participant what to anticipate from the sport.
Speaking on the Shooter Monthly podcast, the former director of product on Bungie’s upcoming Marathon did not maintain again, stressing that with so many distinct video games probably falling underneath the umbrella of “extraction shooter,” gamers will discover it laborious to know “what you are going to get.”
“The issue is Helldivers 2 might be known as an extraction shooter, nevertheless it’s not. The style identify is so dangerous,” Sides stated (thanks, TheGamePost). “I hate the style identify of ‘extraction shooter.’ Once I was engaged on Marathon, I used to be working with advertising and marketing, dying to be like, ‘Can we please create a completely different style identify, as a result of extraction shooter is so dumb.’ It is the solely style the place its identify is a mechanic.
“Extraction is the mechanic to get out. Helldivers 2, is that an extraction shooter since you extract? No. It is not like Tarkov in any respect. So the terminology of the style is already horrible. It makes it actually laborious to match these video games. It is why Enviornment Breakout and Tarkov, you possibly can sort of take a look at it as a result of they’re each extraction shooters they usually sort of match the similar mould. Evaluating Arc Raiders to Tarkov simply would not actually match. Evaluating Arc Raiders to possibly like a Rust may match, after which Rust… is that an extraction as a result of it is survivor? It is a drawback. I can’t stand the identify of it.
“So I feel that while you say the extraction style, it ought to hit your spot, I feel it is actually the undeniable fact that the style would not even know what it’s. So that you as a participant, how have you learnt what what you are going to get? And I feel that is considered one of the actual points with the style itself.”
It is effectively value listening to the podcast, the place Sides is joined by different shooter builders in an fascinating dialogue about the extraction shooter style typically, in addition to the drawback with the way it’s named. They focus on every part from Marathon to Arc Raiders and Helldivers 2 to Escape from Tarkov.
Whereas the time period ‘extraction shooter’ could also be problematic, in accordance with Sides, it hasn’t held again the efficiency of Arc Raiders, which developer Embark Studios describes as a “multiplayer extraction journey,” versus an extraction shooter. It offered 4 million copies in lower than two weeks, with a peak concurrent participant rely of 700,000.
As for Marathon, it was not too long ago delayed out of 2025 and into 2026 as Bungie works to answer suggestions from playtests. Bungie describes Marathon as a “team-based extraction shooter.”
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, in addition to a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years expertise working with a few of the world’s greatest gaming websites and publications. She’s additionally a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually Excessive Chaos. Discover her at BlueSky.