Arc Raiders sets release date for Fall 2025, just 37 days after Marathon

In a short time, Arc Raiders has gone from under the radar, to on my radar, to darn near the top of my most anticipated games of 2025. That's all thanks to its recent tech test, which was so dang fun that it made the (coincidentally timed) Marathon alpha look bad. We have two games fighting for the crown of freshest extraction shooter on the block, and now that Embark has announced Arc Raiders' release date during the Summer Game Fest showcase, the match-up is even more interesting.

Arc Raiders will release on October 30 on Steam, Epic, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. That's just over a month after Marathon's September 23 release date.

Teases embedded in Arc Raiders' last tech test and recent updates to the game's backend on consoles had fans believing that Arc Raiders was going to surprise release at Summer Game Fest, the same way Embark's other game The Finals did back in 2023, but it wasn't meant to be after all. Embark says it's still got some work to do before the big day.

"The tech test was the best rehearsal we could get, ahead of what's shaping up as a big release this Fall. It’s clear that players recognize the passion, effort, and craftsmanship that’s been poured into the making of ARC Raiders,” said executive producer Aleksander Grøndal in a press release.

"The test also honed in on concrete things we’re addressing in this last stretch of development. There are bugs to squash, as well as general polish and performance improvements to be done. We're also fine-tuning game balance and the player economy, and will work on an even better onboarding experience for players who come in new to this genre. At release, the game will be further expanded, with more locations to explore, more adventures to embark on, and more for players to strive towards and discover."

Enjoyers of the tech test will like the sound of that, considering a common impression of Arc Raiders is that it already feels more complete than what Bungie has shown of Marathon. The week-long playtest kept me and my friends busy as we explored the three available maps, checked off quests, unlocked crafting stations, and dumped skill points into a permanent tree.

So Arc Raiders is an October game, but Embark still isn't talking about price. We know that Arc Raiders won't be free-to-play (just like Marathon), and we know that it won't have a "premium" price tag like $70 or $80. Based on what I played, I think folks would be happy if it lands in the Helldivers 2 range of $30-$40.