Arc Raiders Launches With 260,000 Concurrent Players and 88% Steam Rating, Surpassing The Finals at $40

Dropping a new extraction shooter right between Battlefield 6 and Black Ops 7 sounds like a dare. Embark knew it, called the timing a little nuts, and did it anyway. Turns out, they might have gambled correctly: Arc Raiders is off to a very loud start.

So, how big is big?

On Steam alone, Arc Raiders has already hit a peak of 263,739 concurrent players, according to SteamDB. That number is still creeping upward as I write this. Right now it is the number four game on Steam, sitting behind only Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Battlefield 6. And remember: Steam stats do not include anyone on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S.

The $40 swing that paid off (at least today)

Arc Raiders was originally pitched as free-to-play. Embark pivoted to a $40 premium release, and so far that shift is looking smart. Even with the price tag, Arc Raiders has already outpaced the studio's last game, The Finals, which launched free-to-play and topped out at 242,619 concurrent players. Arc Raiders is already past that mark and climbing.

Early vibes from players

It is early-hours stuff, but the first few thousand Steam reviews are landing at 89% positive. The main complaints popping up are about cosmetics: skins are going for around $20 each, which is a tough pill after you just paid for the game. We will see where the community lands on the monetization and whether the gameplay loop keeps people hooked beyond the honeymoon phase.

The quick snapshot

• Price: $40 premium release (after originally being announced as free-to-play)
• Steam peak so far: 263,739 concurrent players (and rising)
• Current Steam rank: #4, behind Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Battlefield 6
• Consoles: PS5 and Xbox Series X/S not included in that Steam count
• Early reviews: 89% positive on Steam (first few thousand, launched only hours ago)
• Cosmetics: skins around $20 each, which is the early friction point
• Studio history: Embark's The Finals peaked at 242,619 concurrents as a free-to-play title

The early take making the rounds

'Arc Raiders is the first extraction shooter to reach Escape from Tarkov's highs, and the secret is making it feel like an RPG you can almost play as a single-player game.'

That is a bold claim for day one, especially since Tarkov has lived mostly outside of Steam's spotlight. But if Arc Raiders really does thread the needle between RPG progression and extraction tension, the momentum we are seeing right now makes sense.

Bottom line: Embark launched Arc Raiders into a crowded battlefield, charged a premium price, and still spiked above their own free-to-play hit. If the gameplay holds up and the cosmetics discourse does not drown it out, this one could have legs.