ARC Raiders Devs to Headline NG Conversation at NG26 Spring
Nordic Game is excited to announce a must-attend session for NG26 Spring (26–29 May 2026) at Slagthuset in Malmö: Virgil Watkins (Design Director), Gerardo Basurto (Product Director), and Moa Naess (UX Researcher) from Embark Studios will take the main theatre stage for a special NG Conversation on the development journey of ARC Raiders.
Moderated by Moa Naess herself, this fireside chat will dive deep into the real-world evolution of ARC Raiders—from early UXR and Technical Test 1 through Tech Test 2 (April–May 2025), to its 30 October 2025 launch, and the ongoing live-service phase. The “Embarkers” will candidly explore how the team navigated an unpredictable road by pairing player data and sentiment with intentional design decisions to create and continuously evolve a successful product.
ARC Raiders – 12M+ Players and Counting
ARC Raiders, developed by Embark Studios (the studio behind THE FINALS), is a paid PvPvE extraction shooter that blends intense tactical combat, dynamic environments, and deep progression. Launched on 30 October 2025 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, the game has become a standout in the extraction shooter space. It has surpassed 12 million copies sold across platforms in its first months, achieved massive concurrent player peaks (including strong Steam performance), and maintains robust retention through regular updates.
The title earned widespread acclaim, winning Best Multiplayer Game at The Game Awards 2025 and receiving six nominations at the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards (including Game of the Year).
“This session is a rare chance to hear directly from the people shaping one of 2025’s biggest multiplayer success stories,” said Jacob Riis, Program Director at Nordic Game. “Virgil, Gerardo, and Moa’s honest look at data-driven iteration, player feedback, and design trade-offs will be invaluable for anyone building or running evolving games—Moa’s research in particular drives so much of this iterative feedback forward.”
The NG Conversation will be one of the highlights of NG26’s main theatre program and will be live-streamed worldwide via our partnership with Pixel.tv on the Nordic Game YouTube channel and nordicgame.com.
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