The Power of Player Respect: A Game-Changing Decision
In a bold move, Swedish developer Embark Studios revealed that shifting away from the free-to-play model was a game-changer for their title, Arc Raiders. But here's where it gets controversial... they claim it made the design process 'drastically easier'.
The old free-to-play model, as Embark's Design Director Virgil Watkins explains, often requires a delicate balance between keeping players engaged and respecting their time. 'In free-to-play, you need to make things stickier, take more time, and add a grind to incentivize players to stay and spend,' he says. 'For Arc Raiders, this made it hard to respect the player's time, especially in crafting and session lengths.'
'We were almost forcing players to slow down, and it felt wrong,' Watkins continues. 'But when we moved away from free-to-play, we could design sessions and crafting with appropriate time frames. Crafting no longer had timers, and the effort and outcome matched more precisely. It was a huge relief.'
However, the challenge didn't end there. With a premium business model, Embark had to find new ways to monetize without feeling predatory. 'How do we adapt to the market while staying true to our vision?' asks Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund. 'A free-to-play game might attract millions, but was it the right fit for Arc Raiders?'
And this is the part most people miss: Arc Raiders' journey from free-to-play co-op shooter to PvPvE extraction shooter wasn't just about genre changes. It was about finding the right business model to respect players and their time.
The results speak for themselves. When Arc Raiders launched in October 2025, it became the most successful global launch in Nexon's history.
So, what do you think? Was Embark's decision to move away from free-to-play a smart move? Or do you think they missed out on a massive player base? Let's discuss in the comments!
