Embark’s Hidden Aggro Rating is Creating a Solo Hellscape for the Wrong Raiders

Your squad's thirst for raider blood shouldn't be the reason you get hunted during a peaceful solo scavenge run.

I’ve spent plenty of time arguing that the community in Arc Raiders is surprisingly chill, but a new shadow is falling over the matchmaking that might change that vibe for good. Embark has officially confirmed they use an Aggro Rating system to separate the total pacifists from the trigger-happy murderers. On paper, it sounds like a dream for people who just want to hit the Buried City for junk, but there is a massive flaw in the logic when those stats bleed across different playstyles. I’m not saying that shooting someone yesterday should have zero effect on today, but Embark needs to realize that my purpose in a trio is often fundamentally different from my goals when I’m running solo.

he Problem With Shared Aggression Stats

When I’m with a squad, we have the confidence and the firepower to take fights that would be suicide for a solo player. If Embark’s matchmaking is using a global Aggro Rating, it means my solo character is being judged by the aggressive momentum of my trio. I’ve noticed this in my own runs lately where solo lobbies have gone from "nice-core" sessions to absolute kill-on-sight hellscapes after just a few hours of playing with a heavy-hitting team.

It is a fucking pain in the ass to load into a solo raid expecting a peaceful scavenge and instead getting beamed by a pro who thinks every movement is a threat. Steam data shows that a staggering 49.6% of players haven't even managed ten kills in two months, proving that a huge chunk of the community prefers a lower-stakes experience. If the system forces these people into high-aggro lobbies for 10 matches in a row because they joined a squad for one night, the burnout is going to be real.

Separating the Squad Sins from the Solo Scavenge

Embark needs to realize that a player's intent shifts based on their team size. I can be a helpful neighbor who holds the elevator door for a stranger one hour, and a ruthless hunter the next when my friends are online. By locking us into a single rating based on our most aggressive behavior, the game is actively punishing that versatility.

The Aggro Rating should be a per-mode stat, plain and simple. If I am playing solo to farm basic materials like rubber and plastic for the "Breaking New Ground" event, match me based on my solo history. If I am in a squad, judge us by our collective body count. Mixing the two is just lazy matchmaking that ruins the experience for people who are carrying the "one in five" pacifist torch.

Leveling the Playing Field Topside

I understand why Embark wants to keep the wolves with the wolves, but the current implementation feels like a blunt instrument. The beauty of this game is the social symmetry between the good neighbors and the raiders. If the matchmaking breaks that balance by miscategorizing solo players based on their trio behavior, the "chill" culture of Speranza is going to evaporate. It is time to stop letting our trio's bloodlust define our solo career before every scavenge run turns into a mandatory firefight.

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