Embark Does It Again: Duos Are Live and Store Prices Are Dropping
I'm honestly not surprised, just impressed. This is how you build a community.
I'm starting to think Embark just... gets it. After their track record with The Finals, I've been waiting to see how they'd handle the first big wave of ARC Raiders feedback. And just like I'd hoped, they're not screwing around.
They just dropped a quick update that addresses two of the community's biggest complaints: the lack of a Duos mode and the spicy cosmetic prices. This is a massive Win.
Duos Are Already Here
This is the best part. They didn't just promise Duos. They "silently tested and enabled" it "earlier this week". It's already live.
The new system prioritizes matching Duos with other Duos, and Trios with Trios. They're clear that it's "not a 100% guaranteed system," so you might still get mixed lobbies. But for those of us (like me) who sometimes just want to play with one friend, this is the exact fix we've been screaming for.
Store Prices (and Refunds!)
This is the other shoe. The shop prices were... ambitious. The community pushed back, and Embark listened.
They've "reviewed our prices and made adjustments". The new, lower prices go live tomorrow, Thursday the 13th, at 10:30 CET.
But here's the real class-act move: anyone who already bought something at the old, high price is getting refunded. They're compensating everyone for the difference, with Raider Tokens being automatically sent back "in the coming week". No forms, no support tickets. Just... "we fixed it, here's your money back."
No Pay-to-Win Bullshit
Embark also cleared the air on the Raider Decks (their Battle Pass). It's simple: "Gameplay Items" will only be in the free decks, unlockable by just playing the game.
The premium decks are purely for "cosmetics and convenience". They've said it in plain English: "There are no Pay to Win items in the premium Raider Decks". Thank god.
Look, I'm cynical by nature (Thanks to how companies have treated us consumers for ages now). But I'm finding it really hard to be cynical about Embark. They see a problem, they fix it. They overcharge, they apologize and give the money back. They clarify their monetization before it even becomes a problem.
This is how you build loyalty. This is how you run a live service.
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