Marathon Just Solved The One Big Problem That Is Plaguing ARC Raiders
Bungie looked at the absolute chaos of the "naked run" meta in extraction shooters and decided that, actually, maybe letting people risk nothing to gain everything is a terrible idea.
I have been sinking an ungodly amount of hours into ARC Raiders lately. It is easily the best extraction shooter on the market right now, and the player count proves I am not alone in thinking that. But even a masterpiece has cracks, and my biggest gripe is the "free loadout" spam. It drives me up the wall. Now, Marathon, a game that has had a hell of a year involving delays and art controversies, just revealed a feature called the "Rook," and it sounds like the exact fix my favorite game needs.
The Rook: A Scavenger, Not a Predator
The concept of a free loadout isn't new, but Bungie's implementation is actually trying to balance it properly. In Marathon, you can choose to play as a "Rook," which is their version of the zero-risk class. Usually, in games like this, choosing the free option just means you have worse gear, but you are still a threat from minute one. Bungie is taking it a step further to make sure you know your place.
If you pick the Rook, you aren't just under-geared, you are late. Rook players spawn into the match later than everyone else. This is brilliant design. It means the players who actually risked their high-tier gear get the first crack at the best loot. You are literally a scavenger picking through the scraps, which is exactly what a free loadout should be.
Furthermore, you can only queue as a Rook if you are solo. You cannot bring a disposable buddy to act as a meat shield for your geared-up squad. To throw you a bone, the class does come with a passive cloaking mechanism that makes NPC enemies ignore you, so you can scurry around without getting headshot by a bot.
Why ARC Raiders Needs This (Because I Love It, But Come On)
I want to be clear that I absolutely adore ARC Raiders. The gunplay is tight, the world is stunning, and the loop is addictive. But the current state of "naked runs" is frustrating. Right now, the game lets players swap in randomized basic gear with almost zero friction.
The problem is that "basic" gear in ARC Raiders, like the Stitcher, is still incredibly effective. I can load in with a free kit, risking absolutely nothing, and still be competitive against a guy who brought his best gear. There are barely any restrictions outside of a smaller inventory and a lack of safe pockets. It allows players to spawn in at the start of the match with full squads, risking zero currency, and hunting down players who actually put skin in the game.
Embark Is Already Cooking Up Fixes
The good news is that the devs at Embark are awesome and they know this is a friction point. Design Lead Virgil Watkins has admitted that they are looking at changing how free loadouts work. They are tossing around a few ideas to fix the economy without ruining the fun.
One option is modifying the items given or reducing inventory slots even further. Another idea, which sounds hilarious and I kind of love, is making the free loadout heavier to start, effectively making you slower and clunkier. They are also considering locking high-tier raids behind a "no free loadout" gate, forcing you to actually risk gear if you want to enter the big leagues. Marathon launches on March 5, and if the Rook system works as intended, I really hope Embark takes a look and implements something similar to polish off an otherwise stellar game.
