Everything you need to know about ARC Raiders' Open Beta

The wait is almost over for those eager to experience the high-stakes action of ARC Raiders. This weekend, the game is hosting its final pre-launch open test, dubbed the ''Server Slam,'' running from Friday, October 17th, through Sunday, October 19th. This is a rare, all-access event that requires no sign-up or beta code, offering a chance for all players to jump in and push the game’s servers to their limit before its official release at the end of the month. Participants will get an exclusive "Server Slammer Backpack" cosmetic for their Raider, which will carry over to the full game.

Preparing for the ARC Raiders Server Slam

For the uninitiated, ARC Raiders is a multiplayer extraction adventure set on a future Earth that has been overrun by a mysterious and lethal mechanized enemy known simply as ARC. Humanity has retreated to the safety of an underground settlement called Speranza, and players take on the role of Raiders—scavengers who risk venturing to the hostile surface.

The core gameplay loop is defined by risk and reward. Raiders deploy to the beautifully desolate surface, alone or in a squad of up to three, with the primary goal of scavenging valuable materials, completing missions from Traders, and fighting off the ever-present ARC machines. However, the surface is also a PvPvE battleground, meaning rival Raiders pose just as much of a threat as the enemy swarm. The ultimate challenge is the 'extraction'—successfully making it back to the underground base with your collected loot intact. If you fall to a machine or another player, you lose everything you carried.

This format of high-risk third-person shooting and resource management puts it squarely in the burgeoning extraction shooter genre, which players may be familiar with from titles like Escape from Tarkov. The Server Slam is the perfect opportunity to experience the thrilling tension and distinct sci-fi aesthetic of ARC Raiders for yourself and test your resolve against both machine and human threats. Don't forget to use our price comparison tool to find the best prices for ARC Raiders.