Source: Nexon

'ARC Raiders,' a PvPvE extraction adventure game developed by Nexon subsidiary Embark Studios, launched a new merchant content update and a free PC Bang open beta on the 21st.

The core of this update is the addition of a new merchant, 'Ermal.' A member of the wandering delegation, Ermal offers trading content for players level 25 and above, allowing them to exchange rare weapons and high-grade materials for cosmetic items, blueprints, and Raider Tokens. Weekly limited-time special deals and quests are also available. Through Ermal, players can upgrade their stash space and purchase an 'Expedition Safe,' which allows them to store up to five items before embarking on an expedition.

A new weapon, the 'Rascal,' has also been added. The Rascal is a lightweight weapon that boasts high damage comparable to the 'Hullcracker,' but it comes with limitations in durability and reload stability. The performance of the 'Extended Barrel' weapon attachment has been improved in this update, and new lower-tier attachments have been added to broaden its utility.

The PC Bang open beta began at 4:00 PM today. Players can enjoy 'ARC Raiders' without a separate purchase by logging in with a Nexon account. Cross-play based on a global one-build system will continue to be supported even after the official launch of the free PC Bang service on the 28th. To celebrate the start of the PC Bang service, the 'Koko's PC Bang Special Supply Event' is also underway. Players using a Nexon account at a PC Bang will receive a 10% bonus to both experience points and 'Koko' materials, and one Lucky Draw entry ticket will be provided for every hour of gameplay. Through an attendance check event, players can earn materials and consumables such as 'Refined Gun Parts' and 'Deadline' mines, while completing daily sortie missions rewards items like 'Raider Hatch Keys.'

Meanwhile, 'ARC Raiders' has won five awards at global gaming ceremonies, including The Game Awards, the Steam Awards, and the BAFTA Games Awards. It earned a 'Mighty' badge on OpenCritic with a 93% critic recommendation rating, and maintains a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam, with 84% of its approximately 390k user reviews being positive. Within about three months of its release, the game surpassed 16 million units in global sales and reached a peak concurrent player count of over 960k.