Short answer: ARC Raiders’ PvE and standard PvPvE options are matchmaking choices inside the same game, not two separately announced progression tracks. Embark describes changing between them as seamless, and says playing the temporary PvE test does not change your PvPvE matchmaking rating. However, the studio has not published an item-by-item guarantee covering every stash object, unlock, quest flag, or reward when you switch. PvE removes Raider-on-Raider damage but still contains dangerous ARC machines, lower overall loot value, mixed squad sizes, and fewer available map conditions.
The current test is scheduled for October 13 at 11:00 CEST through October 20 at 11:00 CEST, 2026. It is not confirmed as a permanent mode. When the test ends, matchmaking is scheduled to return to normal while Embark evaluates whether and how a future PvE option might work.
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What the PvE option is—and what it is not
Embark’s October 12 reminder describes the toggle as a way to switch between the standard PvPvE experience and PvE servers. That wording matters: PvE is a matchmaking environment for the announced test, not a separately announced campaign, character ladder, or replacement progression system.
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Embark’s September 24 explanation says the test is not intended to trial a new PvE progression system. The safest interpretation is that both queues operate within the same game context, while the matchmaking rules and session conditions differ. The announcement specifically says your PvPvE matchmaking rating is unaffected while you play PvE.
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That does not amount to a published promise that every individual inventory item, stash object, unlock, quest state, or reward is handled identically in every circumstance. If a particular item matters to you, do not infer a rule that Embark has not stated. The confirmed carry-over information is about the matchmaking experience and PvPvE rating, not a complete inventory ledger.
Dates, availability and the limits of the test
Active test window
The limited test runs from October 13, 2026, at 11:00 CEST until October 20, 2026, at 11:00 CEST, according to Embark’s October 12 notice. These are Central European Summer Time times; convert them to your local time before planning a session.
Not a permanent-mode announcement
When the window closes, Embark says matchmaking returns to normal. Future PvE availability is undecided and could use different rules. Executive Producer Aleks wrote on September 24: "This test is not a promise that there will be a PvE mode in the future, but take this as an indication that we are seriously considering it." Treat the toggle as a time-limited experiment rather than a permanent entitlement.
Conditions excluded from the active test
The current October 12 list excludes these major conditions from PvE matchmaking:
- Night Raid
- Locked Gate
- Hidden Bunker
- Frigate
- Redirection
An earlier September overview listed Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate and Frigate but did not mention Redirection. For the active test, use the newer October list.
PvE versus PvPvE at a glance
| Feature | PvE test | Standard PvPvE |
|---|---|---|
| Damage from other Raiders | Zero player-to-player damage. Stun and fire throwables do not affect other players. | Other Raiders can attack you, subject to the normal game rules. |
| ARC enemies | Still active and dangerous. PvE is not a risk-free mode. | Still active and dangerous. |
| Loot value | Overall loot value is reduced. | Slightly higher baseline loot values during the test. |
| Squad-size matching | Solos, Duos and Trios can appear in the same session; squad-size separation is not prioritized. | Uses the ordinary matchmaking system and its normal behavior. |
| Map conditions | Night Raid, Locked Gate, Hidden Bunker, Frigate and Redirection are unavailable in the active test. | Those restrictions do not describe the ordinary queue. |
| PvPvE matchmaking rating | Embark says PvE play does not affect the rating. | Your normal rating and playstyle history continue to apply. |
| Future status | Temporary test ending October 20, 2026, at 11:00 CEST. | Standard matchmaking continues after the test. |
What actually carries over when you switch
Your PvPvE matchmaking rating
This is the clearest carry-over rule. Embark explicitly says that playing PvE does not affect your PvPvE matchmaking rating. You can use the test without deliberately changing the rating used by the standard queue.
The game context, not a separate PvE progression track
Because Embark calls switching seamless and says the test is not testing new PvE progression, there is no announced second character-progression system to maintain. The announcements frame the choice as selecting a different matchmaking experience.
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What has not been itemized
Embark has not published a complete table stating what happens to every stash item, equipment piece, unlock, quest flag or quest reward on a mode change. Do not promise yourself that a specific object is duplicated, isolated, protected or reset unless an in-game message or later official notice states that rule. The evidence supports a cautious conclusion: switching queues is intended to be seamless, but the public announcement does not define every inventory edge case.
How PvE changes a session
No Raider-on-Raider damage
PvE matchmaking sets player-to-player damage to zero. Stun and fire throwables do not work on other players either. This removes the central risk of being ambushed or eliminated by a hostile Raider.
Physical interactions remain available. Embark specifically says barricades and ziplines are unaffected, so the world does not become a non-interactive training room. Players can still block, traverse and manipulate the environment in the ways the test permits.
ARC can still down and reacquire you
ARC machines remain a serious threat. The October reminder says that after an eight-second grace period, ARC may reacquire a downed player if it detects movement. The September overview describes the same rule by saying ARC ignores a downed player who stays still. Being safe from another Raider therefore does not mean being safe while bleeding out: movement after the grace period can reveal your position again.
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The PvE queue reduces overall loot value. Embark’s economic explanation says PvPvE sessions retain slightly higher baseline loot values because friendly-player and PvE sessions have higher extraction and earnings rates. In practical terms, PvE trades protection from hostile Raider damage for a less valuable overall loot environment during the test.
Mixed squad sizes
PvE does not prioritize separating squad sizes. Solo, Duo and Trio players can appear in the same session. A solo player may therefore share a lobby with teams, even though those players cannot damage one another. Plan your movement and extraction decisions around the possibility of larger groups nearby rather than assuming a solo-only population.
Why ordinary PvPvE matchmaking is not a PvE substitute
ARC Raiders’ ordinary matchmaking considers behavior across previous rounds, especially how players engage other Raiders. Similar playstyles are more likely to meet. Embark has reported these player-group shares from its 2026 explanation:
| Group described by Embark | Reported share |
|---|---|
| Friendly co-op players | 37% |
| Mixed players | 27% |
| Pure PvP players | 34% |
Those figures are Embark’s report; the cited announcement does not provide a survey sample size or methodology. They should not be read as a guaranteed lobby distribution for your next match.
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The system is probabilistic. It changes the likelihood of meeting players with similar behavior, but it never guarantees a lobby without hostile Raiders. A cooperative player can still meet someone willing to attack, and a player who wants zero Raider damage must choose the dedicated PvE option during the test. Playing peacefully in the standard queue does not turn that queue into PvE.
Reported player interest
Embark also reported that more than 70% of friendly players and 40% of PvP players wanted fewer hostile encounters, while 51% of the surveyed player base expressed interest in a dedicated PvE option. Again, these are studio-reported figures without a published sample size or methodology in the cited passage.
How to choose the queue
- Open the matchmaking controls before starting a run. Look for the PvE/PvPvE matchmaking toggle introduced for the test.
- Select the dedicated PvE option if you require zero player-to-player damage. Do not rely on cooperative behavior in the standard queue.
- Check the session limitations. Expect reduced loot value, mixed Solo/Duo/Trio populations and the exclusion of Night Raid, Locked Gate, Hidden Bunker, Frigate and Redirection.
- Queue and play normally. ARC threats, downed-player reacquisition rules, barricades and ziplines still apply.
- Switch back through the same matchmaking control when you want the standard PvPvE experience. Embark describes the change as seamless and says PvE play does not alter your PvPvE matchmaking rating.
The public announcements do not provide a more detailed inventory-by-inventory transfer procedure. If the client displays a warning for a particular item or activity, follow that current in-game notice rather than assuming the general toggle description covers it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do not confuse mode switching with an Expedition
An Expedition is a separate, voluntary character-reset system. It is not the PvE toggle and does not describe what happens when you select a different matchmaking queue.
In Embark’s October 2025 Expedition design explanation, an Expedition removes character levels, skills, inventory, workshop progress and crafting capabilities. Cosmetics, awards and achievements are preserved. Those reset rules apply when you deliberately undertake an Expedition; they should not be used to claim that switching from PvPvE to PvE wipes a character.
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The Expedition description is dated October 2025, so treat it as the published explanation of that distinct mechanic, not as a guarantee that every detail of the current game is unchanged. The important distinction remains: an Expedition is a reset, while the PvE/PvPvE control is a matchmaking choice.
Practical decisions for the October test
Choose PvE when survival from Raiders is the priority
PvE is the appropriate choice if your main concern is being shot, stunned or burned by another player. Zero player-to-player damage removes that specific failure mode, while preserving the ARC and environmental threats.
Choose standard PvPvE when loot value and full conditions matter more
The standard queue keeps the slightly higher baseline loot values described by Embark and does not carry the active PvE test’s published list of excluded conditions. It also carries the normal possibility of hostile Raider encounters.
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Mixed squad sizes mean a PvE lobby can contain Solos, Duos and Trios together. Since players cannot damage one another, large groups may still influence routes, extraction timing and access to resources. Treat the mode as non-hostile between Raiders, not as an empty or private server.
Keep an eye on the test end
The toggle is scheduled to end on October 20 at 11:00 CEST. If you build a routine around PvE, be prepared for the client to return to ordinary matchmaking and for future availability, if any, to use different rules.
Bottom line for “what carries over”
The reliable answer is narrower than a blanket promise. PvE and PvPvE are presented as two matchmaking experiences in the same game; Embark calls switching seamless, and your PvPvE matchmaking rating is protected while you use PvE. The PvE test changes combat risk, loot value, squad-size matching and available map conditions, but it does not create a confirmed permanent progression track.
Do not confuse that queue switch with an Expedition. Expeditions deliberately reset character progress and inventory, whereas the published PvE test announcements do not announce such a reset for mode changes. For anything more specific than rating protection and the stated session rules—especially a particular stash item, unlock or quest reward—rely on the current in-game notice or a later official clarification rather than an assumption.
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