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Yes—if the game allows different approaches and the group agrees on what a raid is for. One friend can seek firefights while another prefers quests and a safe extraction, but every player still shares the same map, objectives, matchmaking rules and failure risk. In ARC Raiders, developer-described matchmaking makes similar playstyles more likely to meet, not certain; hostile Raiders can still appear in the standard experience. A limited player-versus-environment (PvE) matchmaking test is scheduled for October 13–20, 2026, but Embark says it is temporary and does not promise a permanent PvE mode.
If the group’s firm requirement is “we do not want to fight other players,” a dedicated co-op PvE shooter is a clearer fit. Ubisoft describes Rainbow Six Extraction as a tactical PvE game built around teamwork, with squads of up to three or solo play.
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The compatibility test: game, session and expectations
Friends do not need identical preferences to enjoy the same extraction shooter. They do need to separate three kinds of compatibility:
- Shared game: Everyone likes the setting, controls and long-term progression enough to queue.
- Shared session: The particular raid has a goal the whole party accepts, such as completing a quest, gathering materials, exploring or taking fights.
- Shared expectations: Players know whether combat with other Raiders is welcome, avoidable, or simply part of the risk.
Disagreement at the third level causes most friction. A competitive player may interpret a quiet route as wasted time, while a cautious player may see an optional fight as an unnecessary loss of gear. Neither preference is wrong. The practical solution is to agree on a session contract before matchmaking and to change modes when the contract no longer fits.
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What ARC Raiders’ matchmaking can—and cannot—solve
Playstyle is a spectrum, not a friendly-versus-hostile switch
In its May 20, 2026 matchmaking notes, Embark says player behavior ranges from highly cooperative through mixed or opportunistic to strongly PvP-engaged. Past behavior, especially interactions with other Raiders, is among the strongest factors in the system. The profile changes gradually as behavior changes, so one defensive fight does not instantly place a player in a different category.
Embark reports a developer-defined split of 37% friendly co-op players, 27% mixed players and 34% pure PvP players. The same September 24 announcement says more than 70% of friendly players and 40% of PvP players expressed a desire for fewer hostile encounters, while 51% of the surveyed player base expressed interest in a dedicated PvE option. These are Embark-reported figures; the cited announcement does not provide a sample size or survey methodology, so they should not be treated as independently verified population statistics.
Similarity raises the odds; it does not create a safe lobby
The team’s central qualification is that “Similarity is more likely, not guaranteed.” Standard ARC Raiders remains PvPvE: the ARC threat and other players coexist, and another Raider can still attack. Embark explicitly says there are no “PvE-only” lobbies or servers in the standard experience. Matchmaking also has to operate within queue-time and latency limits, so a perfectly matched lobby is not always practical.
Party members influence the result
Embark says the system prioritizes equal squad sizes where possible. Every member contributes to the squad profile, and the squad leader receives no special matchmaking weight. A party containing one highly aggressive player and two cautious players therefore cannot assume that the leader’s preference will determine the lobby. The group should discuss behavior collectively rather than letting one person queue on behalf of everyone.
The notes also distinguish defending yourself from initiating a fight, and give less weight to rounds with little activity. That helps the system interpret context, but it does not remove the possibility of an attack or guarantee that an attempted escape will succeed.
How to use the October 2026 PvE matchmaking test
At the current date, October 16, 2026, Embark’s announced test window is in progress and scheduled to end October 20. Treat it as a time-limited experiment, not a permanent feature or a promise about the game’s future.
- Choose a queue at the matchmaking screen. Select classic PvPvE for the normal high-tension rules or the test PvE matchmaking option when it is available in your region and client.
- Confirm the party size. Solos, duos and trios are placed into the test’s shared PvE sessions, so a trio does not receive a private three-person instance.
- Set the raid goal before loading in. Pick one priority—quest progress, exploration, materials, or a relaxed co-op run—rather than allowing conflicting goals to emerge mid-raid.
- Remember what the test changes. Player-to-player damage is disabled in PvE sessions; the focus is the ARC threat and co-op social play.
- Account for the exclusions. Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate and Frigate are excluded from the test.
- Plan progression around the lower stakes. Embark says loot value is lower in PvE sessions and that PvPvE matchmaking rating is not affected by PvE sessions.
- Switch back when the group wants tension. The announced design goal is seamless switching between a relaxed PvE session and a high-tension PvPvE match, but the test may be removed or changed when the window closes.
Embark says it will monitor economy effects, queue times and matchmaking quality. No outcome, final queue behavior or continuation has been established yet, and the studio cautions that the test might not work as intended.
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Decide whether PvP is welcome
Use one of three simple rules: actively seek fights, avoid fights unless attacked, or treat every encounter as a personal choice. The second rule is often the best compromise for a mixed group because the competitive player can respond to threats while the cautious players are not required to initiate combat.
Choose who calls extraction
Extraction shooters force a decision between staying for more rewards and leaving with what the team has. Agree that one named player calls the retreat, or set a trigger such as “extract after the quest item is secured.” Without a rule, the risk-tolerant player may extend the raid while the rest of the squad is ready to leave.
Define an acceptable failed run
Say whether losing carried gear or abandoning an objective is acceptable for that session. If one person is testing a build and another is protecting rare equipment, use separate runs or the lower-conflict mode instead of pretending the risk is equal for everyone.
Keep the objective visible
Call out the current goal in voice chat: “quest first,” “loot and leave,” “explore,” or “fight if an opportunity appears.” A microphone is optional, but quick voice coordination can make cooperative decisions easier. No specific headset is required by the cited game descriptions, and no model has been independently tested here.
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Questing and exploration runs
These sessions give the cautious player a meaningful role while leaving room for the aggressive player to take opportunistic fights. The group should agree that combat is optional unless it threatens the route or objective.
Mixed-risk teams with clear roles
A competitive player can scout likely threats, while a cautious player tracks objectives and extraction timing. Roles should support the team rather than turn one member into disposable bait. Rotate the lead so the same person is not forced to play outside their comfort zone every raid.
Short, purpose-built sessions
Instead of committing to an open-ended night, schedule a few raids with one purpose each. A “quiet” block can be followed by a PvP-focused block, allowing friends to enjoy different parts of the same game without negotiating every encounter.
When the arrangement breaks down
The PvP player treats every contact as mandatory
If one person starts fights after the group agreed to avoid them, matchmaking cannot repair the social mismatch. Pause and renegotiate, or let that player queue separately for a competitive session.
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The cautious player refuses all shared risk
Extraction shooters still contain uncertainty. If a player requires that no hostile Raider can ever appear, standard PvPvE matchmaking is the wrong promise, even when the system favors similar playstyles. Use a defined PvE test while available or choose a game built around PvE.
Different tolerance for losses
Do not infer exact item-loss or progression rules from the sources available here; those mechanics vary by game and mode and should be checked in the current in-game documentation. The important social question is whether everyone accepts the same consequence when a raid ends badly.
Is a dedicated co-op PvE shooter a better choice?
Sometimes the answer is yes. Ubisoft’s official description of Rainbow Six Extraction calls it a tactical co-op PvE game in which “Teamwork, tactics, and flawless execution are key to your survival.” It supports solo play or squads of up to three. Because the opposing threat is designed around PvE encounters rather than hostile Raiders, the group does not need to negotiate whether a stranger may attack.
That makes a PvE title the clearer recommendation when the group’s boundary is no player combat, when losses create arguments, or when one player consistently refuses optional fights. It is not automatically better for friends who enjoy the tension of uncertain human opponents; it simply removes one source of disagreement.
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A historical example from Hunt: Showdown illustrates why party structure matters. In a 2018 discussion of an all-solo event, lead designer Dennis Schwarz said he expected those matches to be “a bit more competitive overall” because players competed for a single bounty. He contrasted that with standard team resource rules designed to keep partners cooperating.
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This is design context from 2018, not evidence that the event remains available or that current modes behave identically. It does show why friends should inspect the incentives of a mode, not just its label. Shared objectives and resources generally encourage cooperation; scarce rewards or a single winner can push players toward internal competition even when everyone entered the same match.
Comparison for a mixed group
| Option | PvP certainty | Cooperation incentives | Party structure | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARC Raiders standard PvPvE | Other Raiders can attack. Playstyle matchmaking lowers the likelihood of mismatched encounters but does not guarantee safety. | Friends can share objectives, but each player may still prefer a different risk level. | Equal squad sizes are prioritized where possible; every squad member affects the profile; the leader has no special weight. | Established standard experience. |
| ARC Raiders PvE matchmaking test | Player-to-player damage is disabled during test PvE sessions. | Sessions focus on the ARC threat and co-op social play. | Solos, duos and trios share PvE sessions. | Limited test scheduled October 13–20, 2026; exclusions include Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate and Frigate. Continuation is not promised. |
| Rainbow Six Extraction | Ubisoft describes the game as PvE co-op, so the cited description does not present hostile-player encounters as the core threat. | Teamwork and tactics are central to survival. | Solo or squads of up to three. | Presented by Ubisoft as an established PvE title. |
| Hunt: Showdown all-solo event example | Historical event context; current availability is not established here. | Single-bounty competition was expected to be more competitive than team play. | All-solo event in the 2018 discussion. | Historical design reference, not a current-mode recommendation. |
The available sources do not establish exact loss rules, measured success rates, queue times, or an objectively best game for every mixed-style party. Verify those mechanics in the current game client before committing valuable gear or a long play session.
A decision guide for your group
- If everyone accepts possible PvP: Use standard ARC Raiders and agree on whether to initiate fights or only respond.
- If players want different levels of tension: Try the announced PvE test while it runs, then switch to PvPvE for the friend who wants high-stakes encounters.
- If nobody wants PvP: Choose a dedicated co-op PvE title such as Rainbow Six Extraction rather than relying on a matchmaking preference system.
- If losses cause conflict: Set a low-risk objective, establish an extraction trigger and stop when the agreement no longer holds.
- If preferences change by night: Keep a shared rotation—quiet co-op, objective-focused raids and competitive runs—so no one style dominates every session.
FAQ
Can a casual and competitive friend play together in ARC Raiders?
Yes, but the casual player can still meet an aggressive Raider. Embark’s system makes similar encounters more likely and considers every party member; it does not guarantee a protected lobby.
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Does the ARC Raiders PvE test make PvPvE matchmaking rating irrelevant?
Embark says PvPvE matchmaking rating is not affected by PvE test sessions. The test itself is scheduled only for October 13–20, 2026, and its future is undecided.
Can a trio enter the test with only other trios?
Not necessarily. The announcement says solos, duos and trios share PvE sessions, while the broader matchmaking notes say equal squad sizes are prioritized where possible rather than guaranteed.
What should we do if one friend keeps breaking the agreed rules?
Stop the queue, state the session rule again and offer a different mode or separate run. A matchmaking algorithm cannot resolve a disagreement about what the group considers fun.
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