Arc Raiders’ aggression-based matchmaking system is designed to shape your experience long before a fight ever starts. Instead of relying only on skill, gear, or squad size, the game tracks how you behave during raids—whether you hunt other players or focus on looting and survival.
Rather than purely matching you based on aim or performance stats, the game also considers whether you lean toward combat against other players (PvP) or cooperative/looting behavior (PvE). This system seeks to create player groups where members have similar playstyles, reducing frustration and mismatches during extraction runs.
1. How the Aggression-Based Matchmaking System Works in Arc Raiders
Arc Raiders Cold Snap event
Aggression-Based Matchmaking isn’t a standalone filter — it’s one layer among several that the Arc Raiders server uses to compose well-balanced lobbies. The system works behind the scenes, observing patterns in your gameplay and then subtly influencing your matchmaking pool. Here’s how the matchmaking layers interact:
1.1 Skill & Party Size First
Arc Raiders initially groups players by skill level and squad composition (solo, duo, trio). This prevents mismatches like a lone player facing a coordinated three-person team immediately. All match styles, solo, duos, and trios, are on different servers, and in case you like to play in a squad, you can turn on Fill Squad while matchmaking.
1.2 Behavior Tracking
For the Aggression-Based Matchmaking System to work, Arc Raiders use behavior tracking after you’re ready to jump into a raid.
- After base matchmaking, the system checks whether you tend toward PvP engagement or PvE objectives.
- Frequent engagement in player combat nudges your profile into more aggressive pools.
- Conversely, players who avoid PvP and focus on looting or PvE progress toward friendly lobbies.
1.3 Implicit Scoring
Arc Raiders does not publicly display a visible aggression score, but it silently tracks actions like shooting other players, contesting extracts, or merely avoiding non-PvE encounters.
This multi-stage approach balances player experience: ensuring fairness, reducing frustration, and subtly promoting gameplay styles without separating players into different modes.
2. How Your Playstyle Is Tracked in Arc Raiders
Looting Raiders
Unlike systems that rank players by kill/death ratio or gear score, Aggression-Based Matchmaking observes behavioral patterns during matches. These indicators help the game determine whether you actively seek player combat or prefer a more cautious, PvE-focused experience. It looks at your in-game decisions, not just stats.
2.1 Aggressive Actions (PvP-Oriented)
PvP-oriented behavior is identified through repeated and intentional engagement with other players. Actions that show a willingness to initiate, escalate, or control combat situations signal to the system that you favor high-risk, player-driven encounters.
- Initiating combat with other players
- Shooting first or repeatedly engaging others
- Killing or downing player characters repeatedly
- Controlling extraction points aggressively
2.2 Passive/PvE Actions
Passive or PvE-focused behavior reflects a survival-first mindset centered on looting, objectives, and avoiding unnecessary conflict. These actions indicate a preference for cooperative or low-hostility raids where you interact with other players using proximity chat or in-game emotes rather than instantly doing PvP.
- Prioritizing looting and extraction
- Focusing on cutting down ARC enemies and bosses
- Avoiding player conflicts
- Using emotes or voice signals to communicate friendly intentions
Even defensive actions (like returning fire after being ambushed) can sometimes be interpreted as aggression, but focus on getting out of the raid alive and reset your behavior with more raids.
3. Types of Playstyle Lobbies in Arc Raiders
Looting Drawers
Once the matchmaking system evaluates your behavior, you’ll typically end up in one of two broad types of lobbies, each catering to different kinds of experiences. These aren’t officially named modes, but they describe the feel and intensity of your matches.
3.1 PvE-Oriented (Friendly) Lobbies
These lobbies are ideal if you prefer cooperative, loot-focused gameplay with minimal PvP interruptions.
- Players here generally avoid shooting other raiders.
- Encounters are often more peaceful, with players looting together or tacitly cooperating.
- Combat tends to be focused on the environment or ARC enemies instead of other players.
3.2 PvP-Oriented (Aggressive) Lobbies
These lobbies are high-intensity environments filled with players who actively seek PvP engagements.
- Expect frequent firefights and hostile interactions.
- Players in these lobbies tend to treat extraction runs as combat zones.
- Situations can escalate quickly, as many players are geared toward conflict.
Some players may find themselves in mixed or transitional lobbies if their playstyle doesn’t lean strongly one way or the other.
4. How the Aggression System Influences Your Future Matches
Camping Locations
Aggression-Based Matchmaking isn’t a snapshot; it’s dynamic. Your behavior over several matches influences the type of lobbies you’ll see next.
4.1 Behavioral Drift
- Consistent PvP engagement can push you toward more intense matches over time.
- Repeated peaceful play can help tilt your profile toward friendlier lobbies.
- Changing how you approach encounters (even for a handful of games) gradually adjusts how matchmaking sees you.
4.2 How to Get Friendly Lobbies in Arc Raiders
Arc Raiders Extraction
To consistently get into friendly, cooperative, PvE-focused lobbies, you essentially need to minimize on-sight shooting players and maximize peaceful actions.
- Avoid shooting other players: Do not initiate PvP and avoid returning fire when possible. Retreating instead of fighting keeps your aggression signals low and helps maintain access to friendly lobbies.
- Play multiple passive runs: Complete several raids in a row without engaging in PvP. Consistent peaceful behavior over multiple matches is more effective than a single friendly run.
- Use emotes or voice signals: Use “Don’t Shoot” emotes or voice chat when encountering other Raiders. Actively signaling non-hostile intent reduces escalation and reinforces cooperative behavior.
- Avoid PvP hotspots: Stay away from high-traffic POIs and contested extraction zones. These areas naturally increase PvP encounters, even if you don’t intend to fight.
- Focus on PvE combat: Prioritize fighting ARC machines and AI enemies instead of players. PvE-heavy gameplay signals a survival- and loot-focused playstyle.
- Extract without conflict: Loot efficiently and leave without engaging other players. Clean extractions without PvP strongly reinforce placement in friendly lobbies.
5. Benefits of Aggression-Based Matchmaking System
Aggression-based matchmaking in Arc Raiders shapes how each raid plays out by grouping players with similar intentions. Instead of every raid being chaotic or unfair, the system influences pacing, encounters, and risk, so your runs feel closer to how you actually want to play.
- Looting: PvE-leaning players get more time to loot and rotate without constant player ambushes. Encounters are less shoot-on-sight, making extraction routes safer and allowing loot runs to feel like survival instead of rushed PvP.
- Combat: PvP encounters are more likely to happen against players who actively want to fight. Aggressive players see more frequent gunfights, while passive players avoid being repeatedly hunted by kill-focused Raiders.
- Match Flow: Matches develop a more consistent pace. Friendly lobbies emphasize exploration and survival, while aggressive lobbies escalate quickly with constant tension and firefights.
- Gear Progression: Players extract more often in lobbies aligned with their playstyle. PvE players retain loot more consistently, and PvP players gain progression through combat rather than farming unwilling opponents.
- Player Control: Your choices—shooting first, disengaging, or cooperating—directly influence future matches. Changing how you play gradually shifts the type of lobbies you enter.
- Long-Term Experience: Casual players avoid burnout from nonstop PvP pressure, while aggressive players still get high-risk encounters.
