Despite being one of 2024’s biggest breakout hits, Helldivers 2 from Arrowhead Game Studios has finally met its match. The new year has brought a fresh challenger — Arc Raiders, an ambitious extraction shooter from Embark Studios — and it’s already taking over the charts and conversation. Released in early November 2025, Arc Raiders has quickly become one of the most talked-about multiplayer games of the year, even managing to overtake Helldivers 2 in several key metrics.
Originally launched on February 8, 2024, for PlayStation 5 and PC, Helldivers 2 became a runaway success almost overnight, praised for its chaotic cooperative gameplay and its satirical sci-fi universe. The game’s later release on Xbox Series X/S on August 26, 2025, helped reignite interest, introducing a wave of new recruits to the war for “Managed Democracy.” However, the increased player load also brought new technical challenges.
Arrowhead Game Studios worked tirelessly to keep the game running smoothly, adding content such as new enemy factions and eventually introducing the mysterious Illuminate. Yet, as the updates grew more ambitious, Helldivers 2 began to show signs of strain. Frequent bugs and optimization problems started affecting gameplay performance, leading the developers themselves to admit that the game was beginning to “break at the seams.”
As a result, Arrowhead announced a shift in focus — from pushing out new content to stabilizing and optimizing the existing game. Though some fans were disappointed by the slowdown in updates, others praised the studio’s decision to prioritize performance and long-term sustainability. For many, it signaled a more thoughtful approach to live-service game development, potentially ensuring Helldivers 2 remains a staple of cooperative shooters for years to come.
Arc Raiders Takes the Lead
While Helldivers 2 refocuses its efforts, Arc Raiders has been gaining unstoppable momentum. According to data from SteamDB, the game recently hit an astonishing 462,488 concurrent players—surpassing Helldivers 2’s peak of 458,709 achieved shortly after its 2024 debut. This milestone firmly places Arc Raiders as one of the most successful new PC launches of 2025.
The achievement is particularly impressive considering the competitive state of the shooter genre. In fact, Arc Raiders even managed to outpace Battlefield 6 on Steam during its second weekend — a clear indicator of its massive appeal. Unlike Helldivers 2, which focuses entirely on PvE cooperative missions, Arc Raiders blends PvP and PvE elements into a seamless extraction experience, offering players the tension of survival and the thrill of competition.
A Promising Road Ahead
Embark Studios has already shared an ambitious post-launch roadmap outlining the future of Arc Raiders. November will see the addition of a brand-new map, Stella Montis, expanding the game’s universe and offering fresh challenges to seasoned raiders. More updates — including new “Arcs,” items, dynamic map conditions, and special quests — are scheduled before the end of 2025, ensuring that players always have something new to look forward to.
As Arc Raiders continues to grow, the community surrounding it is thriving. Social media platforms are flooded with highlight clips showcasing players’ epic firefights, hilarious betrayals, and moments of unexpected camaraderie. Whether teaming up with friends or venturing solo, players seem captivated by the high-stakes gameplay loop that keeps every match unpredictable.
While Helldivers 2 may have momentarily stepped out of the spotlight, its influence is undeniable — it helped pave the way for games like Arc Raiders to flourish. And as both titles evolve in their own directions, fans of the genre have plenty to celebrate.
For now, Arc Raiders stands as the new leader in the extraction shooter space, but in the ever-changing world of live-service games, the battle for dominance is far from over.
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