Reported Arc Raiders budget of $75 million is "not too far off," says Embark head: "We can live for a long time on the money that Arc Raiders has been generating"

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Reported Arc Raiders budget of $75 million is "not too far off," says Embark head: "We can live for a long time on the money that Arc Raiders has been generating" News By Austin Wood published 6 February 2026

Arc Raiders didn't cost "hundreds and hundreds of millions"

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(Image credit: Embark Studios)

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Arc Raiders had sold over 12 million copies as of January 12, so Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund is right to say "you don't have to be a math professor to realize that the game has done well for us." But the specifics of the game's profitability and its impact on Embark's plans, including the development of two new games, remains interesting.

Söderlund gets into Arc Raiders' reception and finances in an interview with IGN. "Of course, it's been very profitable for us," he says.

Asked about recent reports claiming Arc Raiders was made on a budget of $75 million, Söderlund wouldn't give specific numbers, but did say this estimate was "not too far off" the reality, as Embark hadn't been spending "hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars."

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Söderlund sounds bittersweet in his acknowledgement that, where "our industry has been riddled with layoffs and studio closures for the past, I would say, 24 months," Embark now has a comfortable war chest.

"We can live for a long time on the money that Arc Raiders has been generating, and that does give financial security and employment stability for the people that work there," he continues. "We're growing our studio, we're hiring people, we want to build more of Arc Raiders, we want to build more of The Finals. We also have two new games in development that we hope to finish someday."

Embark recently announced the next major leg of development: Arc Raiders' Escalation phase roadmap, which spans the first four months of 2026. As part of that, we've gotten the Arc Raiders Bird City map modifier for Buried City.

"We’ve heard your feedback": Arc Raiders lowers Expedition requirement to 3 million coins, lets players "catch up" on missed skill points from the first Expedition for just 300k each.

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. CATEGORIES PS5 Xbox Series X PC Gaming Platforms PlayStation Xbox Austin WoodSocial Links NavigationSenior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

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