Arc Raiders goes full-friendly PvE tomorrow with new Shared Watch event: "Team up with strangers, turn your barrels on the machines, and earn rewards"

1. Games
2. Third Person Shooters
3. Arc Raiders

Arc Raiders goes full-friendly PvE tomorrow with new Shared Watch event: "Team up with strangers, turn your barrels on the machines, and earn rewards" News By Austin Wood published 9 February 2026

Word of a dedicated PvE mode was greatly exaggerated

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Embark Studios)

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
• Email

Share this article 1 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter GamesRadar+ Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful

Want to add more newsletters?

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

Signup +

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Signup +

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

Signup +

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Signup +

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

Signup +

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

Signup +

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!

Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter

It's not the dedicated PvE mode that, I maintain, would actually be a terrible idea, but Arc Raiders is really leaning into PvE with a new limited-time event called Shared Watch.

Quietly announced on social media channels like X/Twitter on Monday, Shared Watch will run from Tuesday, February 10 through Tuesday, February 24, giving players two weeks to engage in extra-jolly cooperation.

With the subtext of, "Please stop shooting each other for 10 minutes please God," developer Embark Studios writes: "You watch my back, I'll watch yours – that's how Speranza keeps ticking.

You may like

• Arc Raiders' Headwinds update lands tomorrow, and theories we're getting 4-player squads aren't going well with everyone
• PvP is the reason Arc Raiders works – love it or hate it, even Embark's design lead says it "adds the spice"
• Arc Raiders' new matchmaking option is a big letdown that almost nobody will use: "Solos vs Squads"

"Join your fellow Raiders in celebrating the Shared Watch; team up with strangers, turn your barrels on the machines, and earn rewards in the process."

Those rewards include a new baseball umpire-themed outfit called The Slugger, it seems. Additional rewards remain to be seen, as details about the event are still a bit thin. I assume there's going to be a track of miscellaneous rewards to help distinguish this event from the new and permanent Arc trophy case, which is also about killing bots.

Arc Raiders is a PvPvE game at its core, but it's ultimately about PvE. You can already team up with strangers and shoot Arc together at any time; Shared Watch just feels like a little extra incentive, and an easy way for Embark to lean into the pacifist play style that a surprisingly large portion of the community has adopted.

Shared Watch does appear to be a very minor side dish, for the record. I've seen chatter around Arc Raiders adding a dedicated PvE mode, but this is not that; you can trust that PvP will still be happening in the next two weeks. That said, even as a PvP fan myself, I reckon I'll be carrying extra defibs to help some randoms.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

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.

Arc Raiders boss says he'll "apologize" to Italy's Stella Montis hotel after it's flooded with reviews from players: "I didn't know about that. That's amazing."

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.

View More

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more Arc Raiders' Headwinds update lands tomorrow, and theories we're getting 4-player squads aren't going well with everyone    PvP is the reason Arc Raiders works – love it or hate it, even Embark's design lead says it "adds the spice"    Arc Raiders' new matchmaking option is a big letdown that almost nobody will use: "Solos vs Squads"    Arc Raiders players down each other a "surprisingly low" amount, and the devs are "way worse people than the community"    Arc Raiders devs have discussed special raids like high-value rounds where you have to bring in good gear, but "don't want to segment the player base too much"    "Will this blow up the server?": Arc Raiders players are so good at killing Arc that Embark eyes ways to "escalate" PvE    Latest in Third Person Shooters John Helldiver is Arrowhead canon thanks to Helldivers 2 players: "Named by the community"    Arc Raiders boss says he'll "apologize" to Italy's Stella Montis hotel after it's flooded with reviews from players    Arc Raiders boss says "that's not the vision" when asked about Fortnite-style skins, prefers when it all "fits" the lore    How to solve the Harvester in Arc Raiders    How to beat the Arc Raiders Matriarch    Helldivers 2's Cyborgs are real, and they'd kindly like you to "defect" from Super Earth    Latest in News Pokemon player spends 5+ years completing one of the weirdest Shiny hunts in history    Steven Spielberg says it's a "guarantee" there's alien life out there as he promotes new sci-fi film Disclosure Day    Arc Raiders goes full-friendly PvE tomorrow with new Shared Watch event: "Team up with strangers"    Fallout's Aaron Moten has forbidden himself from playing the games at this point    Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined is having a great time on Steam, but it's no Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D    Riot cuts 80 employees 3 weeks after League of Legends spinoff 2XKO celebrates launch    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1Yakuza Kiwami 3 review: "The meatiest brawling this crime thriller's tackled in years combines with its warmest story"
2. 2Mewgenics review: "The Binding of Isaac collides with Into the Breach in a smart strategy roguelike"
3. 3Odin's Ravens review: "Perfect for two-player matches on the go"
4. 4Nioh 3 review: "Brutal clashes across wide maps avoid retreading Elden Ring – this is all demon killer, no filler"
5. 5This Lord of the Rings card game is a puzzle-solving masterclass

1. 1Return to Silent Hill review: "Neither an impressive adaptation nor coherent enough to act as a standalone film"
2. 228 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
3. 3Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
4. 4Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
5. 5Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"

1. 1Wonder Man review: "A low-key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
2. 2Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
3. 3A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a surprisingly heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
4. 4Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
5. 5Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”