Embark Studios is looking to rework Arc Raiders’ skill trees in future updates
Arc Raiders will receive “significant changes” to its skill tree in upcoming updates, according to design director Virgil Watkins. The comments came during an interview on the Game Maker’s Notebook podcast, where Watkins discussed the challenges Embark Studios faced in designing the system.
Watkins acknowledged that the skill tree hasn’t met the studio’s standards in its current form. He stated: “It was a tough problem space for us and I don’t think by any means we nailed it. There are definitely skills in there that are under-serving their purpose.” The designer attributed some of the difficulty to balancing mechanics across both PvE and PvP gameplay, which has resulted in certain skills being more valuable than others.
The rework is set to arrive as Arc Raiders prepares for its next Expedition on April 28th. The studio had already announced modifications to progression reset mechanics in the upcoming update, but the skill tree overhaul represents a more comprehensive redesign of the progression system. Watkins’ comments suggest Embark Studios is committed to improving core progression mechanics, with the goal of making more skills viable and purposeful for players engaging with both competitive and cooperative aspects of the live-service title.