Arc Raiders’ executive producer explains how he ‘wasn’t completely prepared for how hard’ a live service game would be and warns against the dangers of burnout
Arc Raiders, developed by Embark Studios, had a promising start with positive reception and strong community engagement, but failed to maintain that momentum over time. In a recent discussion, executive producer Aleksander Grøndal provided candid insight into what went wrong, acknowledging that the studio was unprepared for the challenges of live service game development.
Grøndal admitted that despite warnings from industry peers about the demands of transitioning to live service, he and the team underestimated just how difficult the undertaking would be. The studio reportedly overestimated its capacity to handle the ongoing work required to maintain and develop a live service game over an extended period.
The confession highlights a broader issue facing game studios attempting to shift to live service models—the intense and unrelenting demands of continuous development, updates, and community management. Grøndal’s comments also touched on the dangers of burnout, a critical concern for development teams stretched too thin across the demanding live service landscape.
Arc Raiders’ trajectory serves as a cautionary tale for studios considering or transitioning to live service development, illustrating that having a good game and community isn’t always enough to sustain long-term viability if supporting infrastructure and team capacity aren’t adequate.