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Since its launch in late 2025, Arc Raiders has redefined the extraction shooter. By trading the muddy trenches of realistic military sims for a vibrant, retro-futuristic Italy, Embark Studios created a “Story Generator” where every 30-minute raid feels like a cinematic event. Whether you’re dodging a skyscraper-sized Queen machine in the Buried City or engaging in a high-stakes standoff with a rival squad at an extraction elevator, the tension is palpable.
But in the “post-post-apocalypse,” variety is the key to survival. Perhaps you’ve already mastered the Dam Battlegrounds, or maybe you’re looking for an extraction experience that leans even harder into horror, realism, or high-speed movement. From the gravity-defying chaos of Exoborne to the stylized neon world of Marathon, the extraction genre in 2026 is more diverse than ever. If you’re looking to scratch that same “scavenge-and-survive” itch, here are the 20 best games like Arc Raiders that deserve a spot in your rotation.
The Heavy Hitters: 2026’s Top 5 Must-Plays
1. Exoborne: The High-Octane Rival
Exoborne is perhaps the most direct rival to Arc Raiders in 2026. Set in a world torn apart by extreme forces of nature, this tactical open-world extraction shooter tasks players with scavenging technology while battling both rival squads and catastrophic weather. Like Arc Raiders, the environment is just as much an enemy as the players. You use “Exo-Rigs” to navigate the vertical terrain, giving the game a kinetic feel that mirrors the movement tech in Embark’s shooter. The focus on high-stakes extraction and atmospheric world-building makes it a perfect alternative for those who love the “Topside” scavenge-and-survive loop.
2. Marathon: Bungie’s Cybernetic Vision
Bungie’s revival of Marathon is a premier sci-fi extraction shooter that emphasizes style, sound design, and intense PvPvE. While Arc Raiders leans into a “retro-future” aesthetic, Marathon is vibrant, bold, and hyper-stylized. You play as “Runners,” venturing into the unknown to secure artifacts. The game features a unique “Oxygen” mechanic that acts as a natural timer for raids, much like the 30-minute raid window in Arc Raiders. If you enjoy the polished gunplay and high-tech gadgets of Arc Raiders, the mechanical precision of Marathon will feel right at home.
3. Hunt: Showdown 1896: The Master of Tension
If you stripped the robots out of Arc Raiders and replaced them with eldritch horrors in a 19th-century bayou, you’d get Hunt: Showdown 1896. In 2026, it remains the gold standard for “tense” extraction. You hunt a boss, grab the bounty, and try to leave while every other player on the map hunts you. The sound design is industry-leading—every twig snap or distant gunshot tells a story. For Arc Raiders fans who enjoy the “unpredictable story generator” aspect of extraction shooters, Hunt offers the most atmospheric and nerve-wracking experience on the market.
4. Helldivers 2: The PvE Powerhouse
While it lacks the PvP element, Helldivers 2 captures the “Squad vs. Machines” chaos better than almost any other game. You and three friends drop onto hostile planets to fight Terminids and Automatons (the latter of which feel very similar to the ARC machines). The cinematic scale of the explosions and the “clutch” feeling of waiting for an extraction shuttle under heavy fire perfectly mirrors the frantic end-of-raid moments in Arc Raiders. It’s the best choice for players who want the PvE intensity of Arc Raiders without the frustration of being “griefed” by other players.
5. The Division 2: The Tactical Veteran
The Division 2, specifically its Dark Zone and the 2026 updates, offers a third-person cover-based experience that likely inspired Arc Raiders’ perspective. The tension of calling in an extraction helicopter and defending your loot bag from potential “Rogue” agents is the DNA that Arc Raiders was built on. The environmental detail of a ruined civilization is strikingly similar, though The Division leans more into RPG stats and loot “colors.” If you want a more structured, RPG-heavy version of the “scavenge Italy” fantasy, Washington D.C. awaits.
The Tactical & Realism-Focused
6. Arena Breakout: Infinite
For those who want Arc Raiders to be “just a bit more realistic,” Arena Breakout: Infinite is the answer. It’s a PC-focused extraction shooter that brings military-grade gunsmithing to a slightly more accessible format than Tarkov. The 2026 updates have improved the AI and added “Extreme Weather” conditions that mimic Arc Raiders’ shifting map states. It is a high-fidelity, high-stakes game where every bullet counts and inventory management is a survival skill in itself.
7. Gray Zone Warfare
Gray Zone Warfare focuses on “Every Man for Himself” in a massive jungle environment. It’s less about “sci-fi” and more about tactical realism, but the extraction loop is identical. You head into the “Ground Zero,” complete objectives for vendors, and call in a Little Bird helicopter to get out. The 2026 “Night Operations” update added a layer of stealth and tech that matches the “Sneaking past ARC machines” gameplay of Arc Raiders.
8. Delta Force: Hazard Operations
The “Hazard Operations” mode in the new Delta Force is a direct competitor in the F2P extraction space. It features three-man squads, gear tiers, and high-value extraction points. While the setting is modern military, the “feel” of the gunplay is remarkably similar to the snappiness found in Arc Raiders. It’s a great mid-point for players who find Tarkov too hard but Call of Duty too simple.
9. The Finals
Also developed by Embark Studios, The Finals isn’t an extraction shooter, but it uses the same engine and “bones” as Arc Raiders. The movement, the physics-based destruction, and the “cash out” mechanic are cousins to the extraction loop. If you love the way Arc Raiders feels to play—the sliding, the grappling, the way guns kick—The Finals is the only game that shares that exact mechanical DNA.
10. Marauders
Marauders takes the extraction formula into space. You are a “Space Pirate” boarding derelict frigates and space stations to scavenge scrap. Like Arc Raiders, it has a gritty, “lo-fi” sci-fi aesthetic. The tension of hearing someone else’s airlock open while you’re looting a vault is a pure adrenaline shot. It’s perfect for players who want a darker, more industrial version of the scavenger fantasy.
11. Escape from Tarkov: PvE Mode
The “Daddy” of the genre, Escape from Tarkov, now features a robust, official PvE mode in 2026. If you love the looting and crafting of Arc Raiders but hate the ultra-sweaty PvP, Tarkov’s PvE mode allows you to experience the deepest weapon modding system in gaming history at your own pace. It’s the “Hardcore” version of the Arc Raiders loop.
12. The First Descendant
Nexon’s The First Descendant is a third-person looter shooter that pits “Descendants” against the “Vulgus” (monstrous aliens). While it’s more of a “Live Service” mission-based game than an extraction shooter, the boss battles against kaiju-sized Colossi will appeal to anyone who enjoys the “Big ARC Machine” fights in Arc Raiders.
13. Vigor
Vigor is a console-first extraction shooter set in post-war Norway. It’s free-to-play and focuses heavily on building up your personal shelter with the scrap you find. It’s slightly slower and more “survival” oriented than Arc Raiders, but the “encounters” provide that same heart-pounding fear of losing your loot to a hidden sniper.
14. Generation Zero
Set in 1980s Sweden, Generation Zero is all about humans vs. giant machines. It’s an open-world survival game rather than an extraction shooter, but the enemy designs and the “guerilla warfare” tactics required to take down a massive “Tank” robot are almost identical to the PvE encounters in Arc Raiders.
15. Once Human
Once Human is a supernatural open-world survival game where you scavenge a weird, distorted world for resources. The “Stronghold Conquest” and “Public Events” provide a similar PvPvE tension. It’s more “weird fiction” than “sci-fi,” but the core loop of “go out, get loot, bring it back to upgrade your base” is very familiar.
The Specialized & Stylized
16. Beautiful Light
A horror-themed extraction shooter where you play as a member of a tactical team entering a dark, anomaly-filled zone. The twist? Other players can play as the monsters. It’s much darker and more frightening than Arc Raiders, but it captures the “horror of the unknown” during an extraction run.
17. Dark and Darker
Dark and Darker is “Tarkov with Swords.” It’s a dungeon-crawler extraction game. If you enjoy the tactical positioning and squad-based roles of Arc Raiders but want to trade your laser rifle for a longsword and spells, this is the most popular alternative in 2026.
18. Battlefield: REDSEC
The 2026 extraction mode for Battlefield—REDSEC—takes the signature destruction of the franchise and applies it to a high-stakes looting map. The vehicle gameplay adds a layer of “Combined Arms” that Arc Raiders lacks, making it feel like a more “military” version of the genre.
19. Hawked
Hawked is a more “cartoony” and arcade-style extraction shooter. It’s much faster and features a lot of traversal gadgets like hoverboards. If Arc Raiders feels a bit too “brown and gritty” for you, Hawked provides a colorful, high-energy alternative with a focus on solving puzzles to get loot.
20. Project L33T
A 2026 newcomer, Project L33T is a hardcore tactical extraction shooter that focuses on “anomalies” and futuristic tech. It sits somewhere between Arc Raiders and Stalker, offering deep character customization and a very “punishing” loot-loss system for the hardcore players.
Comparison Table
| Game | Perspective | PvP Stake | Setting | Primary Threat |
| Arc Raiders | 3rd Person | Medium | Post-Post-Italy | ARC Machines |
| Exoborne | 3rd Person | High | Disaster Earth | Tornados/Squads |
| Marathon | 1st Person | High | Sci-Fi Colony | Runners/Security |
| Hunt: Showdown | 1st Person | Extreme | 1890s Bayou | Bosses/Players |
| Helldivers 2 | 3rd Person | None | Galactic War | Robots/Bugs |
| Arena Breakout | 1st Person | High | Modern Combat | Realism/Snipers |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Arc Raiders free to play?
Actually, in 2025, the developers moved from a free-to-play model to a premium $40 title. This was done to ensure higher quality content and a fairer progression system without “pay-to-win” microtransactions.
Can I play Arc Raiders solo?
Yes, Arc Raiders has a matchmaking system that tries to pair solo players against other solos. However, the “Topside” is dangerous, and many players recommend finding at least one partner for better survival rates.
Final Thoughts
The extraction shooter genre is thriving in 2026 because it offers something battle royales can’t: persistence. Whether you’re fighting the sleek machines of Arc Raiders or the muddy horrors of Hunt: Showdown, every run counts toward your character’s growth.
