Arc Raiders Dev Wants You to Play Other Games When You're Out of Content

Ever feel guilty for ditching a live service game once you've done everything? Arc Raiders' executive producer Aleksander Grøndal says don't sweat it – just go play something else.

In a recent interview, Grøndal opened up about the studio's shift away from the relentless live service grind. After Arc Raiders blew up bigger than anyone expected, Embark Studios found itself in a tough spot: players burn through content way faster than devs can make it. At one point, the team was "super unhappy" trying to keep up. So they hit the brakes, regrouped, and are now gearing up for a massive update – Frozen Trail – launching tomorrow, October 8.

But here's the thing: you'll eventually run out of stuff to do again. And when that happens, Grøndal has some refreshingly chill advice. "Take a break and play some other games," he says. He points out that the industry's obsession with evergreen titles means tons of great new games never get a fair shot. Taking a hiatus, waiting for a few updates, and then coming back to Arc Raiders? That's not just okay – it's good for the entire gaming ecosystem.

Grøndal practices what he preaches. He admits he plays games in cycles, like Valheim. He binged it when it first hit early access, took a break, and recently returned for the 1.0 launch almost four years later. Still had a blast. "There's so many good games out there, so go out, play some games, come back if you want," he says. "That's the best way of looking at it."

The writer conducting the interview backs this up with their own experience: they put 350 hours into Arc Raiders, stepped away when they'd seen it all, and only popped back for a new map. Now they're ready for a meaty update like Frozen Trail. It's a healthy approach to a hobby that can sometimes feel like a second job.

So what's next for Arc Raiders? Embark is promising bigger, chunkier content drops instead of constant small updates. The goal is to give players substantial reasons to return while keeping the dev team sane. And if you're curious but haven't jumped in yet, there's a free trial offering four days of full access – perfectly timed with what's being called the biggest update since launch.

At the end of the day, Grøndal's message is simple: games are meant to be fun, not a chore. If you're feeling burnt out, it's okay to step away. The best live service games will still be there when you're ready.

What do you think? Will you be taking a break from Arc Raiders – or diving straight into Frozen Trail?