Understanding matchmaking in Arc Raiders has been something of a white whale for players, especially since we first got confirmation that aggression-based matchmaking did actually play a part in creating lobbies. Since then Embark has been more open about what actually goes into its matchmaking and is more responsive to players who asked for changes, with its latest update adding perhaps the most sought after change.
Following on from the matchmaking survey Embark put out in May, Arc Raiders has "implemented one of the most requested matchmaking features," according to the latest patch notes. "We now track your playstyle separately for Solo, Duo, and Trio rounds, and match you accordingly.
"Say you are a friendly solo player, but your two squadmates always want to dominate trios in PvP. Before, being friendly solo could push you into more cooperative trio rounds, and playing PvP-focused in a trio could push you into more PvP-focused solo rounds—so changing squad size meant matchmaking took a bit to adjust."
This has actually been an issue I've encountered. My friends are split down the middle with different playstyles, with some being cooperative and others bloodthirsty killers. That's always meant that we've rarely played together as everyone likes keeping their solo lobbies just the way they are, and can't be arsed with having to retrain the matchmaking after briefly switching styles.
"Now there's no overlap," the patch notes explain. "You'll be able to go from friendly questing and plant-picking in Solo rounds to adrenaline-fueled PvP trio games (if that's how you usually play in those respective cases), by simply changing your squad size. The same holds for Duo—all three are tracked on their own."
I absolutely love this from Embark and is yet another example of how the devs have been slowly and consciously improving the quality of Arc Raiders, especially since the initial hype died down. It's so good, in fact, that I really wish we'd gotten this change sooner, but it's better late than never. At least I've got a new reason to drag my friends back into Arc Raiders now.
