ARC Raiders has made an impressive entrance, reaching a peak of 264,673 players on its launch day and receiving nearly 90 percent positive reviews on Steam. This engaging extraction shooter is accessible to a wide audience, but it does have a few concerning aspects.
As reported by SteamDB, ARC Raiders currently holds the title of the No. 1 best-selling game globally on Steam. The Deluxe edition upgrade is also performing well, securing the No. 14 spot. While the game is priced at $40, making it a mid-tier offering rather than a full premium title, many players have expressed concerns over its cosmetic store and the associated costs that resemble a free-to-play model.
A specific bundle available in the ARC Raiders store costs 2,400 Raider Tokens. This equates to around $20. There are options for cheaper bundles and you can also buy individual items from each bundle. However, if players seek a new character outfit, they should expect to spend at least 1,150 Raider Tokens, with many desirable options priced at 1,400 tokens.
This pricing structure implies that one skin bundle costs nearly half of the game’s price, leading to dissatisfaction among players. One user on Reddit expressed frustration, stating, «You’re really not getting that much for essentially spending half the game’s price. I really dislike this trend and how many developers are adopting it. A skin shouldn’t cost 50% or more of the game’s total price.»
Players have also noted that the prices in ARC Raiders appear to be higher than those in THE FINALS, another free-to-play shooter developed by the same team. In THE FINALS, outfit sets typically range from 1,600 to 2,200 Multibucks, with 2,400 Multibucks costing around $20. While there are some higher-priced items, it’s important to remember that THE FINALS is free-to-play and offers multiple items for customization in each set.
Additionally, ARC Raiders features a free Raider Deck, which operates similarly to a permanent battle pass, allowing players to earn up to 500 Raider Tokens along with various cosmetic rewards through challenge completion. However, at present, this is the only method to gain free currency in the game, as players cannot earn Raider Tokens during raids.
Embark Studios has indicated that more Decks (both free and paid) will be introduced in the future, and there is hope for additional free avenues to obtain Raider Tokens. Regardless of individual choices regarding cosmetic purchases in ARC Raiders, it is clear that the current prices are perceived as excessive by the community.
