It has definitely been interesting watching the shooter community settle into Battlefield 6, only for something completely different to start bubbling up right beside it. Arc Raiders showed up with its extraction-shooter gameplay loop, dropped players into a deeply immersive world filled with plenty of surprises, and suddenly everyone started talking about it. The timing almost feels accidental, and yet the response has been anything but that. Battlefield 6 is still pulling big numbers, but Arc Raiders has a lot of curious players jumping the Battlefield ship and heading into the Rust Belt instead.
Given its pre-launch hype, there was little doubt that Battlefield 6 would be one of 2025's best multiplayer games. It attracted a lot of attention from popular streamers and Call of Duty players who were looking for something different, and its beta success was enough evidence to suggest it could potentially take over the shooter scene. But in comes Arc Raiders with an entirely different genre and gameplay loop, offering something that many Battlefield 6 players feel it isn't giving them right now, and figuring out what that is might say a lot about where multiplayer shooters could be headed next.
Battlefield 6 Feels Like the "Same Old Game Everyone Has Played Before"
One of the main reasons some Battlefield 6 players have left it for Arc Raiders is because, in comparison, it feels like the "same old game everyone has already played before." In fact, according to user StickyIcky313 on a recent Reddit post titled "SIB ARC Raiders or BF6?," that's precisely the case. To that user's point, Battlefield 6 is yet another entry in an FPS series that has been around for over two decades now, and its similarities to other FPS franchises, like Call of Duty, doesn't help it to feel like a fresh experience.
Despite being what some might refer to as "another extraction shooter," what makes Arc Raiders feel like something shooter fans have never experienced before is the unprecedented accessibility it brings to the genre. Prior to Arc Raiders' launch, extraction shooters were somewhat niche due to the immense challenge associated with them, but Embark Studios has crafted something that even those who are unfamiliar with the genre's gameplay loop can find their footing in.
What's more is that Arc Raiders' PvPvE design could be seen as a much-needed break from Battlefield 6's PvP gameplay. While players can defeat other players in Arc Raiders, it does a great job of bringing just enough challenge with its PvE gameplay that PvP isn't a top priority. Those who enjoy the tension of PvP gameplay but still want to fight formidable enemy AI can find a well-executed blend in Arc Raiders. Add to that some satisfying progression through crafting and a sizable skill tree, and Arc Raiders starts to look like a more worthwhile way to spend time than Battlefield 6.
Arc Raiders Is More Immersive Than Battlefield 6
There's no denying that Battlefield 6 looks and sounds fantastic. Its visuals are crisp, its animations clear, and its audio design and gunplay are top-notch for a first-person military shooter. However, there is very little time to truly get immersed in its world, as the action is almost non-stop once a round really gets going.
As Glass_Farmer_1830 stated in the same Reddit post mentioned above, "Arc is certainly more immersive" than Battlefield 6 because "there is a distinct lack of tension, as you are constantly in the thick of it with engagement lasting milliseconds." Arc Raiders might be just as visually impressive as Battlefield 6, but its atmosphere, sound design, and quiet moments between the heat increase its immersion tenfold by creating a necessary tension to keep players on edge at all times.
Arc Raiders Has a Better Community
Finally, Arc Raiders has already been acknowledged for having a better community than Battlefield 6, with the latter's community being described as "toxic" by several users, including Damien23123, in the aforementioned Reddit thread. To be fair, first-person shooter games like Battlefield 6 tend to foster toxic communities over time due to their zero-sum, high-stakes competition design. Arc Raiders, on the other hand, while it still entertains high stakes, is far more forgiving, especially when it comes to its PvP side.
It could be that Arc Raiders' community is only praised right now because the game is still quite young, but only time will be able to prove that. For now, Arc Raiders' solo experience, for one thing, remains the poster child for its community, as most other solo players are too focused on the PvE aspects of the game to bother with killing other players. What this produces, then, is a community of players who are willing to help one another out and not fire at others when they're shouting "Don't shoot!"
At the time of writing, Arc Raiders' player count on Steam alone is still teetering around Battlefield 6's, but according to Steam Charts, Battlefield 6's 24-hour peak has been steadily decreasing since November 2. Plus, with Arc Raiders reviews still trickling in, its own peak could increase beyond where it is currently. Nevertheless, it has clearly been drawing players away from Battlefield 6 for the fresh experience it offers, its indelible immersion, and its community.
Battlefield 6
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 90%
- Released
- October 10, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, In-App Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Battlefield Studios
- Publisher(s)
- EA
