ARC Raiders design lead Virgil Watkins revealed that the game almost featured an auction house-style trading system. While it was eventually cut from the ARC RaidersWatkins believed it would be a game changer, and not necessarily for the better.
As an extraction shooter, it's somewhat surprising ARC Raiders has no official way of trading players. Ultimately, a large part of the game's loop is about collecting loot, so being able to sell the most valuable finds to others seems like a given. At this point, players can only drop loot on the floor, which can then be picked up by others. It works, but it's not quite an official trading system. And if a player decides they want to renege on the deal, keep all the loot and shoot the other player, then there's no way to stop that.
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ARC Raiders created an auction house style trading feature and here's why
In an interview with GamesRadar+, ARC Raiders design director Virgil Watkins revealed that an official trading system was “partially created” for the game before it was abandoned. “We put a lot, very, very intentional effort into making the game about objects,” Watkins said. “Previously we explored and even partially built a trading system like [an auction house]. But in the end what it did was change the game to coins only. Go inside and find the items that have the most value and exchange them [for coins]and buy only the things you want. Now you care very little about going in and scouting the right place and searching the right containers, or you feel good that, 'Oh, finally, I needed this thing, and now I can go do the other thing I wanted to do with it.'” In short, it changed the fundamental ARC Raiders gameplay loop and how players accessed loot, leading to it being left out of the full release. However, how close it was to completion remains a mystery.
Although ARC Raiders doesn't have an official trading system, Watkins reaffirms that “it's okay to trade by dropping something on the floor and being able to pick it up.” But while Watkins describes the auction house as an entry for the game into “very risky territory,” the current system isn't enough for him. “We really want to make an offer where you hold it up and someone actually interacts with the thing in your hand to take it from you,” Watkins said. “And it's kind of a little thing, but it's a lot better than, 'Here's your thing that I threw on the floor.' So I think there's stuff on those ends.” This would be an interesting evolution of the current system, which basically relies on the good will of players not to shoot each other.
We previously researched and even partially built a trading system like [an auction house]. But in the end what it did was change the game to coins only.
Even without an auction house, players have not stopped being creative in trading items with other players. There was one case when an ARC Raiders the player chooses to play as an NPC merchant. Rather than fighting, they spent their time trading and bargaining for dropped items with other players. While this is a fun concept, it also shows that there is definitely a demand for a trading system beyond what already exists. At present, this does not seem likely.
While the new trading system may not be up and running right now, ARC Raiders recently revealed that several new maps will be coming to the game later this year. Over the next few months, the game will have a chance to maintain its strong momentum, and the initial content could determine how many players stick around for the long haul.
- Released
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October 30, 2025
- ESRB
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Teen / Violence, Blood
