You’ve waited, you’ve watched, and maybe you even jumped into the Arc Raiders open beta. But now, with the full release right around the corner, the only question on everyone’s mind is: When can we finally get in?
Embark Studios’ long-awaited extraction shooter, one I honestly didn’t expect to care about, has its hooks in me. So, if you’re like me and itching to hit the servers, let’s break it all down.
Arc Raiders Release Time by Region
Arc Raiders goes live globally at 2:30 AM PDT / 5:30 AM EDT on Thursday, October 30. For those of us in North America, that’s right around the corner. But if you’re reading this from somewhere else, here’s exactly when you can dive into Embark’s post-apocalyptic world, filled with robots eager to turn you into a burnt spot on the ground.
- October 30, 2025 – 2:30 AM PDT / 5:30 AM EDT – North America
- October 30, 2025 – 6:30 AM BRT – Brazil
- October 30, 2025 – 9:30 AM GMT – United Kingdom
- October 30, 2025 – 10:30 AM CET – Western Europe
- October 30, 2025 – 6:30 PM JST – Japan
- October 30, 2025 – 8:30 PM AET – Eastern Australia
Can You Preload Arc Raiders?
Yes, you can preload Arc Raiders on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S… just not on the Epic Games Store. For reasons known only to the digital gods, Epic still doesn’t support preloading. It’s definitely something that Tim Sweeny and gang may want to address. But everywhere else, you’re golden.
📡Heads up!
The ARC Raiders pre-load is rolling out today, keep an eye on your storefront of choice and prepare to hit the Rust Belt running! pic.twitter.com/hxUvgkkzYO— ARC Raiders (@ARCRaidersGame) October 28, 2025
If you already own the game on one of the supported platforms, now’s the time to queue it up before the servers get hammered, or before another major cloud provider decides to take an unexpected nap.
Clocking around 30GB, the download isn’t massive, but it’s still worth getting a head start before bandwidth slows to a crawl on launch day.
Does Arc Raiders Support Crossplay?
If you’re planning to jump into Arc Raiders with friends across different platforms, you’re in luck. The game supports full crossplay between PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, so no one gets left behind when the servers go live. Even better, it also includes cross-save and cross-progression, meaning your progress and gear carry over between platforms as long as you’ve linked your accounts through your Embark ID.
There’s also an in-game toggle that lets you turn crossplay on or off if you’d rather stick with players on your own platform. That’s handy for anyone who doesn’t want to deal with controller versus mouse matchups or just prefers platform-specific matchmaking. Still, it’s worth leaving it on when the game first launches since that’ll help with faster matchmaking and busier lobbies during those first few chaotic days.
Arc Raiders offering full crossplay out of the gate is a great move from Embark Studios. It makes teaming up with friends simple, and it ensures that everyone can experience the chaos together, no matter where they play.
As for me, I’ve never been huge on extraction shooters. Escape from Tarkov didn’t click with me, and most others felt too punishing. But Arc Raiders has something different. Maybe it’s the killer robot angle, maybe it’s just that “new game smell.” Either way, I’ve already preloaded and can’t wait to dive in solo or drag some of my teammates along so they can be target practice.
Just… don’t shoot me out there. I will shoot back.
Arc Raiders releases October 30, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
