You drop onto Pendola Pass and the usual tension thins—no gunfire, only the hum of ARC servos. I froze, waiting for the server message that would change how matches play out. For one week, the game hands you a choice: fight players or focus on AI.
I’ve been tracking this since early builds and you should know what matters before you queue. Read fast: the beta is short, the toggle is obvious, and your feedback is the lever that could tilt the game’s future.
When Does the Arc Raiders PvE Toggle Beta Test Start?
A calendar ping landed in my squad chat with the date circled. The PvE toggle beta test runs from October 13, 2026, at 2:00 AM PT (5:00 AM ET) through October 20, 2026, at 2:00 AM PT (5:00 AM ET). This is a one-week matchmaking test: brief, intentional, and designed to gather data and player sentiment.
When will the Arc Raiders PvE toggle beta test happen?
It starts on October 13, 2026 at 2:00 AM PT (5:00 AM ET) and ends one week later on October 20, 2026 at 2:00 AM PT (5:00 AM ET).
How to Join ARC Raiders PvE Mode Beta
My inbox had an update notice—no keys, no opt-ins, just a patch note. The PvE toggle is open to everyone: you won’t need a code or invite. After the Frozen Trail update goes live, a new toggle appears in matchmaking; flip it and queue like normal. The toggle is like a light switch between PvPvE and pure PvE, so pick your mood and lock in a destination.
Community chatter points to Pendola Pass being the first PvE playground after the Frozen Trail update. If you play on PC (Steam), Xbox Series X|S, or PS5, the toggle should appear immediately after the patch; follow official posts on the Arc Raiders Discord and subreddit for live status reports and patch notes from the developer.
How do I join the Arc Raiders PvE beta?
There’s no sign-up. Update the game, find the new matchmaking toggle, switch to PvE, and queue—Solos, Duos, and Trios are supported during the test.
Arc Raiders PvE vs. PvPvE Mode Differences
On the test server I watched three players loot a crate without a single shot fired. The PvE experience strips player-to-player damage so teams can scavenge, complete objectives, and cooperate against ARC threats without worrying that a rival will wipe them out. Think of the beta like a test kitchen for combat rhythm: the mechanics are tuned to observe behavior rather than escalate conflict.
| PvE Mode | PvPvE Mode |
|---|---|
| No player-to-player damage; players cannot hurt each other. | Players can engage in PvP fights. |
| Supports Solos, Duos, and Trios during the test period. | Supports Solos, Duos, and Trios all the time. |
| Players can peacefully scavenge loot, complete quests, and team up when needed to take down ARC enemies in Arc Raiders. | There is always rising tension in PvPvE, and fights can break out at any time. |
| Overall loot value is lower. | Overall loot value is significantly higher. |
| Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate, and the new Frigate map conditions are unavailable. | All maps and map conditions are available. |
| PvE sessions don’t impact your PvPvE matchmaking rating, which will be taken into account for Aggression-based matchmaking in Arc Raiders. | PvP fights do affect your PvPvE matchmaking rating. |
| ARC enemies can target and attack players who move after being downed. | ARC Threats won’t target or attack players who crawl after being downed. |
Design notes seen in the Chinese client and official patch hints show the devs are dialing down high-risk map conditions and loot tiers for PvE. Expect fewer Night Raids and no Hidden Bunker conditions during the test; the trade-off is lower loot value but a clearer focus on AI-driven encounters and quest flow.
Will PvE affect my PvPvE matchmaking rating in Arc Raiders?
No. PvE sessions are isolated from your PvPvE matchmaking rating; aggression-based matchmaking uses only your PvPvE activity.
Is the PvE Mode Permanent in Arc Raiders?
I watched a dev stream where a designer tapped the screen and said, “we want feedback.” The studio has plainly stated “this test is not a promise that there will be a PvE mode in the future.” That means this week is a research window: if players flood feedback channels—Steam forums, the official Discord, and Twitter threads—the mode could be adapted and re-released as a permanent option.
If you want the mode to stick, your role is simple: play matches, file reports, and post clear feedback on the official channels. Developers will be watching metrics—queue times, kill rates, objective completion—and reading threads on Reddit and the official Discord to judge demand and design changes.
Will PvE be added permanently to Arc Raiders?
Not guaranteed. The studio will use the beta’s telemetry and community feedback to decide if and how a permanent PvE mode is built; the beta itself is only a single data-gathering experiment.
So, will you jump into the one-week test, play calm and measured, and shape whether Arc Raiders keeps this PvE option or lets it fade—what will you do?