Player counts for Embark Studios’ battle royale shooter Arc Raiders have been sliding steadily throughout 2026, and the studio points to a persistent cheating problem as a likely contributing factor. In a candid conversation with Polygon’s executive producer Aleksander Grøndal ahead of the game’s upcoming Frozen Trail update, the developer acknowledged that cheating remains widespread — particularly in the game’s aggressive, ranked-style PvP lobbies — while insisting it is being combated through a range of evolving tools and measures. Grøndal described the effort as ongoing and largely low-key, noting that many fixes happen behind the scenes rather than through high-profile patch announcements.
The cheating issue has become a recurring talking point across social media, where players frequently cite it as a defining frustration of the mode. Arc Raiders splits its experience between competitive player-versus-player arenas and more relaxed PvE content, and it is the former that draws the most scrutiny. In these lobbies, cheaters are reportedly gaining unfair advantages through aimbots, wallhacks, tools that reveal every player’s location, and even the ability to self-revive. The problem has also extended beyond third-party software, with in-game exploits — most notably item duplication glitches — repeatedly disrupting the economy and fairness of matches.
A Losing Battle From the Outside?
Over the past year, Embark Studios has rolled out a series of updates aimed at strengthening its anti-cheat infrastructure, yet the visible results have been mixed. To many observers, the studio appears to be fighting a losing war, with cheating still so prevalent that some content creators have abandoned the title entirely after being targeted. Grøndal was candid about the difficulty of the situation, comparing it to the challenges faced across the broader multiplayer landscape.
“Cheating is interesting,” he said. “It’s like every single multiplayer game that I’ve worked on has had challenges with cheaters, and the cheating industry is so large right now. So we’re continuously improving and dealing with that situation. Is it as fast as everyone would’ve wanted us to? Perhaps not. But we have some pretty good tools in place, and we do actually take a lot of actions against the situation. The problem is that a lot of the things linger around on the internet for a long time, so even if we fix certain things, there might still be videos showing things that aren’t really around anymore.”
Aleksander Grøndal, Executive Producer, Arc Raiders
Grøndal was understandably reluctant to spell out the specifics of the studio’s approach, and the caution is easy to understand. The more detail he shared about the mechanics of the anti-cheat system, the more information cheaters would have at their disposal to circumvent and manipulate the protections. Instead, he offered a high-level overview of the technologies being deployed.
“We have employed a multitude of technologies to address the situation; some are instant, but some are more about looking retroactively at data,” he explained. “We are continuously evaluating and working with our partners on what the best next steps are, and we’re also working on new internal systems that we can deploy.”
What This Means for the Community
For the player base, the message is one of cautious optimism tempered by realism. The studio has confirmed that it maintains a plan in place for addressing cheating, even if that plan is executed quietly rather than through fanfare. The emphasis on working “on the back side of things” suggests that Embark is prioritizing stealthy, iterative improvements over publicized fixes — a strategy that avoids tipping off cheaters while still allowing the team to adapt as new exploits emerge.
The reliance on both real-time detection and retrospective data analysis reflects a mature, layered approach to anti-cheat. Instant measures can neutralize active threats as they occur, while retroactive systems work to identify and penalize patterns after the fact. Partnering with external specialists further expands the studio’s capabilities, though Grøndal stopped short of naming specific collaborators or detailing the internal systems currently in development.
Looking Ahead
Perhaps the most concrete detail for players comes from the studio’s own roadmap. Grøndal clarified that the forthcoming Frozen Trail update, set to release on October 8, will not include any specific anti-cheat changes. Rather than treating anti-cheat work as a headline feature, the studio is treating it as a continuous process that unfolds independently of major content drops.
“We’re continuously happening more quietly on the back side of things. We are continuously adding, improving, dealing, and taking action against the situation.”
Aleksander Grøndal, Executive Producer, Arc Raiders
That framing is significant for how the community should interpret the studio’s public silence on the matter. The absence of a dedicated anti-cheat update in Frozen Trail does not signal neglect; instead, it reflects a deliberate choice to keep improvements out of the open, where they could be exploited. As Arc Raiders navigates a competitive landscape where fairness in PvP lobbies directly influences retention and player trust, Embark’s quiet, persistent approach may ultimately be the most effective strategy available — even if, from the outside, the war against cheaters still looks far from won.
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