ARC Raiders Matchmaking Guide: How Friendly Lobbies Work
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2026 10:23 pm
If you have been spending any time running around the ruins of Stella Montus or dodging death in the Buried City, you already know how unpredictable ARC Raiders can be. One minute you are quietly dismantling a drone, and the next, a rogue squad ambushes you from the shadows. But if you have watched community streams or read forum threads lately, you might have noticed some players talking about a completely different experience: cooperative, relaxed lobbies where Raiders routinely wave at each other, share loot locations, and join forces against the machine threat.
This isn't just luck. It turns out that Embark Studios has implemented a built-in behavior tracking system known as Aggression-Based Matchmaking (ABMM). If you are looking to take a break from the high-stress player-versus-player fights and want to slip into these PvE-leaning instances, you can actually do it. However, the system is smart, and getting into these lobbies requires understanding exactly how the matchmaking engine judges your playstyle.
How Aggression-Based Matchmaking Works
The first thing to understand is that Embark Studios does not have a simple button to toggle PvP on or off, nor are there any 100% safe, PvE-exclusive servers. Instead, ABMM operates on a dynamic, fluid scale rather than splitting the community into black-and-white binary pools. The system monitors your choices across multiple consecutive raids and matches you with players who display a similar level of aggression.
The backend algorithms log every major interaction you have with other players. If you are consistently damaging other Raiders, scoring player kills, or looting the corpses of fallen players, the system flags you as a highly aggressive player. This locks you into competitive, high-intensity lobbies where everyone is out for blood.
On the flip side, if your track record shows that you prioritize harvesting materials, hunting the mechanical Arcs, and cooperating with those around you, the matchmaking system dynamically shifts you into passive pools. In these instances, you are surrounded by like-minded players, creating an environment where people organically choose to ignore or actively help one another. However, keep in mind that total safety is never guaranteed—unpredictable or hostile players can still occasionally bleed into your session if the matchmaking pool is tight.
Step-by-Step Guide to Access Friendly Lobbies
Gone are the days when you could just load into a map, surrender, or let yourself die instantly with zero loot to lower your rating. The updated matchmaking parameters require you to actively play the game while proving your peaceful intentions to the algorithm. To pull this off, you need to execute what the community calls a "Clean Raid" routine.
Equip a Free Kit: To protect your bank account and eliminate any gear anxiety, drop into maps like Stella Montus or Buried City with a completely free or blank loadout. This ensures you have absolutely nothing to lose while working on your standing.
Hit the 4,000 XP Threshold: You cannot just hide in a bush. To register a raid as valid, you must actively engage with the PvE environment. Sprint through high-density points of interest, rapidly open containers, and break down at least one minor Arc unit to ensure you pass the 4,000 XP mark before extracting or dying.
Commit to Absolute Pacifism: This is the hardest part. You must not deal a single point of damage to another human player. Even if another Raider opens fire on you, do not shoot back in self-defense. Dealing damage to another player instantly resets your clean rating progress back to zero.
Repeat the Cycle: Migrating matchmaking pools takes patience. Depending on how aggressive your historical playstyle has been, it will take anywhere from 3 to 22 consecutive clean rounds (earning over 4,000 XP with zero player damage) to fully transition into the premium cooperative lobbies. Failing to hit the XP target or accidentally damaging a player will break your streak and force you to restart the process.
Best Practices to Maintain "Care Bear" Status
Once you finally make it into these relaxed lobbies, maintaining your status requires keeping your aggression footprint as low as possible. Here are a few practical habits to adopt:
Use Proximity Communication: Do not be a silent shadow. Use your proximity voice chat or friendly emotes (like dancing) to announce your presence early. Signaling your peaceful intentions prevents misunderstandings and keeps nearby squads calm.
Equip Defibrillators: Carry tools that support others. Healing or reviving downed strangers is heavily weighted by the backend tracking system and acts as a massive boost to your peaceful footprint.
Leave Player Remains Alone: When you stumble upon a pile of scrap and a dead Raider's inventory box, walk away. Even if you had absolutely nothing to do with their death, interacting with or looting a dead player's body is flagged as an aggressive behavior by the matchmaking engine.
This isn't just luck. It turns out that Embark Studios has implemented a built-in behavior tracking system known as Aggression-Based Matchmaking (ABMM). If you are looking to take a break from the high-stress player-versus-player fights and want to slip into these PvE-leaning instances, you can actually do it. However, the system is smart, and getting into these lobbies requires understanding exactly how the matchmaking engine judges your playstyle.
How Aggression-Based Matchmaking Works
The first thing to understand is that Embark Studios does not have a simple button to toggle PvP on or off, nor are there any 100% safe, PvE-exclusive servers. Instead, ABMM operates on a dynamic, fluid scale rather than splitting the community into black-and-white binary pools. The system monitors your choices across multiple consecutive raids and matches you with players who display a similar level of aggression.
The backend algorithms log every major interaction you have with other players. If you are consistently damaging other Raiders, scoring player kills, or looting the corpses of fallen players, the system flags you as a highly aggressive player. This locks you into competitive, high-intensity lobbies where everyone is out for blood.
On the flip side, if your track record shows that you prioritize harvesting materials, hunting the mechanical Arcs, and cooperating with those around you, the matchmaking system dynamically shifts you into passive pools. In these instances, you are surrounded by like-minded players, creating an environment where people organically choose to ignore or actively help one another. However, keep in mind that total safety is never guaranteed—unpredictable or hostile players can still occasionally bleed into your session if the matchmaking pool is tight.
Step-by-Step Guide to Access Friendly Lobbies
Gone are the days when you could just load into a map, surrender, or let yourself die instantly with zero loot to lower your rating. The updated matchmaking parameters require you to actively play the game while proving your peaceful intentions to the algorithm. To pull this off, you need to execute what the community calls a "Clean Raid" routine.
Equip a Free Kit: To protect your bank account and eliminate any gear anxiety, drop into maps like Stella Montus or Buried City with a completely free or blank loadout. This ensures you have absolutely nothing to lose while working on your standing.
Hit the 4,000 XP Threshold: You cannot just hide in a bush. To register a raid as valid, you must actively engage with the PvE environment. Sprint through high-density points of interest, rapidly open containers, and break down at least one minor Arc unit to ensure you pass the 4,000 XP mark before extracting or dying.
Commit to Absolute Pacifism: This is the hardest part. You must not deal a single point of damage to another human player. Even if another Raider opens fire on you, do not shoot back in self-defense. Dealing damage to another player instantly resets your clean rating progress back to zero.
Repeat the Cycle: Migrating matchmaking pools takes patience. Depending on how aggressive your historical playstyle has been, it will take anywhere from 3 to 22 consecutive clean rounds (earning over 4,000 XP with zero player damage) to fully transition into the premium cooperative lobbies. Failing to hit the XP target or accidentally damaging a player will break your streak and force you to restart the process.
Best Practices to Maintain "Care Bear" Status
Once you finally make it into these relaxed lobbies, maintaining your status requires keeping your aggression footprint as low as possible. Here are a few practical habits to adopt:
Use Proximity Communication: Do not be a silent shadow. Use your proximity voice chat or friendly emotes (like dancing) to announce your presence early. Signaling your peaceful intentions prevents misunderstandings and keeps nearby squads calm.
Equip Defibrillators: Carry tools that support others. Healing or reviving downed strangers is heavily weighted by the backend tracking system and acts as a massive boost to your peaceful footprint.
Leave Player Remains Alone: When you stumble upon a pile of scrap and a dead Raider's inventory box, walk away. Even if you had absolutely nothing to do with their death, interacting with or looting a dead player's body is flagged as an aggressive behavior by the matchmaking engine.