ARC Raiders players may eventually get custom loadout presets, as Embark Studios has acknowledged growing frustration with the game’s current gear and crafting menus.
Speaking to GamesRadar+, Arc Raiders design lead Virgil Watkins said the studio is “super aware” of requests for saved loadouts that would let players gear up with fewer clicks, though he cautioned the feature is not coming immediately and is still competing with other post-launch priorities.
Watkins explained that saved loadouts are something the team has already discussed internally, but development time leading up to launch limited what could realistically be implemented.
Custom Loadouts in ARC Raiders are on the table
“Similar to things like the Expedition, a lot of it was just developers and time available up to launch,” he said. “Now it’s just really feeling out how we can prioritize it against other known things we need to do, or swapping priorities of something we were going to do with this based on what’s feasible.”
Players have increasingly criticized Arc Raiders’ UI for requiring extensive menu navigation to rebuild a full kit after dying. It’s not uncommon for players to spend more time building a loadout than they do in a match. Watkins acknowledged that frustration directly, even admitting he’s experienced it himself.
Watkins admitted he would choose free loadouts, even with a full stash, just to avoid having to navigate menus before hopping back into the action. “I’m like, ‘I’m just gonna go free this time, guys, let’s just go and get in there and do stuff.’ It’s completely acknowledged.”
While Watkins said he wouldn’t speak on behalf of Embark’s UI and UX team, he outlined how saved loadouts could meaningfully reduce friction if implemented. He suggested a system that automatically assembles the best possible version of a player’s chosen kit based on available resources.
“I think that’s a completely valuable thing, where it just attempts to do its best job to fulfill your request with your loadout,” Watkins said. “It’s like, ‘Well, you’re short on this resource and that resource, here’s what you get.’”
Watkins also emphasized that Embark wants players spending more time in action rather than navigating menus, especially after matchmaking improvements have already reduced downtime.
“If we can get you through the front end faster, I think that’s a great ambition too,” he said. “There’s points in games where friction is good. Looking through a bunch of menus isn’t necessarily it.”
For now, custom loadout presets remain a possibility rather than a confirmed update, but Embark’s comments suggest the issue is firmly on the studio’s radar as Arc Raiders continues post-launch development.
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