ARC Raiders’ rapid rise has turned it into one of the most talked-about multiplayer shooters of the year, but that success has also pulled the game into an increasingly familiar problem for live-service titles: cheating.
As the extraction shooter from Embark Studios attracted millions of players and dominated streaming platforms, complaints about unfair play became increasingly common late in the year and throughout the holidays.
The issue first appeared limited in scope, before high-profile streamers openly questioned whether raids were already being undermined.
What Did Nadeshot Say That Sparked the Backlash?
The conversation exploded after 100 Thieves founder Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag described his recent experience with ARC Raiders as “hell,” despite calling it one of his favorite games of all time.
The frustration came from a clear pattern, not momentary anger, as raids were frequently cut short by suspicious players using low-level Steam accounts or accounts with previous bans.
Nadeshot claimed that the repeated nature of these encounters pushed the experience past even peak Call of Duty levels, igniting widespread discussion online.
In an extraction shooter, a single death can erase hours of looting and crafting, making every loss feel especially harsh.
Which Other Streamers Have Raised Concerns?
Other high-profile creators shared Shroud’s view, with streamers such as Ninja and HutchMF saying that rampant cheating and exploits were killing their motivation to keep playing.
Shroud went as far as questioning the point of investing time into raids if meaningful progress could be wiped out by players using wallhacks, out-of-bounds exploits, or automated macros.
These criticisms carried weight not just because of who was saying them, but because ARC Raiders’ popularity on Twitch meant these frustrations were being broadcast live to hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Is Cheating Affecting Everyone or Just Top-Level Play?
At the same time, community discussions revealed a divide as top streamers often described repeated suspicious encounters, while casual players said cheating was barely noticeable, even after hundreds of hours.
This divide has led to the idea that cheating may be concentrated in higher-MMR brackets and PvP-heavy zones, where skilled players naturally end up.
Even with that distinction, the backlash continues, because perception can be as powerful as raw numbers, and claims from high-profile voices about a game being “killed” spread quickly no matter how evenly the problem is occurring.
How Has Embark Studios Responded So Far?
In response to the growing criticism, Embark Studios publicly acknowledged the issue and outlined a multi-step plan to combat it.
The studio confirmed that it is implementing significant changes to ARC Raiders’ rulesets, deploying new detection systems, and updating its anti-cheat technology to improve identification and banning of cheaters.
Embark also addressed specific pain points raised by the community, including client-side fixes for the long-standing out-of-bounds exploit and new tools aimed at protecting streamers from stream sniping.
Additionally, balance changes are planned to curb abuse tied to certain weapons and gadgets, as well as macro-driven exploits that blur the line between cheating and mechanical loopholes.
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