Arc Raiders closed its servers in 2024, so the game no longer launches

Arc Raiders, the free-to-play co-op shooter made by Embark Studios, shut down permanently on September 30, 2024. The game's servers went offline that day, which means the launcher will either refuse to start the game or show an error message when you try to play. If you downloaded it before the shutdown, uninstalling it frees up storage space on your device.

The studio announced the closure in March 2024, giving players six months' notice. Embark Studios decided the game wasn't meeting the player numbers needed to keep running servers and paying the team. This happens to online-only games regularly — they depend on active players to justify the cost, and when that audience shrinks, the studio has to make a business decision to shut down rather than bleed money indefinitely.

Key Takeaways

  • Arc Raiders' servers closed on September 30, 2024, and the game cannot launch anymore because there are no servers to connect to.
  • Embark Studios made the decision public in March 2024, giving players six months to finish playing before shutdown.
  • Uninstalling the game from your device will recover the storage space it uses, since you cannot play it anymore.
  • Other free-to-play co-op shooters like Deep Rock Galactic, Risk of Rain 2, and Helldivers 2 offer similar gameplay if you want to find a replacement.

What happens when you try to launch the game now

When you open the Arc Raiders launcher after the September 30, 2024 shutdown date, you will see one of a few error messages. The most common is a connection error — the launcher tries to reach Embark's servers to verify your account and load the game, but those servers no longer exist. You may also see a message saying the game is no longer available or that your session could not be authenticated.

Some players see the launcher open but the game itself will not start, or it crashes when ready after loading. This happens because the game is designed to require a live connection to the servers. It cannot run in offline mode, even for single-player content, because it was built as an always-online multiplayer game from the ground up.

How to remove Arc Raiders from your device

On Windows, open your Settings app and go to Apps > Installed Apps. Search for "Arc Raiders" in the list, click it, and select Uninstall. Windows will ask you to confirm, and then it removes the game files and frees up the storage space.

On Mac, open Finder and go to Applications. Find Arc Raiders, right-click it, and select Move to Trash. Then empty your Trash to permanently delete it. On Linux, the process depends on which package manager you used to install it — if you used Steam, open Steam, find Arc Raiders in your library, right-click it, and select Uninstall.

If you installed it through the Epic Games Launcher, open the launcher, go to your Library, find Arc Raiders, click the three dots next to it, and select Uninstall. The launcher will remove the game files and return the storage to your device.

Why online-only games shut down

Arc Raiders required active servers to run because it was a multiplayer game with no offline mode. The studio had to pay for server infrastructure, staff to maintain it, and customer support every month. When the player count dropped below the point where revenue from cosmetics and battle passes could cover those costs, the math no longer worked.

This is different from single-player games or games with offline modes — those can stay on your device and playable forever, even if the studio stops supporting them. But games that require a live connection to a company's servers have an expiration date built in. The studio controls whether the servers stay running, and they will shut them down if keeping them open costs more than the game makes.

Finding a replacement game with similar gameplay

If you liked Arc Raiders' co-op shooter style, several games offer comparable experiences. Deep Rock Galactic is a four-player co-op mining shooter with procedurally generated levels and a strong community. Risk of Rain 2 is a third-person co-op roguelike shooter where difficulty scales with player count. Helldivers 2 is a top-down co-op military shooter with squad-based gameplay and regular content updates.

All three of these games are available on Steam and other platforms. Deep Rock Galactic and Helldivers 2 are free-to-play, while Risk of Rain 2 costs money upfront but has no battle pass or cosmetic pressure. Each has a different feel — Deep Rock is more tactical and exploration-focused, Risk of Rain is faster and more chaotic, and Helldivers 2 emphasizes teamwork and objectives.

What happened to your Arc Raiders account and cosmetics

Your Arc Raiders account no longer exists because Embark Studios deleted all player accounts when the servers shut down. Any cosmetics, battle pass progress, or in-game currency you purchased cannot be recovered or transferred to another game. This is standard practice for online-only games — when the servers close, the accounts and their data go with them.

If you spent money on cosmetics or the battle pass before the shutdown, that money is gone. Embark Studios did not offer refunds because the game was free-to-play and the cosmetics were consumable digital items tied to servers that no longer exist. This is a risk of playing free-to-play games with cosmetic purchases — the game can shut down at any time, and you lose access to what you bought.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play Arc Raiders offline or on a private server?

No. Arc Raiders was designed to require Embark's official servers and has no offline mode or private server support. The game cannot run without a connection to those servers, and they are permanently offline as of September 30, 2024.

Will Arc Raiders ever come back?

Embark Studios has not announced any plans to revive the game or reopen servers. The studio moved on to other projects after the shutdown. Once a game's servers close, they rarely reopen unless the studio decides to restart the project years later, which is uncommon.

Can I get a refund for cosmetics I bought?

Embark Studios did not offer refunds when the game shut down. Cosmetics in free-to-play games are tied to the game's servers, and once those servers close, the cosmetics have no value. Check your payment method's dispute or refund policy if you believe you have grounds to contest the charge.

Is my device storage being wasted if I don't uninstall?

Yes. Arc Raiders takes up several gigabytes of storage space on your device. Since you cannot play it anymore, uninstalling it frees up that space for other games, apps, or files you actually use.

What if I see Arc Raiders still available in an app store?

Some app stores take time to remove games after shutdown. If you see it listed, you cannot read it or play it — the store listing is outdated. If you already have it installed, uninstall it to free up space.