Embark Studios is experiencing a classic case of server overload following the unexpected surge in popularity of Arc Raiders. Over the weekend, the extraction shooter hit a new peak with more than 350,000 players online simultaneously on Steam.
This milestone, while significant, came with notable difficulties. Many players attempting to log in on November 2nd faced long queues and matchmaking delays that lasted between five and ten minutes. Some users even encountered errors that forced them to restart the matchmaking process.
The peak concurrent user count reached 354,836 according to SteamDB. However, this number could have been even higher if not for the ongoing login problems, which clearly strained the servers beyond their capacity.
SteamDB data showed a sharp decline in player numbers shortly after the peak, indicating that server issues were actively limiting access during the busiest period.
Embark Studios acknowledged the difficulties in an official statement on the Arc Raiders Discord. The studio confirmed awareness of widespread server instability affecting login, party systems, and voice chat features.
"We are aware of the widespread server, party system, and voice chat instability."
The unexpected success of Arc Raiders led to severe server strain, causing widespread login issues despite record-breaking player numbers.