gaming

ARC Raiders test removes defending from aggression-based matchmaking

Embark Studios rolled out update 1.39.0 on July 28 to test a change to ARC Raiders' aggression-based matchmaking: defending against attacks on the Rust Belt no longer adjusts a player's estimated playstyle. Only fights a squad initiates—defined by dealing the first damage—count toward aggression. The change treats entire attacked squads as defenders and counts third-party squads that hit first as fight starters, altering how matchmaking labels aggressive players.

• Update 1.39.0 (tested July 28) stops defensive actions from affecting aggression-based matchmaking on the Rust Belt map.
• Only the squad that deals the first damage in an encounter is counted as the fight starter and has their estimated playstyle adjusted.
• The entire attacked squad is classified as the defender for the encounter, so being hit first does not mark a player as aggressive.
• Third-party squads that deal the first damage are counted as fight starters, meaning third-party engagements influence aggression tracking.