Emerging Trends in Extraction Shooters
The landscape of extraction shooters continues to evolve, showcasing a wealth of untapped potential despite the recent influx of titles in the genre. Two notable entries, Bungie’s reboot of the classic shooter Marathon and Embark’s innovative newcomer Arc Raiders, are on the cusp of release, having recently undergone playtesting phases that offer intriguing insights into player engagement.
In a conversation with Tyler Wilde, the editor-in-chief of PC Gamer US, Virgil Watkins, the design director for Arc Raiders, reflected on the serendipitous timing of their respective playtests. “It was very coincidental that they had their test around the time we did. To my knowledge, I don’t think any of us knew that was going to happen,” Watkins shared. This overlap provided a unique opportunity for comparative analysis, allowing both studios to observe and learn from each other’s decisions. “It was a very great A/B test for us, because obviously they made decisions that we didn’t, and vice versa. So we could kind of compare and contrast how some of those things shook out,” he elaborated.
Watkins expressed a cautious optimism about the future of extraction shooters, acknowledging the challenges ahead. “Both studios need their extraction shooters to be a hit,” he noted, while also voicing skepticism about whether the market could sustain multiple titles within this niche. “I’m skeptical there’s enough interest in the inherently un-casual genre to support them both,” he admitted.
For Watkins, the playtesting phase offered valuable insights into player preferences and reactions to the distinct designs of the two games. “It was quite interesting to follow what players thought about those certain things, or what did work in their context and didn’t, and what may have worked in ours,” he remarked. Although he hasn’t scrutinized Marathon’s gameplay extensively, given the limited access to its tests, he expressed admiration for its artistic direction. “I found the art style very evocative … I’m personally curious to see how that ends up. I hope to see more of that in the future,” he concluded.
