Arc Raiders Devs Address Controversial Late Spawn System

For months, Arc Raiders players have voiced their frustrations over a feature that, for many, can make or break an entire session: the late spawn system. On January 20 and 21, 2026, Embark Studios’ design lead Virgil Watkins opened up about the contentious mechanic, offering rare insight into the studio’s thinking and hinting at future changes. The discussion, reported by GamesRadar+ and PC Gamer, has sparked renewed debate among the game’s dedicated community—and for good reason.

Arc Raiders, the cooperative sci-fi shooter developed by Embark Studios, throws players into sprawling raids packed with objectives, dangerous enemies, and the ever-present threat of other raiders. But not everyone starts at the same time. Thanks to the late spawn system, it’s common for players to drop into a match with anywhere from 11 to 25 minutes left on the clock, often far from their intended target. Sometimes, you’re loaded up and ready to take down the Queen, only to find yourself 800 meters away from the action, hearing the boss explode in the distance—already slain by those who spawned in at the very start. As one player put it, "Back to Speranza it is."

This isn’t just a minor inconvenience. As Watkins candidly acknowledged in interviews with GamesRadar+ and PC Gamer, "We 100% acknowledge the whole thing of, 'Man, I came in to do that trial and now I clearly don't have enough time to do that, and that sucks, so I'm just going to leave,' or whatever. That aspect is definitely not great." For players who set aside time for a specific weekly trial or quest, joining late can feel like a wasted opportunity—one where their carefully laid plans are upended by the invisible hand of Embark Studios.

But why does the system exist in the first place? According to Watkins, the original intent was to keep raids dynamic and populated. Without late spawns, he explained, raids would rapidly empty out after about ten minutes, leaving a handful of players “running around by [themselves], effectively.” That, in turn, would kill the suspense and danger that make Arc Raiders’ lobbies so engaging. The late spawn system, then, is designed to keep the action fresh and unpredictable, ensuring that the threat of both enemy AI and other players remains constant until the very end of a match.

There’s another, less obvious benefit to late spawns: economic profit. Despite the widespread perception that late joiners are left with nothing but scraps, Watkins revealed that "players who join late economically profit way more than people who don't." How so? When you enter a raid after the initial rush, the session tends to be quieter, and you’re more likely to stumble upon the remnants of earlier fights—dead Leapers, abandoned loot, or even the chance to take down bigger drones or hit high-ticket areas that others have overlooked. As Watkins put it, "Players are like, 'The loot's all gone,' or whatever else. But players who join late economically profit way more than people who aren't. The session, when they are fresh, does eventually get quieter, and very often they come across the remnants of fights or can maybe take out bigger drones or hit high-ticket areas more readily than other players. So that's been a very interesting thing to look at."

Of course, not all loot is created equal. As one PC Gamer writer noted, “cloth and plastic parts don't go as hard as Bastion Cells or Queen Reactors.” And while it’s technically true that there’s enough loot in a match for everyone to take something back, the reality is that late joiners often miss out on the most coveted rewards—especially during limited-time events like the Queen’s Harvester or when a raid hinges on a specific key to open a loot room. In these cases, a late spawn can feel like a lost cause, and many players simply opt to leave and try again.

Watkins is well aware of these pain points. "With things like trials, where that is the only objective, then fine, that's kind of off the table, and that really sucks, because that was the time you had set aside for it. I think trying to do more on that side of things is where I want to look next. Coming in with a dedicated purpose, and that's been undercut by the late join, is where I'd want to remove the pain point first." This admission signals that Embark Studios is not only listening to player feedback but is actively exploring ways to make late spawns less punishing for those with specific goals.

In the meantime, Watkins encourages players to adapt. "Okay, well, my plan A isn't possible, I'm gonna do my plan B or C now instead," he said, explaining that loot spawn points and quantities are designed to provide plenty of activities for late joiners. The idea is to foster flexibility: if your original objective is out of reach, there should still be meaningful alternatives—whether it’s hunting for scrap, ambushing other players, or tackling a different quest line entirely.

Yet, as any seasoned Arc Raiders player can attest, this is easier said than done. The sense of missing out can be acute, especially when you’ve invested time and effort preparing for a specific challenge. And while some late joiners may indeed profit from the remnants of battle, others find themselves picking over the bones, left with little more than the leftovers from earlier skirmishes. "Have you ever seen them strip a Matriarch? I have. They're like locusts, swarming around the carcass, stripping it of any value in seconds. It's a very impressive sight to behold," one writer quipped, capturing the competitive frenzy that defines Arc Raiders at its best—and, sometimes, its most frustrating.

Despite these challenges, the late spawn system is unlikely to disappear anytime soon. Its role in maintaining lively, suspenseful raids is too central to the game’s design philosophy. But change may be on the horizon. Watkins’ willingness to acknowledge player frustrations and his stated interest in "removing the pain point" for those with dedicated objectives suggest that Embark Studios is committed to refining the experience. Whether that means tweaking spawn timings, offering compensation for missed objectives, or introducing new mechanics remains to be seen.

For now, Arc Raiders players are left to do what they’ve always done: adapt, improvise, and make the most of the hand they’re dealt. As Watkins and his team continue to sift through data and player feedback, one thing is clear—the conversation around late spawns is far from over, and the next chapter in this ongoing saga may be just around the corner.