Did April 2025 (ARC Raiders, Marathon) move you on the Extraction Genre?

What do you think of the Extraction Shooter genre now?


  • Total voters
    64
  • Poll closed .
arc-raiders-is-the-most-its-fine-game-weve-played-in-a-while_ze1z.1200.jpg


I'm curious to hear if sentiment has shifted on what I consider the "baby apex predator" genre known as Extraction. (I basically see this becoming gamings dominant genre in 5 or so years)

Most of NeoGAF was able to ignore the genre because Escape from Tarkov was off on PC and Hunt was never that popular (or good - sorry Hunt fans) on console.

April 2025 changed that. Marathon and ARC Raiders were front and center for a good portion of the month. Two big budget, highly anticipated Extraction games finally headed to the console audience.

I'm curious to hear the perspective from people who didn't really dive into this genre until last month. I'm particularly interested in hearing about your view of the genres framework rather than your opinions of ARC Raiders and Marathon. Right now, the genre is most commonly called Extraction Shooter but I can see more and more developers heading into the Extraction Adventure (ARC Raiders classification) direction to pull in a wider variety of player.

Why is it gamings "baby apex predator" genre?

- Relatively new genre with a very small number of entrants.

- Gives players a high degree of choice on whether to disengage, pursue PvP or PvE - plus a number of tools on how to do each.

- Long form progression focus appeals to most (all?) gamers.

- Highly social game that will pull in the Chatty Kathys of the friend group.

- Elite "water cooler moment" game that gets people talking about it at work / school / OTB.
 
Last edited:
Yeah because everyone voting played the games already. How can anything move you towards it if you haven't played it? I bet many addicted to a game like Fortnite when they first saw the thing thought what is this shit?
 
Last edited:
Yeah because everyone voting played the games already. How can anything move you towards it if you haven't played it? I bet many addicted to a game like Fortnite when they first saw the thing thought what is this shit?
I think you can look at the framework of many things and theorize how said framework could grow and improve. You don't need to play these games to see their formula.
 
It'll grow minimally with the inclusion of more games of consoles IMO. But I don't think it will ever fully catch on more than it has already.
 
Last edited:
I find the genre very interesting because it tries minimize other genre's flaws (for me). I like the fact that there's no circle closing in on your; that I can extract whenever I see fit and/or the odds against me. I don't have to focus on PvP and engage in (mostly easier) PvE but I don't have to commit to either of them in dedicated game modes, because it's mixed together. I never liked the instanced PvP in The Division. Arena like PvP only also isn't my cup of tea.

Roaming around with my buddies and do things while having the CHANCE to meet other players but engagement can happen to our own accord is the sort for freedom many other multiplayer genres lack.

As for Arc Raiders, it seems to pick the best stuff from other games. Characters are more mobile and agile than in The Division, but it's not as much as in Apex Legends. Automatic weapons and longer TTK make it more accessible than Hunt Showdown. Third person shooters in general are one of my favourites. It looks good and offers great performance already according to many YouTubers (+70fps with a 1080). Excellent sound design and thrilling PvEvP matches.

This COULD be my next online game. It's the first in five years that really has my attention.

Overall I think the genre is too niche to skyrocket and won't become the next Fortnite. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though.
 
I think specially Marathon will help to highly grow the genre, I think it might be the next big genre trend, but I think extraction shooters won't be as huge as team based tactical shooters or battle royales were because it starts with the huge competition of these other shooter genres that have many top, huge games.

I think the game will noticiably improve at launch, and specially after it. But due to the lack of PvE only, non-competitive modes I'm not personally interested on it even if I might try it in the open beta because I'm not a competitive PvP guy, I normally play SP games.
 
Last edited:
Not at all. Finally bought a cod after 15 years and had fun with it but that was the end of it. I don't trust multiplayer games
 
I have no interest in any kind of competitive gaas. Doesn't matter if it is extraction shooter or not.
 
..but I can see more and more developers heading into the Extraction Adventure (ARC Raiders classification) direction to pull in a wider variety of player.

This isn't identity politics. You can't just make up genres like its a gender.

No one talks about video games at the water cooler. They bitch about Ted, their manager and they do it on teams.

In its current guise, it will go nowhere. One may breakout to become the de facto console favourite but if it's going to work, they need to find a way to casualties a hardcore genre. A paradoxical problem.
 
Nah.
Whenever I have played a few bullying simulators with friends we do so on a private server. Games like Conan Exiles, Valheim etc, nobody I know is particularly excited about having PVP or griefing ruining the experience.

Still, out of the two games I think Arc got the best chance. Looks so much better and there seems to be more "game" there. With a pure PVE "carebear" mode like Helldivers 2, it could be something.
 
No, and you seem to be doing a good job of making me never want to play an extraction shooter.
Never give another man this much power over you. Observe the natural world on its own merits.

You are only allowed one account on NeoGAF, Men_in_Boxes Men_in_Boxes

Shame No GIF by Cartoon Hangover
I'm currently writing a script for Hollywood. It entails an apocalyptic comet headed for earth and the planets biggest GAASmatician finally convinces the world's governments to build and send the greatest Extraction Shooter ever made up to stop it. It'll have a happy ending.
 
ARC Raiders did nothing for me. Its a well made game for sure but it constantly reminded me that it could have been a great looter game. Still have hopes for Marathon though.
 
ARC Raiders was my first stab at the genre. I understand it's alpha, but so far you have two main groups of players the game is trying to cater to: PVE and PVP. From my PVE stance when I just wanted to chill and explore the world with my brother it was annoying to die to a squad of three and you end up wasting your already limited time since you lose everything. This isn't fun for most people. Then - and this part I'm sure they can make easier - having to manage/craft individually after every match felt like a slog. But on the flip side I yearned for some PVP-only mode where I didn't have to worry about losing anything because the gunplay and gameplay felt really tight. I think Division got the right idea with PVE first and having zones with PVP for more risk vs reward. This game will have a hardcore subset of players that love it as it is, and the game is fun to watch. It is not a pick-up-and-play type of game, and casual gamers will drop it pretty quick when they see they are losing items. It takes a certain type of person to stick to this type of game.
 
I hate Battle Royale, and I will hate this type of game mode as well.

Bring back old TDM, CTF, Domination etc.
 
Comedy Central Lol GIF by The Jim Jefferies Show

I am far from the target audience. As much as a loved FPS in my 20's at LAN parties, most FPS stuff now just doesn't do it for me. 2forts is all we needed, and every advancement since then has just been one form of annoyance or another.
 
I do think the genre will grow and some of these games will find success, though I don't think any of these new games will come close to being a Fortnite or COD tier in terms of popularity. Maybe something like Rainbow Six Siege, that has stuck around for a long time and has a decent dedicated community, but doesn't dominate the multiplayer landscape either.

Personally though I still couldn't care less The only thing more boring than slowly looking for loot is slowly looking for loot and then being killed by some enemy team and loosing it all.
 
I do think the genre will grow and some of these games will find success, though I don't think any of these new games will come close to being a Fortnite or COD tier in terms of popularity. Maybe something like Rainbow Six Siege, that has stuck around for a long time and has a decent dedicated community, but doesn't dominate the multiplayer landscape either.
I think this is a realistic prediction.

But if one of them (ARC or Marathon) does land close to Rainbow Six Siege popularity, it means we're looking at pretty sizeable genre growth.

The Steam calculator puts that game over a billion in revenue on Steam alone. 70 million registered players.

It would mean over 70% of the people who participated in this poll missed Michael Pachter level badly...especially if the genre doesn't end with ARC and Marathon (it won't).
 
Haven't played an extraction shooter since Hunt:Showdown and I'm glad to see arc is taking a few cues from that. The sound design is next level. I really enjoyed arc but I think longer term Marathon could be better and can't wait to dive into that.
 
Last edited:
I Like this type of online because u need strategy and there is a tension every round. But gamers in general prefer 5-10 min no brain matches I think.
 
The genre will grow but it will never reach the peaks of traditional MP or games like Fortnite/Apex/PUBG.

Also, there have been plenty of extraction shooters on console. They don't succeed because the fanbase just isn't there.

Marathon is a very simplistic and casual approach to the genre but it won't captivate anyone either.
 
Remove any mention of Marathon and yeah (sarcasm). Nothing touches ARC right now though. Game is amazing. Yeah it has some issues but what a riot.
 
Last edited:
Did someone try Dark and Darker and/or The Forever Winter?

is it good?

Forever Winter is on the right track albeit a slow one. Fantastic atmosphere, art, and presentation so far (I have it on Steam prob a few hours invested). Gameplay, animation(s), sound effect audio, all need work. Music and voicework is excellent
 
Last edited:
Based on the reaction to Marathon and EA canceling their Titanfall extraction shooter, I expect there may be some small amount of growth, but I don't see this genre having it's PubG moment and suddenly tons of players flood in. I think the basic mechanics of the genre are just not what most shooter players want.

Specific to Marathon, I won't be surprised if it gets delayed, reworked into something else, or even canceled completely. I don't think Sony is going to launch it if there's a chance it could be the next Concord.
 
Based on the reaction to Marathon and EA canceling their Titanfall extraction shooter, I expect there may be some small amount of growth, but I don't see this genre having it's PubG moment and suddenly tons of players flood in. I think the basic mechanics of the genre are just not what most shooter players want.
I don't think Titanfalls Extraction cancellation is an indictment on the genre because the future of the genre isn't "Extraction Shooter", it's "Extraction".

No genre in gaming can pull a wider variety of players under one roof than this one. That gives it a massive market advantage.

Bungie bungled this genre to epic proportions because they made a broad genre Extraction Shooter in the most narrow way possible. Marathon seems to be taylor made for "arena shooter bro". It's possible the Titanfall Extraction game was headed for the same fate as Marathon and Respawn pulled the plug.
Specific to Marathon, I won't be surprised if it gets delayed, reworked into something else, or even canceled completely. I don't think Sony is going to launch it if there's a chance it could be the next Concord.
I would have said you were crazy two weeks ago for saying this. I don't think you're crazy today. Marathon strikes me as a high risk, low ceiling type game.
 
Top Bottom