Will ARC RAIDERS Become The Next FORTNITE?

Arc Raiders’ Impressive Player Retention

One of the standout stories of the year in multiplayer gaming has been how Arc Raiders has retained a massive portion of its playerbase months after launch. According to SteamDB data and industry reports, the game has kept nearly 90–91% of its peak concurrent players long after its release — one of the strongest retention rates seen in recent multiplayer releases. [Forbes] 

This retention performance puts Arc Raiders in rare territory for a live-service game, far above the typical post-launch decline seen in many other titles.

Fortnite’s 2025 Rollercoaster Year

Meanwhile, Fortnite continued to be one of the most consistently played games in the world in 2025, though it experienced a more volatile year. After some seasonal slump and mixed reception to certain content updates, its peak concurrent player counts dipped below typical highs before rebounding with new modes and themed events. The introduction of fresh content — including creative modes and collaborations — helped revitalize player interest late in the year. [PC Gamer]

While players numbers for Fortnite remain significantly larger overall — routinely in the millions — Arc Raiders has carved out a strong niche with its focused extraction shooter gameplay and community engagement, proving that even non‑battle‑royale titles can thrive when retention is strong.

Player Count Snapshot: Arc Raiders vs. Fortnite

Arc Raiders peaked with more than 460,000+ concurrent players on Steam alone, with total platform peaks exceeding 700,000 across PC and consoles, and daily counts that continue to remain solid due to regular content updates and strong community engagement. [BrightSpotLiving]

In comparison, Fortnite continues its trend of regularly breaking multi‑million concurrent player milestones during peak events and seasonal launches — a scale far beyond most multiplayer titles. But Arc Raiders’ retention demonstrates that player engagement depth can matter as much as gross numbers. Retaining a high percentage of players beyond launch is often more indicative of a game’s long‑term health than initial spike metrics alone.

Community Voices & Player Engagement

Community discussions reflect the high level of engagement players have with Arc Raiders. Many longtime gamers report spending hundreds of hours in the title — long past the typical honeymoon period — and praise the game’s addictive progression loops and cooperative dynamics. There have also been posts joking about how Arc Raiders has “ruined” other games for players because they can’t bring themselves to play anything else.

Meanwhile, Fortnite personalities like Ninja have weighed in on Arc Raiders, advising developers to avoid turning it into a deeply competitive scene and preserve the accessible fun that draws players in — a lesson many believe Fortnite lost at times during its evolution. [GamesRadar]

Why Arc Raiders’ Trajectory Matters

The sustained numbers for Arc Raiders despite being a paid release in a market dominated by free‑to‑play titles like Fortnite highlight how player retention, strong word‑of‑mouth, and continued content support can keep a community engaged for months post‑launch. While Fortnite continues to attract huge millions of concurrent players worldwide, *Arc Raiders*’ deep engagement shows that games outside the battle royale space can still cultivate passionate audiences and long‑term communities.

As live‑service gaming evolves in 2026, comparing how different genres maintain and grow their player bases provides valuable insight into design priorities and player expectations across the industry.