The extraction shooter genre is built on teamwork, strategy, and fast decision-making under pressure, and ARC Raiders, developed by Embark Studios, captures that formula with its intense PvPvE gameplay. Players venture into dangerous surface zones filled with hostile ARC machines, valuable loot, dynamic events, and rival Raiders, all while racing against the clock to extract safely. Since launch, the game has built a dedicated player base and maintained momentum through regular updates and strong engagement. Yet despite its success, one community request continues to stand out: the need for a shared world map visible to all party members.
In ARC Raiders, squads of up to three players enter procedurally influenced maps where active events, high-value targets, and changing conditions shape every raid. The in-game world map plays a crucial role in planning routes, identifying opportunities, and tracking event timers before extraction windows close. However, full map visibility is currently limited to the party leader or host. Teammates must depend on verbal callouts, follow directions without seeing the full picture, or use third-party tools to understand what is happening across the map. Instead of searching through many different small sellers, some gamers prefer following a third-party website recommendation such as the U4GM item marketplace, where items are clearly listed and simple to browse.
This system creates several coordination challenges. Teammates cannot independently scan for nearby events or suggest alternative objectives without stopping to ask the leader, which disrupts the flow of a raid. If the leader is busy fighting, looting, or navigating threats, the rest of the squad loses situational awareness. In a game where time pressure, enemy patrols, and other players can change the situation instantly, waiting for instructions can increase risk and reduce efficiency. Many players describe the limitation as outdated compared to other games in the extraction shooter space, where shared map visibility is often standard for squad-based play.
Community discussions across forums, social platforms, and official channels show growing support for this feature. Thousands of players have voiced the opinion that a shared party map is not a balance change but a basic quality-of-life improvement. The ability for all squad members to see event markers, ping locations, mark threats, and plan routes together would strengthen teamwork without altering the core challenge of combat and survival.
Embark Studios has demonstrated a willingness to respond to feedback through consistent updates and social feature improvements, including smoother party systems and invite options introduced in recent patches such as the January 2026 “Headwinds” update. The developer actively monitors community input, and highly requested features often move up the priority list. Although no official timeline has been announced for a shared map system, many players believe it is one of the most logical next steps as the game continues to evolve.
Adding shared map visibility could improve accessibility for both casual and dedicated players, reduce reliance on constant voice communication for basic navigation, and make group play feel more intuitive and satisfying. Stronger coordination tools often lead to longer play sessions and deeper social engagement, both of which are vital for a live-service extraction shooter.
As ARC Raiders expands with new augments, projects, and evolving map conditions, solving this long-standing request could remove one of the few recurring criticisms from the community. For now, squads continue to rely on clear communication and pre-raid planning, but the overall sentiment remains clear: a shared world map for all party members is seen not as an extra feature, but as an overdue upgrade that would elevate the cooperative experience across the game.
