- Arc Raiders is a paid game, not free to play.
- The game also features regional pricing in select countries, making it much cheaper.
- Microtransactions exist in terms of battlepass and cosmetics, but no exclusive paywalled content.
Arc Raiders, the latest extraction shooter from Embark Studios, is coming this October. The team behind The Finals is ready to shower us with another banger of a game. Ever since the game was announced, players have had only one question: Is Arc Raiders F2P? Because The Finals was free-to-play, many assumed Arc Raiders would follow the same route. Let’s find out.
Is Arc Raiders Free to Play Game?
No, Arc Raiders is not a free to play game. You will need to purchase it up front on platforms like PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. If you want to play it for free, it is only possible one last time during the Arc Raiders Server Slam playtest. The developers decided that the game is better served as a premium title rather than adopting a free-to-play model. But how much does Arc Raiders cost?
How Much Does Arc Raiders Cost
Arc Raiders pre-order is already live, and in the United States, the standard edition costs $39.99 and the deluxe edition costs $59.99. However, this price is not reflected in every country. Embark Studios officially announced that the game will have local pricing for different regions, making it cheaper than the original price.
That said, here is a list of countries and the regional price changes for Arc Raiders:
Country / Region Local Price USD Price Price Difference United States $39.99 $39.99 — India ₹2,467 $27.79 -30.48% Indonesia Rp 463,182 $27.93 -30.15% China ¥199.64 $28.04 -29.88% Ukraine ₴11,616 $28.07 -29.79% Vietnam ₫746,000 $28.29 -29.27% Philippines ₱1,838.90 $31.65 -20.86% Thailand ฿1,031.10 $31.73 -20.66% Uruguay $U1,276 $31.95 -20.06% Malaysia RM14.69 $31.95 -20.08% Chile CLP$3,110 $32.21 -19.44% Brazil R$171.80 $32.23 -19.39% Costa Rica ₡1,623 $32.23 -19.39% Peru S/111.65 $32.23 -19.39% Colombia COL$126,295 $32.71 -18.20% Russia ₽3,220 $39.99 0% Qatar 145.00 QR $39.64 -0.86% Hong Kong HK$309.00 $39.70 -0.72% Japan ¥6,000 $39.75 -0.60% CIS (USD) — $39.99 0% MENA (USD) — $39.99 0% South Asia (USD) — $39.99 0% U.A.E. 147.00 AED $40.02 +0.09% Australia A$60.78 $40.06 +0.19% Kuwait 12.30 KD $40.15 +0.42% Saudi Arabia 151.50 SR $40.38 +1.00% New Zealand NZ$69.90 $40.61 +1.57% Kazakhstan ₸22,000 $40.67 +1.71% Mexico Mex$759.00 $41.36 +3.45%
Why Arc Raiders Isn’t Free to Play?
Embark Studios originally considered a free-to-play model like The Finals. However, they later decided that the kind of experience they wanted to build would be better as a premium title. The reasoning includes ensuring game balance, avoiding some of the pitfalls of monetization pressure, and giving the developers more freedom in how features and content are implemented.
Don’t worry, players must pay even more for the battle pass or cosmetics. Luckily, there aren’t any special in-game items that are exclusive to players who subscribe to a pass. Arc Raiders launches on PC (Steam, Epic Games), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on October 30, 2025.
So, are you still jumping into Speranza now that you know Arc Raiders is not free-to-play? We suggest you check the Arc Raiders system requirements before pre-ordering the game.
No, you can only play Arc Raiders by purchasing the game.
Yes, Arc Raiders will have microtransactions and a battle pass. Despite being a paid game, it includes a battle pass that can be purchased with Raider Tokens, which can be earned through gameplay or real money.
