Arc Raiders CEO Praises Bungie's Swift Response to Marathon Playtest Feedback

Patrick Söderlund, CEO of Embark Studios, the developer behind Arc Raiders, has commended Bungie for its rapid and effective handling of player feedback following a heavily criticized playtest for Marathon. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Söderlund discussed the development of Arc Raiders while sharing his thoughts on Bungie's competing extraction shooter, which launched on March 5.

Despite ongoing fan debates over whether Marathon can rival Arc Raiders, Söderlund highlighted Bungie's achievements, particularly noting how quickly the game evolved after early playtests received what Sony described as "varied" feedback. "I know their technical test last year was heavily criticized," Söderlund remarked. "Whether that was accurate or fair, I can't say. But what I can tell you is that, even with mixed feedback, the team has done a really good job of addressing major issues in a very short time. That's unusual."

He extended his best wishes to Bungie, acknowledging their efforts: "Credit to that team and the work they've done with the game. I hope they do well." This comes after a brief controversy where Marathon's in-game chat censored "Arc Raiders," which was quickly resolved as both games' social media accounts shared a friendly exchange online.

Söderlund also compared the two titles, noting, "I feel like Marathon is more PvP-focused, while PvE doesn't seem to be its main emphasis. But there are many aspects I appreciate, such as how in-game actions tie into progression. They've done a good job with those elements."

As Marathon begins its post-launch journey, players have already spent months with Arc Raiders since its October 2025 release. For more insights, check out our recent interview with Söderlund on Embark's plans for expanding its PvPvE shooter.