The name is the first key. ARC RAIDERS and ARCANE. A coincidence? In the world of Embark Studios, known for its attention to detail and multi-layered narrative, this is unlikely. We are on the threshold of not just a new game, but perhaps the first fragment of a much larger story.

ARCANE is just a hint, an echo in official documents and a hint of something more. But if you think about it, the world of ARC RAIDERS fits perfectly into the canvas of a dark science fantasy or post-apocalyptic myth. The invading ARC machines—what if it's not just an alien race, but a consequence of a forbidden ritual that got out of control? Or is it a product of a forgotten arcane technology that has found its will?

Raiders resisting the machine threat may not just be survivors, but the last keepers of ancient knowledge, heirs of a conflict whose roots go back to the ARCANE era. Their tactics, based on improvisation and utilization of enemy technology, speak not of military training, but of a deep, almost instinctive understanding of this alien "magic."

This suggests a unified universe where magic and technology are two sides of the same coin, long out of balance. The PvPvE gameplay of ARC RAIDERS, this eternal struggle on two fronts, can be a metaphor for a deeper conflict: the order of machines against the chaotic, unpredictable human (or other) will left over from the days of ARCANA.

We don't know the whole picture yet. But every detail in the ARC RAIDERS — from the design of the cars to the atmosphere of the abandoned world — can now be viewed from a new angle. It's not just an action setting. This is probably the first chapter in the lore that Embark Studios will be uncovering for years, connecting projects into a single saga. Players joining the raids today may unwittingly become the first chroniclers of this new, dark legend.