Arc Raiders is proving to be very popular. It's already attracting hundreds of thousands of players on Steam alone, according to SteamDB. I'll even admit it's the best extraction shooter I've played, with polished visuals and a more readable UI than many of its contemporaries. That said, I still hate extraction shooters and don't think there will ever be a game that changes that.

I have tried out several games in this burgeoning multiplayer genre, but it has repeatedly failed to click for me. There are fundamental aspects of extraction shooter design that I feel are antithetical to why I enjoy multiplayer video games. While the recent success of games like Arc Raiders shows the genre's potential, I'm still not fully convinced this is the next big thing in multiplayer video games.

My big problem with extraction shooters

They're all about failure, not success

Extraction shooters thrive in a middle ground between tactical shooters like Rainbow Six Siege and survival games like Rust. They typically task a player (alone or as part of a team) with exploring a large map to gather resources and eventually extract. The catch is, there are other players roaming the world doing the exact same thing, and they are eager to kill you and steal your loot.

This leads to very tense matches because you can lose everything at the drop of a hat if you're ambushed by a player. In most extraction shooters, that means gear and items obtained on previous runs can be lost forever if you die while carrying them in a future match. That's where my real issue with extraction shooters comes in: it's not fun to be punished for losing, especially when the only reward for winning is obtaining items you will eventually lose.

Yes, it's disappointing when I lose a battle royale match in a game like Fortnite or Apex Legends, but there aren't permanent consequences to doing so. More importantly, no one can take my victories away from me. Extraction shooters struggle to achieve this balance. It's fully possible to have a great run in a game like Arc Raiders, finding some awesome loot, killing other players, and extracting with little issue.

The fact that most of what I earn can eventually be lost in a future run does not sit well with me. I only have so much time to play video games, so I like to play ones that feel like they are rewarding my time investment. I never feel like I can win when I play an extraction shooter; I always feel like I'm going to lose, trivializing the hours I put into the game. Maybe there's a greater sense of reward once you amass a lot of gear several hours in, but I've never been able to get to that point with an extraction shooter.

What the best extraction shooters do to stand out

Arc Raiders and Escape from Tarkov show the genre's merit

While I personally don't like extraction shooters, I do understand why they resonate with some people. The very risk-reward balance I despise is exactly what draws people to these types of games. I'm sure players who take the time to "get good" at a game like Arc Raiders or Escape from Tarkov are rewarded for their time and effort.

Escape from Tarkov is particularly commendable because it truly codified the extraction shooter as a subgenre. Every extraction shooter released since has tried to emulate it in some way, but few are able to match its quality. Arc Raiders is one of the few that actually can, thanks to a AAA level of polish and some more meaningful meta-progression that gives me a reason to keep playing.

It's clear that there are over 100,000 players interested in this sort of game, but I'm not one of them. As such, I see games like Escape from Tarkov and Arc Raiders as breakouts from a niche genre, rather than titles setting the standard for what's popular in modern multiplayer gaming. Aspects of extraction shooters just feel too difficult and hardcore to ever become totally ubiquitous.

Yes, it's fun to watch a streamer lose everything while playing Escape from Tarkov or explore Arc Raiders' post-apocalyptic world a few times with friends. Still, I feel that over time, more players will come to the same realization I have and not find extraction shooters very respectful of their time. Basically, I don't see any extraction shooter becoming the next Fortnite or Roblox.

Extraction shooters are deeply flawed

Their popularity only goes so far

While I understand the intensity of extraction shooters is exactly what appeals to people, it does the opposite for me. Maybe I'm just not very good at games like Arc Raiders, but there are plenty of games I'm not amazing at that I still find quite fun. While Arc Raiders demonstrates that there is some success to be found in the extraction shooter space, it's success makes the genre seem more appealing and lucrative than it is.

Extraction shooters are a kind of multiplayer game that appeals specifically to players who have a lot of time and are willing to learn to master a difficult game. Titles like Arc Raiders can thrive off that player base, but I don't see much room for genre growth or added competition. I doubt Bungie's Marathon, CCP Games' EVE Vanguard, or Tencent's Exoborne catch on in the same way.

Arc Raiders proved to me that, even when an extraction shooter is extremely high quality, it's just a kind of game I don't like very much.