You can shoot while falling in Arc Raiders, but ledge grab damage negation’s gone

by

I really liked a feature in Arc Raiders’ second test where you could survive any fall as long as you grabbed onto something while descending – it completely eliminated fall damage. This created some exciting moments where I’d be cornered and had to make a risky jump for a distant ledge, or even fall backwards off a building, hoping to grab hold of something to save myself.

It often felt like a gamble – I’d either pull off a daring escape or crash and burn. However, the upcoming full game, Arc Raiders, launching on PS5, Xbox, and PC on October 30th, will feel quite different and this mechanic won’t work the same way.

Executive producer Aleksander Grøndal explains that the game initially felt too forgiving, so they adjusted it in later versions. They aim for a game where players carefully consider how they move through the environment, and where taking damage is a real risk. They believe actions should have consequences – whether it’s affecting stamina, health, or something else – to create a more engaging experience.

We noticed some players were able to do some pretty extreme things in early tests – like jumping from huge towers and grabbing onto things unexpectedly. That was actually a glitch that we’ve fixed. However, we are exploring different ways for players to safely descend from tall buildings. We want to encourage experimentation and let players find creative ways to get around, so we’re trying to avoid limiting their options and keep the game open and free-form.

You can still grab ledges to avoid damage if you’re not falling too fast. However, if you fall far enough and reach a high speed, you’ll enter a helpless falling animation where you can’t prevent taking damage.

To make up for it, though, you can now shoot while falling. 

Grøndal explains that if you were to fall from a very high building, you’d enter a freefall where you could surprisingly still move, even shoot a gun, as you fall. He says this with a smile.

Embark recently detailed its plans for voluntary wipes in Arc Raiders.

Try it out when Arc Raiders launches this Thursday. 

Read More

2025-10-29 18:20