Choose Helldivers 2 if you want dependable co-op missions without hostile enemy players; choose ARC Raiders if scavenging and extraction are the draw, and you accept that other Raiders may attack. ARC Raiders’ limited PvE matchmaking test ran October 13–20, 2026, and has ended. Embark has not confirmed a permanent PvE-only queue, so you cannot currently treat that temporary test toggle as an available option.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARC Raiders | Scavenging, extraction, and accepting possible player-versus-player encounters | Solo, duo, or trio | Steam, Epic Games Store, PS5, Xbox Series X|S | Nov 2026 |
| Helldivers 2 | Coordinated missions against game-controlled enemies | Up to four players; friendly fire is always on | PC, PS5, Xbox | Nov 2026 |
These are not interchangeable versions of the same co-op formula. ARC Raiders makes getting out with scavenged resources part of the central tension; Helldivers 2 centers on coordinated combat and mission objectives. The important distinction is the kind of risk you want from a session: possible hostility from other players in ARC Raiders, or combat pressure and accidental damage among teammates in Helldivers 2.
Which game fits your kind of co-op?
Helldivers 2 is the clearer pick if your group wants to cooperate against enemies controlled by the game and does not want opposing player squads in its mission loop. ARC Raiders fits players who want exploration, loot decisions, and an extraction point that makes returning safely matter, while accepting that other human Raiders can be a threat.
There is one important qualification to the first choice: Helldivers 2 is not a no-conflict or no-risk experience. Its store listing describes cooperative missions against hostile forces, but friendly fire is always enabled. Teammates can injure one another, so a group that wants PvE without any possibility of player-caused damage may still find its combat chaotic. The conflict comes from squadmates’ weapons and mistakes, not from enemy players contesting the mission. Helldivers 2 on Steam
ARC Raiders gives players a different kind of uncertainty. You search shared surface maps for supplies, contend with ARC machines and potentially hostile Raiders, and try to extract with useful loot. That makes encounters with other players part of the ordinary threat model rather than an optional mode you can reliably switch off at present. Retrieved materials feed crafting and upgrades, so the choice to keep searching or head out is connected to longer-term progression. ARC Raiders’ official site
What does a session in each game ask you to do?
ARC Raiders asks you to weigh scavenging against the risk of staying out. Helldivers 2 asks your team to coordinate around objectives, loadouts, and support abilities. The activities may both involve squads fighting enemies, but the reason to move through a session—and the consequences that create tension—are different.
ARC Raiders: search, survive, extract, and use what you bring back
ARC Raiders’ official listing describes a loop built around searching for loot, facing ARC machines and other Raiders, extracting, and using collected materials for crafting and upgrades. Its broader progression includes repair, workshop upgrades, Trader quests, and a skill tree organized around Survival, Mobility, and Conditioning. This gives scavenging a purpose beyond filling a bag: what you recover can support equipment and character development. ARC Raiders on Steam
The extraction structure also changes how you read danger. In a standard PvPvE session, an enemy encounter can come from the game’s machines or from another player. Even a successful search is not the whole objective if you still need to get out. That does not mean every failed run necessarily erases every item; the available evidence does not establish a universal loss rule, so avoid assuming that one outcome applies to all loot and circumstances.
Helldivers 2: coordinate around missions and combat roles
Helldivers 2 is organized around cooperative missions against hostile forces. Players choose loadouts and stratagems, coordinate their actions, and can upgrade their ship or unlock gear through Warbonds. Its progression therefore supports repeated mission play and equipment choices, rather than making the extraction of scavenged resources the defining purpose of each outing. Helldivers 2 on Steam
Always-on friendly fire makes coordination more than a matter of efficiency. A teammate can be hurt by another player, so positioning and awareness matter even when the squad agrees on its goal. If your group enjoys the possibility of comic or costly mishaps caused by its own actions, that is part of the game’s design; if you want strict separation between teammate and target damage, that design is a meaningful drawback.
Is the ARC Raiders PvE-only toggle still available?
No. Embark’s limited matchmaking test ran October 13–20, 2026, and the studio later confirmed that it had ended. The temporary test should not be confused with a permanent PvE edition, a current queue setting, or a confirmed launch plan for a future mode. Embark’s post-test update
During the test, the PvE matchmaking toggle prevented Raiders from damaging one another, but it did not create private instances: solos, duos, and trios shared PvE sessions. Embark also announced reduced overall loot value and excluded Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate, and Frigate from the test conditions. These describe a historical, limited experiment, not rules for an available queue or a final mode design. Embark’s PvE toggle test announcement
The studio said it did not yet know what its analysis would mean for the future of the game and expected to follow up with more information in November. That expectation was not a release date or a promise that PvE-only matchmaking would return. The distinction matters when choosing a game now: if you need a reliable way to exclude hostile enemy players, ARC Raiders’ expired test is not a reason to buy or play on that assumption.
What the test did—and did not—change
The test was a matchmaking rule, not a separate campaign. Players still entered shared sessions, and the available conditions were narrower than the ordinary game. The announced reduction in overall loot value also means you should not use test rewards to predict the economy of a future permanent mode. Embark said PvE sessions did not affect ordinary PvPvE matchmaking rating, but that protection applied to the test period only.
Embark reported more than 30 million PvE rounds during the test. That is a count of rounds played, not a count of unique players, and it is not a forecast of permanent-mode demand. The studio also reported that 51% of its surveyed playerbase expressed interest in a dedicated PvE option. That percentage describes the surveyed group; it does not mean 51% of all owners played the test or that a permanent queue is guaranteed.
How many friends can play together?
Party size can decide the comparison before the details of either loop matter. ARC Raiders supports solo entry and parties of up to three, while Helldivers 2 supports up to four players. A group of four friends therefore cannot enter ARC Raiders together as one ordinary party, but can assemble in a Helldivers 2 squad. ARC Raiders on Steam Helldivers 2 on Steam
For a smaller group, the number alone does not resolve the choice. A solo player can enter ARC Raiders, but solo entry does not turn it into an offline campaign or guarantee a private PvE session. If you play with one or two others, decide based on whether you want extraction and scavenging with possible hostile Raiders, or mission-based co-op where friendly fire remains possible.
There is no supported four-person ARC Raiders party workaround established here. A fourth friend may need to play separately, while Helldivers 2 is designed around a four-player squad. Conversely, a player who prefers deliberately small teams can use ARC Raiders’ solo, duo, or trio structure without filling an extra slot.
How do progression and unlocks differ?
ARC Raiders ties progression to materials and systems associated with its scavenging loop; Helldivers 2 ties it to missions, ship development, loadouts, stratagems, and Warbond catalogues. Storefront tags can obscure this difference, so compare what each game asks you to do repeatedly rather than treating both as simply extraction shooters.
ARC Raiders progression follows what you bring back
The official ARC Raiders listing names crafting, repairs, workshop upgrades, Trader quests, and a Survival/Mobility/Conditioning skill tree. These systems give recovered supplies several potential uses and connect the expedition to future character or equipment development. The practical appeal is strongest for players who like deciding what to search for and how to build toward a goal through materials and upgrades. ARC Raiders on Steam
Because supplies matter after extraction, ARC Raiders creates a planning question before every run: do you keep searching for a needed component, or leave with what you already have? The official material does not establish a single universal rule for what is lost after failure, so players should not assume every unsuccessful expedition wipes the same inventory categories. The safe comparison is about emphasis: recovery and crafting are central, while exact loss outcomes require current game-specific rules.
Helldivers 2 progression follows missions and catalogue unlocks
Helldivers 2’s official materials describe ship upgrades, loadouts, stratagems, and Warbond gear. PlayStation says purchased Warbonds are not time-limited and that Medals unlock items in their catalogues. That matters to players deciding whether a catalogue is a deadline-driven purchase: PlayStation’s stated terms do not impose a time limit on purchased Warbonds. PlayStation’s Helldivers 2 page
Neither progression description establishes that every mission or expedition has the same stakes, reward rate, or item-loss result. The more useful distinction is the activity behind advancement: ARC Raiders asks you to gather and extract resources for its crafting and upgrade systems; Helldivers 2 uses mission play and unlock systems for its gear and ship progression.
Can you play either game offline, and what does cross-play mean?
Neither game is an offline fallback. Both require online access, and cross-platform play should not be mistaken for the ability to move a save or purchase between platforms. On PlayStation, Helldivers 2 requires PS Plus for online play; ARC Raiders also requires an internet connection and an Embark ID.
PlayStation’s support page says Helldivers 2 has no offline or single-player mode, and that PS5 online play requires PS Plus. ARC Raiders’ solo entry option describes party size, not offline play: the game requires internet access and an Embark ID. A player looking for a solo experience should separate “can enter without a group” from “can play without connecting to the game’s services.” PlayStation’s Helldivers 2 support page ARC Raiders on Steam
Both games advertise cross-platform play among PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. That feature concerns playing together across platforms, not carrying a purchase or progression to another platform. Arrowhead’s support team says Helldivers 2 has no cross-buy or cross-save/cross-progression, and its October 27, 2026, support article states: “We have no plans to implement cross-progression at this time.” Do not extend that Helldivers 2 policy to ARC Raiders; the available account-support evidence here does not establish ARC Raiders’ cross-progression terms. Arrowhead’s cross-progression support article ARC Raiders’ official site
Before buying on a second platform, check the account terms for that title rather than assuming that cross-play carries your unlocks with it. Cross-play answers “can we join the same session?” Cross-progression answers “does my progress follow me?” They are separate purchasing and account decisions.
What do the platforms and price information tell you?
ARC Raiders is listed for Steam, Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Helldivers 2 is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox, with cross-play confirmed by Arrowhead. The platform list can help check whether a group can play together, but it does not establish cross-progression or cross-buy. ARC Raiders’ official site PlayStation’s Helldivers 2 page Arrowhead support
For a US example, PlayStation displayed the Helldivers 2 standard edition at $39.99 when checked in the October 2026 information used for this comparison; the page also notes optional in-game purchases. This is a region- and storefront-specific listing, not a universal price, and offers can change. No comparable verified US ARC Raiders price is established here, so there is no sound basis for claiming which game costs less. PS5 buyers should also factor in the online-play requirement described above. PlayStation’s Helldivers 2 page
Do not treat the $39.99 figure as a permanent price or as a complete ownership cost. Storefront region, sales, platform fees, optional purchases, and subscription requirements can change the final amount. The useful buying conclusion is narrower: Helldivers 2 had a verified US standard-edition listing at that check, while no comparable ARC Raiders figure is established here.
Which one should you choose?
Use the session experience you want—not a temporary setting or a shared storefront label—as the deciding factor. This checklist makes the trade-off explicit.
- Choose Helldivers 2 if your group wants cooperative missions against game-controlled enemies, and four-player squads or loadout-and-stratagem coordination are important.
- Choose ARC Raiders if the search-and-extract loop, crafting materials, and the possibility of player encounters are part of the appeal.
- Be cautious about ARC Raiders if your requirement is a currently available PvE-only queue. The October 2026 toggle ended, and Embark has not confirmed a permanent replacement.
- Reconsider Helldivers 2 if your group cannot tolerate friendly fire. Teammates can damage one another even though the advertised missions are co-op against hostile forces.
- Check your group size first if four friends need to enter as one party: Helldivers 2 supports four, whereas ARC Raiders’ ordinary party size tops out at three.
- Check platform and account requirements if playing offline or moving a save is essential. Neither title is an offline option, and Helldivers 2 explicitly lacks cross-progression.
For players whose main question is “Which has PvE without rival player squads?”, Helldivers 2 is the more dependable fit of the two based on the stated game modes. For players who specifically want scavenging and extraction, ARC Raiders offers that structure but currently comes with the possibility of hostile Raiders. If the temporary ARC PvE test was the only reason you were considering it, wait for an official decision rather than treating the test as a standing feature.
Questions readers usually ask
Can I turn off PvP in ARC Raiders now?
There is no confirmed permanent PvE-only setting to select now. The announced toggle belonged to the October 13–20, 2026, test, which Embark confirmed had ended.
Was the ARC Raiders test a private co-op mode?
No. Solos, duos, and trios shared PvE matchmaking sessions. The test stopped Raiders from damaging one another, but it did not promise isolated private instances.
Were every map and activity available during the test?
No. Embark excluded Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate, and Frigate from the announced test conditions. Those exclusions describe that experiment, not a permanent mode.
Did ARC Raiders’ test change normal matchmaking rating?
Embark said PvE sessions did not affect ordinary PvPvE matchmaking rating. That was a test rule and should not be assumed for a future design.
Is Helldivers 2 completely free of PvP?
Its missions are cooperative against game-controlled hostile forces, but friendly fire is always on. Squadmates can damage each other, so it is PvE against enemies with player-caused team damage.
Can four friends play ARC Raiders together?
Not as one ordinary party. ARC Raiders supports solo, duo, and trio entry; Helldivers 2 supports squads of up to four.
Do Helldivers 2 purchases and progress carry between platforms?
Arrowhead says Helldivers 2 has no cross-buy or cross-save/cross-progression and stated on October 27, 2026, that it had no plans to implement cross-progression at that time.
Are Helldivers 2 Warbonds time-limited?
PlayStation says purchased Warbonds are not time-limited. Medals are used to unlock items in their catalogues.
How many rounds were played in the ARC Raiders test?
Embark reported more than 30 million PvE rounds. That counts rounds, not unique players, and does not predict permanent-mode adoption.
What percentage wanted a dedicated ARC Raiders PvE option?
Embark reported 51% interest among its surveyed playerbase. It is not a claim that 51% of all owners played or demanded a permanent queue.
Can either game be played without internet?
No. Both require online access. Helldivers 2 has no offline or single-player mode, and ARC Raiders requires internet access and an Embark ID even when entering solo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did ARC Raiders’ PvE test change the normal PvPvE matchmaking rating?
Embark said PvE sessions during the October test did not affect the ordinary PvPvE matchmaking rating. That was a condition of the temporary test, not a guarantee about any future PvE mode.
How many rounds were played during the ARC Raiders PvE test?
Embark reported more than 30 million PvE rounds played during the test. That figure counts rounds, not unique players, and does not predict how many people would use a permanent mode.
What share of players wanted a dedicated ARC Raiders PvE option?
Embark reported that 51% of its surveyed playerbase expressed interest in a dedicated PvE option. The figure describes the surveyed group; it should not be read as 51% of all game owners or as actual adoption.
Is the ARC Raiders PvE toggle still available?
No. The matchmaking test ran October 13–20, 2026, and ended. Embark has not confirmed a permanent replacement.
Can four friends join one ARC Raiders party?
No. ARC Raiders supports solo, duo, or trio parties. Helldivers 2 supports up to four players.
Can Helldivers 2 be played offline?
No. PlayStation says it has no offline or single-player mode, and PS5 online play requires PS Plus.
Does cross-play mean cross-progression in either game?
No. Cross-play lets players on supported platforms join each other. Arrowhead explicitly says Helldivers 2 has no cross-buy or cross-progression; ARC Raiders’ terms should be checked separately.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Helldivers 2 is the safer choice for dependable four-player PvE missions, provided your squad accepts always-on friendly fire. ARC Raiders is the better fit for scavenging, extraction, crafting, and higher uncertainty from hostile Raiders—but its October 2026 PvE test is over, so do not buy it expecting a permanent PvE-only queue.