Friendly rivalry: praise where it is due
Since launching in late October last year, Arc Raiders has been turning heads in the multiplayer shooter scene. Bungie’s Marathon arrived with its own extraction-style take, and rather than sneer from the sidelines, Embark Studios' boss offered a surprising dose of respect.
What Patrick Söderlund said
Patrick Söderlund, Embark’s CEO and founder, said he sees Marathon as leaning more toward PvP, with PvE feeling like less of a focus. He also complimented the way Marathon ties player actions to progression, calling several of the design choices things he likes.
On Marathon’s April 2025 technical test he acknowledged the harsh feedback it received. That criticism led to a delay and changes, and Söderlund was impressed by how quickly the team fixed major issues.
He said, "it looks like the team has done a really good job of turning what was a big problem around in a very short period of time. That's unusual. So credit to that team and to the work that they have done with the game." He finished with a simple line: "I hope they do well."
Why this matters
- Multiple takes can coexist: Arc Raiders and Marathon share some DNA but appear to emphasize different experiences, so both can find an audience.
- Quick fixes are rare: Turning around a heavily criticized technical test in a short window is uncommon, and Söderlund gave credit where it was due.
- The live-service gauntlet: The current market is unforgiving. Some recent live-service projects have struggled to survive long term, so successful recoveries are noteworthy.
At a time when live-service games can crash and burn fast, it is refreshing to see developers acknowledge the effort behind another studio's recovery instead of just treating every release as a rival. Short of picking sides, that kind of professional respect is good for players and for the games themselves.
