Battlefield 6 vs Arc Raiders: All-out warfare or high-stakes loot?

Two very different shooters hit the market in October 2025, but they share more DNA than you’d expect. First is Battlefield 6, the latest instalment of Battlefield Studios and EA’s large-scale warfare combat. Then there’s Arc Raiders, scaring people away because of its PvPvE extraction shooter genre. However, Embark Studios, a team made up of former DICE developers, has gone to great lengths to make the genre more appealing.

Knowing that, the comparison between the games goes deeper than first impressions. Both games spring from the same philosophy of systems-heavy, cinematic shooters that set the stage with immersive scale and dynamic events.

Let’s put these two games head-to-head and see how each stacks up for the average player across multiple categories, with a neat scorecard at the end to help you decide which is best for you.

Note: Arc Raiders’ verdict is based on what was shown during the Arc Raiders playtest, tech test, and server slam. Full features will be available on launch.

In Battlefield 6, matches are fast, loud, and oftentimes overstimulating. You’ll be weaving through gunfire as infantry, dodging tanks, or dogfighting in jets, and sometimes pushing for the objective in between the action.

The gunplay and movement feel tight and responsive, with a faster time-to-kill than most shooters, keeping it in line with unforgiving warfare. Every game is pure cinema as bullets and explosions come from all directions, and the fully destructible maps help sell that you’re just another boot on the ground whose life often ends in an instant.

Even with all the chaos, BF6 is surprisingly chill for solo players; you’re not expected to carry the team. Rarely will anyone notice what you’re doing at all. You can jump in, grab a few kills, help out where you can, and still feel like you’re contributing. Anyone can have a fun time without skill requirements needed to get there.

Arc Raiders is a leaner and meaner experience. It’s a third-person extraction shooter where every run feels high-stakes and every mistake can cost you your loot. Unlike BF6, you’re not freely dropped into an ongoing match; you and your squad need to commit to a lobby from start to finish with your loot on the line.

Combat is entirely optional, as your main priority is collecting loot, evading the ARC bots that are much more of a threat compared to games in the genre, and extracting safely with your haul. More often than not, an encounter with another Raider leads to a gunfight, but the proximity chat can lead to unexpected alliances or, at the very least, a truce.

Both games have that element where danger is all around you, but BF6 immediately puts you back into the action, where Arc Raiders sends you back underground with a penalty.

Battlefield 6: 9/10
Arc Raiders: 8/10

BF6 launched with eight multiplayer modes, including the series’ signature large-scale battles to smaller matches with fewer players. Beyond the core modes, BF6 also features custom games powered by EA’s map-making tools. Players can create and share their own rule sets and maps, resulting in everything from fun twists on existing modes to full recreations of classics like Counter-Strike’s Dust II. There’s even a popular server that creates a full-on zombie survival scenario.

Arc Raiders has one core mode and hasn’t mentioned any upcoming game modes for the game. Every outing into the top side follows the same overall goals of scavenging loot and fighting NPC Arcs and hostile players to extract safely. However, staking your own loot on the line makes every mission equally tense.

The game does spice up the core gameplay with different maps, weather conditions, Night Raids with better loot and deadlier Arcs, and other events like an Electromagnetic Storm. Suffice to say, if you’re feeling burnt out with the main game mode, there’s no reprieve from it.

Battlefield 6: 9/10
Arc Raiders: 6/10

Battlefield 6 brings back the classic class system with four familiar roles: Assault, Engineer, Support, and Recon. These classes have their own gadgets, weapons, and training paths to make them better at what they do. This time, BF6 is less restrictive with the weapons they can carry (unless in a specific mode that locks them to their signature weapons).

While the whole team shares the same objective, these roles help give individual direction on how to contribute. For example, Engineers risk their lives to keep tanks healthy, yet they also have explosives to take out enemy vehicles. Recon units have snipers for long-distance engagements and can help pinpoint enemies with their gadgets.

Arc Raiders has no fixed classes. Instead, you customise your Raider via skills and gear. The bulk of customisation comes from investing experience earned into a skill tree with three specialisations: Conditioning, Survival, and Mobility. 

These are mostly upgrades to stats like taking less time while breaching or using less stamina. Some capstone upgrades are more tangible in gameplay, such as the ability to craft topside, but these won’t define your gameplay.

Where these games deviate the most is how steady progression is the whole point of Arc Raiders, and how it heavily influences your in-game decisions. What you extract directly shapes your progression. Loot is everything in this game, and you’ll use every part to make yourself stronger for the next topside raid.

Meanwhile, BF6’s progression feels glacial and grindy. Many players even turned to XP farm servers to speed things up (until those got nerfed too).

Battlefield 6: 8/10
Arc Raiders: 10/10

On the live-service front, BF6 has full support from EA, with a seasonal roadmap running through December 2025. This is EA’s golden child, so expect more content, such as maps and weapons. Additionally, BF6 will also make sure to add these assets for creators using the Portal Builder Tool.

Since they’re under the care of an industry giant, BF6 has robust tech in place. EA’s Javelin anti-cheat has overcome its initial setbacks to improve and effectively keep cheaters banned and away from the game.

Cross-platform play is enabled by default (PC can opt out), and progress carries across platforms via EA accounts. The game also has extensive accessibility options like customisable colour profiles and crossplay. EA has been working hard to regain the goodwill lost during the disastrous Battlefield 2049, and it shows.

Based on its first game, The Finals, Embark is known for its positive interactions with the community, especially with how quickly and drastically they’re able to make sweeping changes when a system is universally hated by players.

Embark has started on the right path with its community by listening to feedback during the Arc Raiders beta phase. Embark has moved when the community speaks, like implementing regional pricing, giving updates on features, and posted soundscapes on its socials just for the enjoyment of the community.

Arc Raiders has also taken great care in quality-of-life additions and accessibility, which is more than welcome in a genre known for being exclusive.

Battlefield 6: 9/10
Arc Raiders: 9/10

Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders offer very different interpretations of treating players to a spectacle. BF6 all-out large-scale warfare is always a fun time, but can become shallow in the long run, while Arc Raiders has moments of quiet that explode into very tense gunfights against Arcs or other players.

Based on the average player, BF6 wins in this competition 35 to 33, as it’s effortless to have fun, while Arc Raiders will make you work for it and can take it away from you at a moment’s notice. Regardless, Arc Raiders deserves praise for alleviating the punishment of extraction shooters that turn prospective players away.