If the ARC is chasing people, why can't they hear you scream? Breaking down the AI logic in ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders is not for the faint of heart, and not just because of the other players wandering each map trying to spill the blood of another Raider and loot their belongings before heading to Speranza. The true enemies of ARC Raiders' post-apocalyptic world is ARC – deadly machines, each with their own strengths and tactics, who rule the surface with a steel fist. These machines are so deadly that any humans caught unaware can be quickly tracked to their deaths, urging every Raider to tread carefully when Topside, so as not to alert the ARC to their presence.

However, this can be difficult to do, especially when players do not use both eyes and ears to pay attention to their surroundings. The chirping of a nearby wasp or the low hum of an approaching Rocketeer should make players turn their eyes and aim skyward, but sometimes the ARC can get a jump on Raiders with its own sensory patterns. ARC Raiders' Snitches with their wide scanners, wasps with their rapidly shifting patrol patterns and pops who roll in seemingly out of nowhere when a metal detector goes off. Yet, despite how often they can detect players in a variety of scenarios, they still cannot hear the people behind the attackers, nor the voices of the attackers themselves.

Why ARC Raider's enemy AI can't hear players when they talk

ARC Raiders' Proximity chat is a highlight of the whole experience as it gives players an opportunity to have genuine interactions in a world that is simultaneously trying to tear them apart. When players are near each other, they can hear the other talking, as long as their microphone is on. Sometimes this results in friendly greetings or unexpected partnerships, but other times it may just be enough for one player to give away their position to another, only to have the other player attack them. It heightens the iconic tension of ARC Raiders while making the world feel like it's actually filled with people fighting for their own survival.

Although players can hear each other speak, ARC cannot. Despite humans being their primary target, ARCs cannot hear actual humans speaking. Even when players use emotes in ARC Raiderslike “Don't shoot!”, ARC also can't hear Raider's voice. However, this does not mean that ARC is completely unaffected by sound. As mentioned earlier, running through a nearby active metal detector can alert the ARC to the player's presence, as can motion detectors, gunfire, and even the player's footsteps if they're close enough. So why can't they hear the player (or their character) scream?

Three reasons why ARC can't hear players talking

It can bring in PvE ARC Raiders too threatening.
It can discourage communication between players.
It can make the game feel unfair and inconsistent.

AI in ARC Raiders is actually very clever, but game design like this almost always comes with compromises. First, ARC exists primarily to put PvE pressure on players as they search for valuable materials rather than to simulate realistic sensory responses. In fact, if the machines reacted to every single sound they heard in the game, it might be too much pressure, given the ongoing threat of PvP in ARC Raiders alongside the ARC.

Second, if ARC could hear players talking through their microphones or hear their Raiders expressing feelings for another player, it would discourage communication between players and likely lead to a more competitive, less friendly community. While some players have reported encountering many unfriendly players ARC Raidersthe consensus still seems to be that its players (especially those in solo rounds) are friendlier than they are in many other games with PvP elements.

Third, extraction shooters like ARC Raiders often trades full realism for clarity. Basically, players need to understand when and why they have been detected. If ARC heard players talk in ARC Raidersit can feel more unpredictable, and perhaps even unfair. Also, it would take incredibly smart AI to discern when a player hits a detectable volume, and even then, given how each player's chat preferences differ, it might be difficult to stay consistent.

ARC Raider's Enemy AI relies on scripted sounds and visual cues

Instead, ARC in ARC Raiders rely more on scripted sounds and visual cues for detection – like the sound of gunfire, a nearby machine in distress, a Raider sprinting in front of them, or even a bullet flying past their rotors. These are all things that are expected to happen in ARC Raidersand such clear expectations help the developers maintain consistency and the player's sense that the game is treating them fairly.

In the end, it's not just about resource overhead in game development, it's about creating an experience that players feel they can actually master. Sure, it would be nice if ARC Raiders' proximity chat also applied to the machines, but it is likely that the fun would not last long. As it appears, ARC Raiders' the enemy AI is undoubtedly right where it needs to be.