ARC Raiders uses a matchmaking system that pairs you with players based on your behavior during raids. If you've been getting shot on sight repeatedly, you're likely in a high-aggression bracket. The game tracks how often you engage in PvP combat and uses that data to sort you into lobbies with similarly-minded players. Shifting to a friendlier lobby requires deliberately playing as a pacifist for several consecutive raids.
Quick answer: Stop engaging in any PvP combat, avoid defending yourself when shot at, carry support items like defibrillators, use emotes to signal friendliness, and provide negative feedback after each raid, citing PvP as the reason. This typically takes 8–12 raids to shift your matchmaking bracket noticeably.
Understanding the matchmaking system
The game's matchmaking algorithm considers multiple factors, with damage dealt versus damage received being the primary signal. When you deal damage to other players, the system flags you as aggressive. When you consistently take damage without retaliating, you're marked as non-hostile. The system also weighs post-raid feedback—selecting "I hated this round" and citing PvP as the reason reinforces your pacifist profile. Support actions like reviving downed teammates and healing other players also contribute positively to your standing.
This system is not instantaneous. A single friendly raid won't shift you out of a hostile bracket. The matchmaking appears to evaluate your last 8–12 raids as a rolling window, so you need sustained pacifist behavior to see a meaningful change.
The pacifist run protocol
Step 1: Enter raids with minimal or no combat gear. Many players run completely naked—spawning with just a safe pocket to store valuable blueprints and loot—or bring only utility items like defibrillators and healing supplies.
Step 2: Do not shoot any other player under any circumstance, even in self-defense. If someone attacks you, run away or accept death. Returning fire, even once, registers you as a combatant and resets your progress toward a friendly lobby.
Step 3: Actively help other players. Carry defibrillators in your inventory and revive any downed raider you encounter, regardless of whether they're on your squad. Use healing items and shield chargers on teammates and strangers alike. The matchmaking system tracks these support actions.
Step 4: Use emotes and voice chat to signal friendliness. Wave, dance, or say hello when you encounter other players. Do not aim down sights at anyone. A community norm has developed where players do not shoot others who are actively emoting.
Step 5: After each raid, submit negative feedback. In the post-raid questionnaire, select "I hated this round" and list PvP experience as the reason. This explicit signal appears to carry weight in the matchmaking algorithm.
Step 6: Repeat this behavior for 8–12 consecutive raids. Some players report needing up to 10 games before noticing a shift in lobby composition, though individual results vary.
Recognizing a friendly lobby
Once you've shifted brackets, the raid environment changes noticeably. In friendly lobbies, flares are rare, and when they do appear, they're typically followed by the mechanical sounds of PvE combat against ARC enemies rather than the rapid gunfire of player-versus-player fights. Extraction zones are calm—multiple squads may wait together for the lift without conflict, emoting at each other before leaving.
Players move openly through the map, looting high-value areas without paranoia. Conversations over proximity chat are common, with raiders greeting each other and offering help. If you enter a key room that another player has already opened, they may simply close the door and leave rather than engage in combat.
Important caveats
Friendly lobbies are not permanent. If you engage in PvP combat—even once—you'll begin shifting back toward more aggressive brackets within 1–2 raids. Players who maintain friendly lobbies report that a single betrayal or kill can reset weeks of pacifist behavior.
The system is not foolproof. Even in friendly lobbies, occasional aggressive players appear, particularly newer players who haven't yet been sorted into appropriate brackets. You should still exercise caution and avoid predictable patterns.
Your loadout may also influence matchmaking. Carrying high-tier PvP weapons, grenades, and grenade launchers signals aggressive intent to the algorithm. Switching to utility-focused gear—meds, shields, tools—appears to reinforce your pacifist profile.
Duo and trio squads behave differently from solo play. If you queue with friends who are aggressive PvP players, their behavior can pull your matchmaking rating upward even if you personally don't engage in combat. Playing with highly aggressive teammates for extended periods can undo your pacifist progress in solo queues.
