Why ARC Raiders Matchmaking Is Slower (and What You Can Do)

ARC Raiders matchmaking has been taking noticeably longer for many players, shifting from sub-minute queues to waits that can stretch several minutes. The slowdown isn’t limited to one mode. Reports include solos, duos, and trios, and the most frustrating cases combine long waits with late spawns that drop you into a raid already in progress.

What “long matchmaking” looks like in ARC Raiders right now

The most consistent pattern is queue times jumping from roughly 30–60 seconds to 2–8 minutes, sometimes longer. Some players report re-queuing repeatedly to get a match, while others describe getting a match quickly only after restarting the queue.

Late spawns are part of the complaint. Instead of loading into a fresh raid, some players are spawning 10–11 minutes after the match has started, which can put you behind on looting and positioning.

Mixed team sizes: When solos end up facing duos or trios

Alongside slower queues, some players report a second issue that feels worse than waiting: solos being placed into duo or trio lobbies. The practical giveaway is often in the fight itself, like getting finished by two coordinated players, or seeing an enemy revive a teammate without needing a defib.

Even when it’s not happening every match, it changes how “solo queue” feels. If you load in expecting only solos, a coordinated duo can end your run quickly, especially if you spawned late and they’ve already taken strong positions.

What’s likely going on

Players commonly describe it as a server or matchmaking service problem rather than a simple lack of players, especially because the experience can change quickly from one queue to the next. Some also mention seeing errors like “Destination is unavailable,” which points to connectivity or capacity issues during the matchmaking flow.

There’s also a pattern where canceling and re-queuing can immediately produce a match, suggesting the queue can get “stuck” for some players.

Fix 1: Check Crossplay (and your party’s Crossplay)

If matchmaking suddenly feels slow, Crossplay being turned off is a common cause. It can also be turned off indirectly when you queue with someone else.

Open the ARC Raiders Help Center page for Matchmaking Troubleshooting and review the Crossplay notes, especially if you queue in a party.

If you’re in a party, confirm every player’s Crossplay preference. The most restrictive setting applies, so one person with Crossplay off can slow the entire group’s matchmaking.

Fix 2: Set your matchmaking region to Automatic

Region selection can also affect queue times. The simplest baseline is using Automatic, then only experimenting with manual regions if you’re trying to work around a temporary regional issue.

On PC, open the gear icon at the bottom right, then go to Gameplay > Server and set it to Automatic.

On console, open the Social menu, select the gear icon on the left, then go to Gameplay > Server and set it to Automatic.

Fix 3: Re-queue when the timer keeps climbing

One of the most repeated workarounds is simple: cancel the queue and try again if it’s dragging. Some players report going from a multi-minute wait to getting a match in seconds after re-queuing.

If your queue time passes a threshold you consider unreasonable (for example, 30–60 seconds when it’s usually fast), cancel matchmaking.

Start matchmaking again on the same mode and map, and watch whether the estimated time behaves normally.

What to watch for once you get in

If you’re landing late into raids, assume other players may already be set up near high-traffic routes, objectives, or extracts. If you suspect you’ve been placed into a mixed team-size lobby while solo, treat every fight as if a second or third player could swing wide while you’re focused on the first.

If the long queues persist across multiple attempts even with Crossplay on and region set to Automatic, it’s likely a temporary matchmaking or server-side problem. In that case, re-queuing and trying again later are often the only practical options.