Embark Studios: ARC Raiders Hit With Devastating Cyber Attack, More Could Be On The Way

ARC Raiders and The Finals Hit by Coordinated DDoS Attacks Disrupting Gameplay

Embark Studios, the developer behind the popular free-to-play shooter ARC Raiders and The Finals, has been targeted by a series of extensive and coordinated DDoS attacks, severely disrupting gameplay for thousands of players. The attacks, first reported by Reddit user Turbostrider27 and confirmed by Embark’s community lead Julia Ossen on the ARC Raiders Discord, have caused widespread server instability since their onset.

Since its October 2025 launch, ARC Raiders has maintained a strong player base, peaking at 481,000 concurrent players on Steam at release and remaining above 281,000 in the past 24 hours. While exact console numbers for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S are unavailable, the attacks have impacted a significant portion of the game’s audience.

Players have reported connection drops, rubber-banding, and match disconnections, with some unable to rejoin or complete sessions. One user described being trapped in a loop of lag-induced deaths, while others noted similarities to recent disruptions in Final Fantasy XIV. Embark’s team is actively working on mitigations, but the attacks remain ongoing as of the latest updates.

No motive has been disclosed for the attacks, which are part of a broader trend of DDoS incidents targeting online gaming services. Both ARC Raiders and The Finals remain at risk until the studio implements further defenses.

Source: https://www.gamingbible.com/news/arc-raiders-hit-devastating-cyber-attack-306738-20260129

Embark Studios cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/embark-studios-ab

"id": "EMB1774564082",
"linkid": "embark-studios-ab",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "1/2026",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Thousands of players (481,000 '
                                              'concurrent players at peak, '
                                              '281,000 in past 24 hours)',
                        'industry': 'Video Games',
                        'name': 'Embark Studios',
                        'type': 'Game Developer'}],
 'attack_vector': 'Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)',
 'customer_advisories': 'Updates provided to players via Discord and community '
                        'channels',
 'description': 'Embark Studios, the developer behind the popular free-to-play '
                'shooter ARC Raiders and The Finals, has been targeted by a '
                'series of extensive and coordinated DDoS attacks, severely '
                'disrupting gameplay for thousands of players. The attacks '
                'have caused widespread server instability, connection drops, '
                'rubber-banding, and match disconnections.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Negative player sentiment and '
                                       'comparisons to other disrupted gaming '
                                       'services',
            'customer_complaints': 'Widespread player reports of disruptions',
            'operational_impact': 'Server instability, connection drops, '
                                  'rubber-banding, match disconnections, '
                                  'inability to rejoin or complete sessions',
            'systems_affected': 'Game servers for ARC Raiders and The Finals'},
 'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
 'references': [{'source': 'Reddit user Turbostrider27'},
                {'source': 'Embark Studios community lead Julia Ossen (ARC '
                           'Raiders Discord)'}],
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Updates provided via Discord and '
                                        'community channels',
              'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Actively working on '
                                                  'mitigations'},
 'title': 'ARC Raiders and The Finals Hit by Coordinated DDoS Attacks '
          'Disrupting Gameplay',
 'type': 'DDoS Attack'}