United Kingdom, Jan. 7 -- ARC Raiders launched as a paid game instead of free-to-play thanks to the success of Helldivers 2.

Speaking in a recent interview with GameBeat, Embark Studios CEO Patrick Soderlund said the studio reassessed its original plans after watching how Arrowhead's sci-fi shooter proved there was still strong demand for premium multiplayer titles.

Rather than chasing the scale and retention pressures of free-to-play, Soderlund explained Embark wanted ARC Raiders to sit in a space where players pay upfront for a complete experience.

ARC Raiders ultimately launched at $40, a price Soderlund described as deliberately "relatively affordable".

He said the team was conscious that the game does not include a traditional si...