ARC Raiders Single Player Alternative: Top Offline Shooters (2026)

Is There an ARC Raiders Single Player Mode?

The short answer is no. ARC Raiders was designed from the ground up as a PvPvE extraction shooter, similar to Escape from Tarkov or Hunt: Showdown. The core gameplay loop relies heavily on the tension created by other human players potentially interfering with your mission. This design choice means the game infrastructure is entirely server-based, and Embark Studios has not built the client to function independently.

Understanding the ARC Raiders Server Requirement

Unlike traditional co-op games that might offer a peer-to-peer connection or offline LAN support, ARC Raiders processes AI behavior, loot distribution, and extraction events on central servers. The massive machines you fight—the ARC—are controlled by a complex AI director that runs on the cloud to save performance on your local machine and prevent cheating. Even if you just want to fight the machines (the PvE element), the game requires a constant handshake with the server to validate your position, your loot, and the enemy logic. If the servers go down or your internet cuts out, the game world simply ceases to exist.

Will Embark Studios Single Player Mode Ever Release?

Embark Studios has been clear about their vision for ARC Raiders as a social, multiplayer experience. While many communities have requested an offline mode or a “PvE only” server option to explore the world safely, there is currently no roadmap for a true offline single-player campaign. The developers are focusing their resources on balancing the extraction economy and multiplayer stability. Creating an offline mode would essentially require them to rebuild the game’s backend from scratch, which is unlikely to happen in the near future.

Which ARC Raiders Single Player Alternative is Best?

Since we can’t play ARC Raiders offline, the next best thing is finding a game that captures its specific “vibe”—that mix of desolate beauty, scavenging, and high-stakes combat against overwhelming odds. We’ve curated the top contenders for 2026 that respect your time and allow you to pause the game.

Why Metro Exodus is the Top Offline Wasteland Shooter

If you want the atmosphere of ARC Raiders—the lonely, beautiful wasteland where every bullet counts—Metro Exodus is the undisputed king. While it lacks the retro-future robots, it nails the survival mechanics. You’ll spend your time scavenging for resources, crafting ammo on the fly, and exploring semi-open world hubs that feel just as dangerous as any extraction zone. The weapon customization system is incredibly deep, allowing you to strip parts off enemy guns in the field to upgrade your own, mirroring the scavenging loop of ARC. The best part? You can pause whenever you want, and the story is genuinely gripping.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Offline Mode and Hardcore Gameplay

For players who crave the difficulty of an extraction shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is the perfect offline pivot. The Zone is unforgiving, requiring you to manage hunger, radiation, and bleeding just like you would in a hardcore raid. The “A-Life 2.0” system simulates a living world where factions fight each other and mutants migrate even when you aren’t looking. This creates unscripted moments that feel just as dynamic as a multiplayer match. Finding an artifact in an anomaly field gives you that same dopamine rush as securing rare loot in ARC, but without the toxicity of voice chat.

Generation Zero: The Closest Aesthetic Match to ARC Raiders

Visually, nothing comes closer to ARC Raiders than Generation Zero. Set in 1980s Sweden, you fight massive, retro-futuristic machines that roam the countryside. The aesthetic of fighting giant robots in a foggy, nostalgic landscape is nearly identical to ARC’s art style. It supports solo play perfectly, allowing you to engage in guerrilla warfare against the machines at your own pace. You can lay traps, use stealth, and target specific components on the robots to disable them, which feels very similar to the tactical combat in ARC.

Chernobylite: The Best Loop-Based Alternative

If what you miss most is the specific “Base -> Mission -> Extract -> Upgrade” loop, then Chernobylite is your best bet. Unlike the open worlds of Metro or Stalker, Chernobylite is structured around days. You wake up in your base, choose a mission zone, teleport in, scavenge for supplies, and then must extract back to base to feed your team and upgrade your gear. It captures the extraction shooter format perfectly but wraps it in a single-player, sci-fi horror story. The base building is robust, giving you a reason to hoard all that scrap you find.

Zero Sievert: The 2D Indie Extraction Gem

For those who prioritize gameplay mechanics over 3D graphics, Zero Sievert is essentially a single-player, top-down version of Escape from Tarkov or ARC Raiders. It is a procedurally generated extraction shooter where you start with nothing, raid dangerous zones, and try to get out alive. It features bleeding mechanics, weapon modding, and intense firefights. Because it’s 2D, it focuses entirely on the loop: kill, loot, extract. It’s the perfect game to play on a second monitor or when you want that extraction itch scratched without the high-fidelity stress.

How Do These Alternatives Compare to ARC Raiders?

Choosing an alternative depends on what specific part of ARC Raiders you’re missing. Is it the visuals? The gameplay loop? Or just the setting?

Comparing Metro Exodus vs ARC Raiders Gameplay Loops

The biggest difference lies in the stakes. In ARC Raiders, you are constantly anxious about losing your gear to a 12-year-old sniper. In Metro Exodus, the tension comes from resource scarcity and narrative moments. Metro allows you to immerse yourself in the world without looking over your shoulder for a human player. It replaces the “extraction anxiety” with “survival tension,” which is often what single-player gamers are actually looking for. You still have to manage your gas mask filters and ammo, but the pacing is dictated by you, not the server.

Which PvE Extraction Shooters Single Player Modes Work Best?

If you specifically want the “extraction” mechanic (enter, loot, leave) but offline, Chernobylite and Zero Sievert are the clear winners. They simulate the raid structure—where you have a limited time to grab loot and reach an exit—but replace human opponents with AI. This allows for a pause button and a fairer difficulty curve. You can learn the maps and enemy patterns without the chaotic randomness of PvP, making for a much more satisfying progression loop for solo players.

Enhance Your Wasteland Experience: Metro Exodus

Since Metro Exodus is our top recommendation for an offline alternative, you might want to tailor the experience to be even more enjoyable. XMODHUB’s Metro Exodus trainer allows you to customize the difficulty, making the wasteland as forgiving or as brutal as you prefer. This is the beauty of offline play: you are the game master.

Using Mods to Replicate the ARC Raiders Vibe

One of the main reasons players bounce off hardcore survival games is the resource grinding. If you want to focus on the shooting and exploration (like in ARC Raiders) rather than wiping your gas mask every five seconds or searching for a single bullet, mods can bridge that gap. XMODHUB provides a safe, easy-to-use overlay to toggle these features instantly, effectively letting you create your own custom game mode.

These featured mods are just the beginning. Whether you’re looking to skip tedious grinding, experiment with different playstyles, or speed up your progression, XMODHUB’s comprehensive toolkit offers dozens more options tailored to your playstyle.

Optimizing Metro for the Best Single Player Experience

To get Metro Exodus feeling closer to ARC Raiders, try disabling the HUD (crosshair and ammo counters) in the game settings. This forces you to rely on visual cues on your weapons, increasing immersion. Combine this with the “Infinite Gas Mask” mod from XMODHUB, and you get the best of both worlds: high immersion without the frustrating micromanagement. You can focus on the environment and the enemies, just like you would in a high-stakes extraction shooter, but with the safety net of being able to tweak the rules if things get too tough.

Common Mistakes Finding Games Like ARC Raiders Offline

Searching for a perfect clone often leads to disappointment. Here is what to avoid when looking for your next wasteland fix.

Confusing Offline Bots with True Single Player Campaigns

Some games offer “offline mode with bots,” but this rarely scratches the itch. Playing a multiplayer map against mindless AI bots feels hollow because there is no narrative progression or world-building. A true single-player alternative like Metro or Fallout offers a story, characters, and a world that reacts to you, which is far more satisfying than shooting dumb bots in a static arena. Don’t settle for a “practice mode” when you can have a full campaign.

Overlooking Older Titles with Similar Retro-Future Aesthetics

Don’t ignore older games just because they aren’t from 2026. Titles like Generation Zero or even Horizon Zero Dawn (though different in gameplay) nail the “fighting giant machines” aesthetic better than most modern shooters. Graphics mods can modernize these titles significantly, making them look just as good as recent releases. Often, an older game with a strong art style will age better than a newer game with generic graphics.

Expecting Identical Movement Mechanics

ARC Raiders has a very specific, fluid movement system with jetpacks and sliding. Most offline survival shooters, like Stalker or Metro, are more grounded and slower-paced. If you go into Stalker 2 expecting to slide-cancel and jetpack around anomalies, you will be disappointed. Adjust your expectations: you are trading the arcade movement for immersive, tactical positioning.

FAQ About Offline Wasteland Shooters