Embark Studios, the developer of ARC Raiders, has confirmed that it uses ‘aggression-based matchmaking’ to put like-minded players into the same server, settling a debate that’s been raging among players for weeks.

For example, if you’re a player who likes to play ARC Raiders like a PvP shooter, attacking other players on sight all the time, the game will match you up with other players of a similar nature. On the other hand, if you’re someone who can remain light on the trigger finger and prefer to complete quests alongside other players, you’ll end up in lobbies with other players of the same ilk.

The different playstyles have constantly butted heads since the release of ARC Raiders with some parts of the extraction shooter preferring to see the game as a PvPvE game. While Embark does sometimes encourage player on player action in its daily challenges, the game is ultimately about working towards a common goal, that being to take down the ARC robots in search of better loot and gear.

In an attempt to keep both sides of the playerbase happy, Embark Studios has decided to use a matchmaking algorithm that puts players with the same gameplay habits together. This was revealed in an interview between Games Beat and Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund.

“Obviously first it’s skill-based of course,” Söderlund begins by saying. “”Since a week ago or so, we introduced a system where we also matchmake based on how prone you are to PvP or PvE. So if your preference is to do PvE, and have less conflict with players, you’ll get more matched up.

This seems to have put the argument to rest as some ARC Raiders players seemed to think the aggression-based matchmaking was a placebo effect. While it most likely was in the first few months of the game’s life, Embark has now confirmed the system has actually been in place for the last two weeks or so.

“Feels great to finally get confirmation for the community,” reads on YouTube comment. Another adds: “can finally stop arguing on Reddit, thank you for the vindication.”

Söderlund didn’t clarify how their algorithms determine whether a player is being aggressive or simply defending themselves, though. This has led to further discussion about whether the matchmaking system is really fair, as a peaceful player simply trying to defend themselves from an incoming attack could accidentally find themselves roped into the more aggressive servers by firing back.

“I think this is actually a terrible system in the game and essentially punishes people for defending themselves,” writes one disgruntled player on Reddit. “I played a game with a buddy the other night and we ended up having to fight a couple teams because THEY were the aggressors and now all my games are super toxic. So am I supposed to just not defend myself?”

Another player feels the same way, writing: “I never shoot first in solos, but the second I defend myself I get put in these “pvp” lobbies.”

At the end of the day, ARC Raiders has PvP as a core element of its gameplay structure. Always having to watch your back and protect the loot you bring into the map is part of what brings the tension, so it makes sense that Embark is leaning into that with some of its matchmaking systems.

Maybe this is just another reminder that, as always, humans are the real enemy in most scenarios.