Third-person extraction shooter ARC Raiders isn’t fully releasing until October 30, but you can try the game for free this weekend during its Server Slam playtest. Developer Embark Studios launched its debut game, The Finals, in late 2023, and has been steadily testing ARC Raiders with the public for over a year.

The final hurdle before launch is to stress test the game’s servers. ARC Raiders‘ Server Slam playtest is free-to-play on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S from Friday, October 17 through Sunday, October 19. Unlike previous playtests, there is no sign-up required, and you do not need a code to download. Starting on Friday, the Server Slam game client will become available for download, via Steam and the Epic Games Store on PC, and the proprietary storefronts on PS5 and Xbox.

When The ARC Raiders Server Slam Starts

Rollout Does Not Have An Official Start Time

The official start time for the ARC Raiders Server Slam is not any more specific than Friday, October 17. On the official Discord server’s events page, the Server Slam is listed as beginning at 9:00am ET, but the FAQ mentions “a short rollout on the 17th before opening up to all players,” so it would appear there is not a set start time. At the time of writing, various users have reported a preload being available only for the Epic Game Store; no other platforms are able to preload the Server Slam game client.

Similarly, the official ending time for the ARC Raiders Server Slam is nebulous. On Reddit, Embark Studios Community Lead OssenJ said, “Folks in the US should be able to play until Sunday night.” This further lends credence to the start time on Discord being nothing more than a placeholder, since the end time listed there is 11:00am ET on Sunday, October 19.

What To Expect During The ARC Raiders Server Slam

One Map, Locked Progression

A raider in ARC Raiders wearing a helmet with a pitch-black visor.

Unllike the Tech Tests that took place earlier this year, the ARC Raiders Server Slam will only feature one map, Dam Battlegrounds. At launch, four maps are expected to be playable, with new map Blue Gate teased to join the three featured in Tech Test 2, Dam Battlegrounds, Acerra Spaceport, and Buried City. Special map conditions, such as Electromagnetic Storms and Night Raids, are confirmed for the Server Slam, however. The most fearsome ARC seen in pre-release builds thus far, the Queen, is also teased to be making an appearance.

Progression in the Server Slam will be similarly scaled back. Only early quests will be featured, with low- and mid-tier equipment available. Crafting stations cannot be upgraded, and ceratin higher-tier blueprints will not be craftable during the Server Slam. With the primary objective simply being to put the servers through their paces, this playtest is rather light on content. It will, however, give a lot more people the opportunity to try ARC Raiders ahead of release.