ARC Raiders Ditches Health Bars: ‘Physics Creates True Immersion’

Health bars are a gaming staple. They tell you exactly how close an enemy is to defeat. However, Embark Studios is taking a different approach with ARC Raiders. In their latest development update, the team revealed why they replaced traditional UI elements with a physics-based system.

According to Episode 2 of “The Evolution of ARC Raiders”, a docuseries released on the game’s official YouTube channel, the goal is simple. The developers want to move beyond “passive immersion” found in audio and visuals. Instead, they aim for “active immersion” directly through gameplay.

Trusting the Player’s Senses

Stefan Strandberg, the Creative Director, explains that the team wants to trust the player’s ability to decode a scene. Rather than staring at a depleting red bar, players must use their eyes and ears.

Strandberg states:

Allow the things in there to be real.
It’s physics talking back to you… You don’t need a health bar to tell you that.

Consequently, the game relies on a feedback loop. Everything acts as a signal. This ranges from stagger animations to debris flying off a machine. The studio believes that players can make tactical calls by simply observing the “truth” of the battle unfolding on screen.

Destruction as Information in ARC Raiders

So, how does this work in a firefight? The system uses gradual destruction to communicate damage states.

For example, if you engage a drone, you don’t just lower a number. You physically alter the machine. Strandberg highlights that if you shoot off a thruster, you disable its ability to fly. This physics-driven feedback influences your decision-making instantly.

The developer provided specific examples of this system in action against the game’s AI enemies, the ARCs:

• The Wasp: If you successfully shoot off a rotor, the machine struggles to stay airborne. Furthermore, if you destroy a rotor on each side, the Wasp may spin out of control or dive toward the ground.
• The Bastion: Heavy firepower matters here. If players fire enough rounds from a Hullcracker at a Bastion’s leg, the machine will eventually kneel to recover.

A Cleaner UI for Better Immersion

Ultimately, this design philosophy clears the screen. It removes the clutter of a traditional UI without compromising accessibility.

Embark Studios stresses that the point is not to increase difficulty. On the contrary, the goal is to make the world communicate information clearly. By reading movement, damage states, and machine reactions, players stay present in the moment. As development continues, this physics-first approach remains central to the ARC Raiders experience.