For all of their faults (the list may be endless), the interesting thing about live service games, when done well anyway, is the way they can change from day to day. There’s an actual living quality to them that, even if I’ll always prefer them, a singleplayer game can’t capture as well. One such game that can change quite drastically is Arc Raiders, with its varying map conditions and events, swapping in and out at the whims of its developers. This rotation isn’t something universally loved, but CEO Patrick Söderlund has said that they’re here to stay.

Speaking to IGN in a broader interview about the shooter, when asked about Embark’s response to those that don’t love the rotating schedule of conditions and events, Söderlund explained that they are “on a rotating schedule for multiple reasons. Obviously, we believe that it’s a part of how the game should be played, that not everything is available at all times. We believe that creates tension. It’s an element of fun. It’s a way for us to move people from map to map, which we believe to be important.”

Söderlund continued to explain how the studio doesn’t want all map events to be constantly available, and “that most likely won’t change. Sometimes we’ll let them stay for longer. Sometimes we run two or three in parallel, but they may be different, but we believe that to be a part of how the game should be experienced.” The CEO did also share that while they plan to continue adding more map conditions, some may end up being removed temporarily, with the potential for them to return “with a different edge.”

This obviously won’t be accommodating to everyone, as obviously some will have schedules that constrict the time of day they can play. And there lies the double edged sword of these ever evolving live service games. Mayhaps this reality where FOMO-driven gameplay does not make for entirely great experiences.