The title, developed by the Stockholm-based studio, won the top award at the ceremony held on May 28 during the Nordic Game conference at Slagthuset in Malmö. It also took Best Technology and Best Audio, making it the most decorated game of the night and underlining its appeal beyond commercial performance.
The result placed Arc Raiders ahead of a competitive field that included Battlefield 6, Dune: Awakening, Split Fiction and My Winter Car. The win was notable because several nominees came from established franchises or well-known studios, while Arc Raiders has built much of its momentum through player engagement, technical execution and a distinctive approach to the extraction-shooter genre.
Embark Studios’ success also reinforced Sweden’s dominant showing at the awards. Studios from Sweden won five of the seven main categories, while Denmark accounted for the remaining two, with Lego Voyagers taking Best Fun for Everyone and Discounty winning Best Debut. The Midnight Walk by MoonHood won Best Art, while Split Fiction by Hazelight Studios won Best Game Design.
Arc Raiders’ recognition comes after a strong commercial run following its global launch on October 30, 2025, across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game has passed 16 million unit sales, after adding 4.6 million units in the first quarter of 2026 and reaching 15.5 million cumulative sales by the end of that period. Its publisher has described it as the most successful new product release in the company’s history.
The game’s early traction was unusually strong for a new premium multiplayer title. It crossed 12 million units within roughly ten weeks of launch and recorded a peak of about 960,000 concurrent users in January across platforms. On Steam, its all-time peak approached 482,000 concurrent players, placing it among the platform’s biggest multiplayer launches of the period.
Arc Raiders is set on a future Earth threatened by hostile machines known as ARC. Players act as raiders scavenging the surface for resources while facing both mechanical enemies and rival human players. The game blends third-person shooting, extraction mechanics, environmental storytelling and live-service progression, while allowing solo play and small-team co-operative runs.
Its awards for technology and audio reflect areas that have helped separate it from a crowded multiplayer field. Built on Unreal Engine 5, Arc Raiders has drawn attention for its large-scale environments, reactive combat encounters and sound design that supports both tension and player navigation. The Best Audio win was particularly significant for a title where survival often depends on interpreting distant movement, weapon fire and machine behaviour before direct contact occurs.
The award also gives Embark Studios added standing in the Nordic industry. The company was founded in Stockholm in 2018 by Patrick Söderlund and other senior developers with backgrounds at DICE and Electronic Arts. It is owned by Nexon but has maintained a distinct studio identity built around technology, experimentation and large-scale online games. Embark had already gained attention with The Finals before Arc Raiders became its defining commercial breakthrough.
Nordic Game Awards’ 2026 ceremony also highlighted the depth of the regional market. Battlefield 6, Dune: Awakening and Split Fiction brought large production profiles to the nominations, while My Winter Car reflected the continuing strength of smaller, highly distinctive Nordic development. The inclusion of games from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark showed a sector that has broadened from console and PC blockbusters into simulation, survival, co-operative play, family titles and independent narrative projects.
The conference itself has become a key annual meeting point for developers, publishers, investors and service providers across the Nordic region. The 2026 edition ran from May 26 to 29 and featured industry sessions on artificial intelligence, funding, game discovery, live-service design and production methods, alongside its expo and showcase programme. Arc Raiders was also the focus of a development session led by Embark team members, examining data, design direction and the path from testing to launch.
The wider context matters for the business of games. Multiplayer titles face rising costs, longer development cycles and intense competition for player time. Arc Raiders’ performance suggests that new intellectual property can still break through when it combines strong presentation with clear mechanical identity and sustained community support. Its premium pricing model, rather than a purely free-to-play launch, has also drawn attention at a time when studios are reassessing how to balance upfront revenue, retention and live-service spending.
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