Arc Raidersesportsdesign

Map Size Matters: Designing Levels for Solo, Co-op, and Esports in Arc Raiders

ggamings

2026-02-14

10 min read

How map size shapes pacing and tactics in Arc Raiders—practical recommendations for Embark, designers, and esports teams in 2026.

Hook: Why map size is the single most underrated lever in Arc Raiders' design toolbox

If you've ever finished a run in Arc Raiders and thought, "That map felt too crowded" or "This one dragged on forever," you're experiencing the same pain thousands of players and competitive teams report: inconsistent pacing, fuzzy tactics, and maps that reward knowledge over skill. With Embark Studios promising a slate of new maps in 2026 that will span a wider map size spectrum, now is the moment to translate that promise into deliberate, competitive-ready design.

Executive summary — what designers and competitive teams need to know first

Map size directly controls pacing, encounter density, traversal decisions, and the viable set of tactics across solo, co-op, and competitive modes. Small maps favor twitch fights and tight coordination; large maps reward navigation, resource management, and positional play. For Arc Raiders to thrive both as a co-op title and an emerging esports property, Embark must deliver a balanced map pool: small, medium, large, and hybrid variants with clear roles for each. Below are practical, measurable design recommendations and a playbook for turning size into predictable player flow and balanced tactics.

Context: 2026 trends shaping map design

Industry trends entering 2026 have made map design more data-driven and broadcast-conscious than ever. Teams now deploy:

Real-time telemetry and heatmaps for testing player flow.
Shorter, viewer-friendly match lengths for esports seasons (target 10–18 minutes per match).
Map variant systems that tune objective position or sightlines session-to-session instead of making whole new maps.

Embark's design lead signaled this direction when discussing the 2026 roadmap:

"There are going to be multiple maps coming this year... across a spectrum of size to try to facilitate different types of gameplay. Some of them may be smaller than any currently in the game, while others may be even grander than what we've got now." — Virgil Watkins, Embark Studios (GamesRadar, 2026)

How map size steers pacing and tactics — the mechanics

At a mechanical level, size impacts several interlocking systems. Thinking in terms of these systems makes map design measurable and repeatable:

Encounter Rate: How often players run into enemies or each other per minute. Small maps = high encounter rate; large maps = low encounter rate.
Traversal Time: Average time to move between objectives or spawn points. This determines downtime versus action time.
Sightline Length: Long lines of sight favor ranged tactics and control; short sightlines increase close-quarters play.
Decision Density: Number of meaningful choices per minute (flank, hold, rotate, engage). Small maps often compress choices; large maps expand them.
Resource Distribution: How pickups, cover, and respawn points are spread—critical for co-op balance.

Size tiers and practical metrics to use in playtesting

To make map sizing actionable, use these tier definitions and metrics during playtests:

Small (bite-sized): Target traversal time 20–45s, encounter rate 3–6 per minute per player. Best for quick, twitch-focused modes and warmup maps.
Medium (balanced): Traversal 45–90s, encounter rate 1.5–3 per minute. Ideal for standard co-op sorties and mixed tactical play.
Large (expansive): Traversal 90–240s, encounter rate <1.5 per minute. Use for exploration-heavy runs, strategic objectives, or timed large-objective esports modes.
Hybrid: Variable traversal; key nodes connected by chokepoints. Hybrid maps support multi-phase metas and are excellent for rotations in competitive play.

Solo play: design goals, tactics, and recommendations

Solo Arc Raiders runs are about empowerment, survivability, and exploration. Size choices should maximize meaningful moments without creating long stretches of boredom.

Goals for solo maps

Maintain a steady action rhythm: exploration bursts followed by combat spikes.
Reward navigation skill and knowledge without punishing absence of social help.
Give options for stealth, repositioning, and single-player survivability mechanics (cover-to-cover paths, safe respawn nodes).

Tactics enabled by size

On small maps, solo players must rely on movement and hit-and-run tactics. Medium maps allow flanking and resource control. Large maps encourage route optimization and prep (choosing which node to clear first to minimize backtracking).

Practical recommendations

For solo-focused maps, target medium size: long enough for exploration, short enough to keep tension. Aim for 45–90s between meaningful encounters.
Design redundancy into routes: at least two distinct paths between major nodes so solo players can escape pressure without relying on teammates.
Place high-value rewards in risky-to-reach locations to encourage planning and risk/reward decisions.

Co-op levels: scaling, roles, and team flow

Co-op is Arc Raiders' backbone. Map size here must support team coordination, differentiated roles, and enemy-scaling that scales difficulty without feeling artificial.

Goals for co-op maps

Enable split-team tactics while keeping recontact time reasonable for revives.
Encourage role synergy (tank positioning, flanker approach lanes, support resupply points).
Keep resource contention meaningful but not crippling.

Tactics and pacing

Small co-op maps demand tight coordination—simultaneous pushes, synchronized ultimates, and near-constant crossfire. Medium maps reward staged progression: secure a node, prepare an assault, rotate. Large co-op maps permit multi-pronged strategies and require role assignment for roaming scouts and objective holders.

Practical recommendations

Use medium maps for standard co-op missions to balance action and decision-making. Reserve small maps for high-intensity challenge runs and large maps for multi-objective raids.
Implement predictable recontact windows: design maps so a downed player is reachable by a teammate within 20–45s under typical movement speeds.
Design node chains with short staging zones—safe pockets where teams can resupply and plan. This reduces downtime and keeps pacing tight.
Scale enemy waves by play area usage, not raw time: more players in one node should trigger higher-intensity spawns in nearby corridors, avoiding trivialization on crowded maps.

Competitive and esports considerations

Arc Raiders esports may look different than traditional FPS titles. Competitive formats could include PvP modes, time trials, or team-versus-environment objective races. Whatever the format, competitive balance depends on consistent pacing and predictable player flow.

Key esports map requirements

Symmetry or carefully tuned asymmetry: competitive maps should avoid one-side advantages caused by size-driven traversal imbalances.
Minimal RNG in navigation: shortcuts, destructible cover, or dynamic elements must be telegraphed and consistent for broadcast fairness.
Clear sightlines for spectators and casters, and telemetry integration for analysis. If you’re preparing to present maps to audiences, see guidance on broadcaster and channel presentation.

Size-driven tactics in esports

Small competitive maps create high-action, clutch scenarios where split-second decisions and aim dominate. Large competitive maps reward map control, information gathering, and macro rotations. Hybrid maps enable multi-phase matches that test both micro and macro skills.

Practical recommendations for esports-ready maps

Define target match length by size: small maps → 8–12 minutes; medium → 12–18; large → 18–30. Use time-to-objective telemetry in public playtests to refine.
Place neutral strategic nodes at balanced distances so neither team gets predictable early control purely due to spawn proximity.
Limit extreme sightline disparities: cap maximum unobstructed sightline length in competitive variants to preserve tactical diversity.
Create a map pool with clear roles: one small, two medium, one large, and a rotating hybrid. That mix keeps competitive seasons tactically varied.
Quick-rotate spawns and anti-camping measures: design spawn corridors and buffer zones to reduce spawn-trapping on small maps.

Level variety and a map-pool strategy for longevity

Level variety keeps the meta fresh. Instead of shipping one-off huge maps, Embark should steward a living map pool with variants and seasonal tuning.

Map pool composition (recommended)

Core rotation: 3–5 heritage maps preserved for familiarity.
Size spectrum additions: add at least one small and one large map per major season.
Hybrid/variant rotation: weekly or bi-weekly variants that alter objective placement or time-of-day lighting.

Why preserve old maps

Players and pro teams build strategies around known layouts. Removing old maps risks alienating veteran players and undermines esports history. Update rather than replace: minor geometry edits, new sightline blockers, or objective rebalancing preserve legacy while refreshing pacing.

Telemetry-first design: what to measure and how to iterate

Great map design is measurable. Here are metrics to collect during closed and open playtests and how to act on them.

Engagement Density: heatmap of combat locations. Fix: add cover or choke points where fights are too concentrated; add secondary objectives where empty.
Time-to-Contact: average time until players encounter an enemy or objective. Fix: shorten traversal or add mid-node events if this is too high.
Respawn/Revive Reachability: percentage of revives reachable in target window. Fix: redistribute respawn nodes or add quick travel for large maps.
Optimal Route Diversity: how many distinct paths are used. Fix: add meaningful alternate routes if one path is dominant.
Sightline Impact: record outcomes of engagements by sightline length to detect overpowered lanes. Fix: add vertical cover or sight blockers.

Design checklist: turn map size into predictable player flow

Use this checklist for every new map or variant:

Define intended size tier (small/medium/large/hybrid) and target traversal time.
Map out expected player flow and tag 3–5 earnable control nodes.
Balance resource placement so no node is trivially mandatory.
Design at least two viable flank routes per major node.
Set recontact/revive windows and validate in playtests.
Run telemetry 100–500 runs before polishing sightlines and spawn logic.
Introduce one spectator- and caster-friendly line of sight per map for broadcast clarity.

Concrete map edits: quick wins for Embark's 2026 roadmap

For maps currently in Arc Raiders — Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, Blue Gate, and Stella Montis — here are actionable edits that demonstrate the value of size-conscious tuning:

Stella Montis (maze-like): Add signposted vertical shafts and small safe pockets to reduce frustration on solo runs, preserving its identity while improving solo pacing.
Spaceport (vertical): Create medium-sized variants by gating upper decks: open/closed upper decks change traversal time and sightlines for seasonal play.
Buried City (wide lanes): Introduce hybrid variants with interior node clusters to increase engagement density for co-op speedruns.
Dam Battlegrounds (open vistas): Add cover islands and short tunnels to reduce exposed-snipe dominance in competitive variants.
Blue Gate: implement a small map arena linked by a quick-travel shuttle to create a two-phase large map without long, empty corridors.

Advanced strategies: dynamic pacing and competitive fairness

Looking ahead, designers can use adaptive systems to keep pacing consistent across player skill levels:

Adaptive enemy density that scales to player count and average response time so co-op pacing remains crisp regardless of group composition.
Map variants for ranked play that lock down dynamic elements (doors, destructibles) to reduce random outcomes in esports.
Shrinkwrap phases in large maps for competitive matches — after X minutes, the playable area constricts to force engagement without feeling artificial.

Final: actionable takeaways for Embark and map designers

Want to turn the 2026 map roadmap into a player- and spectator-friendly reality? Start here:

Ship a balanced map pool: include small, medium, large, and hybrid maps and commit to preserving legacy maps with iterative changes.
Instrument everything: collect engagement density, time-to-contact, revive reachability, and route diversity and use those metrics to tune pacing. If you need guidance on integrating game telemetry with backend systems and edge regions, see edge migration & low-latency patterns.
Tune for mode: design competitive variants with capped sightlines and predictable spawns, while co-op variants get flexible scaling and staging pockets.
Enable broadcasters: add caster-friendly sightlines and provide built-in telemetry overlays for esports production — and prepare channel assets to help casters present matches effectively (broadcaster pitching).
Iterate publicly: run seasonal playtests with the community and pro teams; preserve what players love about the old maps while introducing clear, strategic differences in new ones. Consider using fan engagement and event toolkits to surface community feedback efficiently.

Closing: why map size matters more in 2026 than ever

In 2026, players expect both rapid novelty and deep competitive integrity. Map size is the lever that reconciles those demands: it sets the tempo, defines the tactics, and frames the story of every match. By treating size as a first-class design parameter — measured, iterated, and tuned to mode — Embark can produce a map ecosystem that supports casual exploration, tight co-op loops, and a compelling Arc Raiders esports scene.

Call to action: Designers and community leads: run a telemetry-backed map sprint this quarter. Players and pro teams: join the next public playtest, share heatmaps and run times, and help shape Arc Raiders' map pool. Together, we can make every map feel intentional, balanced, and fun.

gamings

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Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.