It’s still a toss-up whether devs would really go ahead or not. They might worry about dispersing their attention or adding more work to their plate while they still have a lot of hurdles to overcome. Coming to this, what’s been the community’s response to the news? The answer is ‘very mixed’; it’s like the community got hit by a stun grenade and everyone started shouting different things.
Some of the players are really over the moon. In fact, they are extremely excited. One user, Nova Zeelandia, went so far as to write a lengthy and very impassioned post explaining how their avatar has to sit on a “rusty camp bed with no blanket” because they have not yet extracted her; they just can’t bear making her go back to the dreary and deserted Speranza. They are simply waiting for the orbiter. The level of commitment to roleplaying is really amazing, and the presence of a walkable hub with private rooms would turn them into heaven. Another player, PURP, made quite an assertive remark stating, “I fucking need hubs to come back,” thus recognizing it as a lost feature in modern games. There is a big wave of nostalgia for the social zone atmosphere as people like Machiko recall the old DayZ mod trading posts where one would “just sit in a hub for 10 hours chatting.”
Meanwhile, the practical ones are at the other end of the spectrum. The players belonging to the “just let me play the game” group are the most uncompromising ones. Player BaS promptly retorted that instead of developing a hub, the team should “concentrate on eliminating the numerous bugs players are facing.” And you know what? That’s a very logical point! Vinny p was even more straightforward, labeling it as “extra clunky nonsense preventing me from playing” and demanding a loadout system instead. Earth Djinn brought up the cautionary tale of the Call of Duty: WWII’s headquarters hub. After some time, they introduced menu shortcuts, and then, literally, no one was in the physical space anymore because going through menus was quicker. Ouch!
Comparisons with other games are rampant. Destiny’s Tower was mentioned. Deep Rock Galactic’s hub was also noted for its little activities and its overall fun that was once again allied to being an excellent place to have fun. One user even inquired if it would be similar to COD WWII’s HQ. Among the players, it’s certainly quite clear that they can afford to draw on a rich reservoir of both good and bad examples of hubs.
Then we have the compromise-style and middle-ground players. This might be the most thoughtful perspective. Players like qtlynxie had been advocating for the existence of both a menu plus a hub to roam around for the purpose of attracting all types of players. Just to illustrate, make the walkable area optional, you know? Let the social butterflies take their time and use emotes on each other, while the grinders hit that “deploy” button from the menu. TheMazerik too shared a relaxed view adding that it would be nice to have it but “it can definitely wait to make sure the rest of the game stays as great as it is.” Prioritization, folks!
So where does this leave us? The Arc Raiders developers have slightly opened a massive community feature door. Meanwhile, the players have their blueprints ready for what’s on the other side. The debate reveals a very committed and passionate player base that is deeply engaged with the game’s universe and its future, even if they can’t come to a consensus on what that future should look like. It’s a typical developer’s dilemma: whether to create the beautiful, engaging thing which a few players may adore or to concentrate on the core experience that everyone is here for and which still needs polishing. Ultimately, this talk of Speranza is less about one single feature and more about the kind of game Arc Raiders wants to be—a pure, sleek extraction experience, or a vibrant world where you can just… be in-between raids. The developers have sensed the desire, and the success of PlayStation titles shows players value immersive worlds, while features like cross-play supported by Xbox can broaden the community.
