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ARC Raiders has received lots of praise as one of the best extraction shooters to release, prompting some players to elevate it into their Game of the Year (GOTY). However, 2025 has been a year full of GOTY contenders, some of which have made legendary marks on gaming. As a result, ARC Raiders’ good word of mouth has also sparked debate over what qualities should define an awarded title.

The conversation surrounding ARC Raiders as a potential GOTY nominee was spurred by former professional esports athlete Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek. Also a popular Twitch streamer, Shroud stated support for ARC Raiders to be GOTY, over other titles that have been championed for that award throughout 2025. In particular, there was one game that the streamer hoped the multiplayer shooter would surpass in pursuit of acknowledgment.

Players Claim ARC Raiders Should Win GOTY Over Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

RPG Versus Multiplayer Shooter Has Gained Support On Both Sides

The main game Shroud argued that ARC Raiders should win GOTY over was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a title long considered the front-runner for the award. Clair Obscur comes alongside many strong potential GOTY choices, from Hades 2 to the finally released Hollow Knight: Silksong. However, Shroud and other players claim that ARC Raiders is more deserving of the honor, given how well liked it is within its genre.

Shroud’s statements, such as “We all have to band together to make [ARC Raiders] win.” and “Us multiplayer gamers are in the minority, okay?” has created much of the division surrounding the GOTY conversation.

It’s not surprising to see why some players feel this way toward ARC Raiders, as it is one of the most well-received multiplayer titles this year. The game creates incredibly appealing PvE elements, making it a better extraction shooter title than many that are on the market currently. Despite many positives, other players argue that they do not elevate the game to surpass Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 by a long shot.

FPS players have argued that ARC Raiders’ execution of fresh ideas within a genre long devoid of original content should put it in the GOTY conversation. On the other hand, those who still support Clair Obscur also say that the live service factors of multiplayer shooters take away the artistry that a GOTY-winning title should have.

Multiplayer Games Don’t Often Get The Game Award’s Highest Honor

Some Titles Only Break The Mold For Good Reasons

Though there is a category for “Best Multiplayer Game” at the Game Awards, popular shooters were never typically nominated for GOTY before that award was created. The only exception to multiplayer shooters not winning GOTY is Overwatch in 2016, when it was at the height of its popularity.

This is for a variety of reasons, mainly because of how microtransactions, decreasing support, and other factors usually sour a multiplayer game’s reputation before it can win GOTY. Single-player games don’t suffer as much from those same criticisms, especially when they have long-lasting strengths. A fantastic story, an expansive world, or tight and focused gameplay are all great examples of what makes single-player titles often take GOTY.

Oftentimes, those who only play online multiplayer games are unlikely to experience single-player titles as often. This sudden push for ARC Raiders likely comes from many who will never play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to begin with.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has all these benefits, prompting many online to disagree with those who believe ARC Raiders outclasses it in some ways. Thankfully, ARC Raiders’ support throughout this debate may cause it to win the multiplayer-focused award that is given alongside GOTY and many other honors.

To compare ARC Raiders and Clair Obscur depends completely on what your preferences are, but there’s no denying each starkly contrasts the other. As such, debate over ARC Raiders’ possible spot for GOTY is likely to continue, but it is unlikely to dethrone one of gaming’s best original titles from its frontrunner position.

Systems

Released October 30, 2025

ESRB Teen / Violence, Blood

Developer(s) Embark Studios

Publisher(s) Embark Studios

Engine Unreal Engine 5

Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op

Platform(s) PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC