Extraction shooters are in the middle of a wild, wild evolution right now, and I couldn’t be more excited. All those years ago, these games started as a niche subgenre defined by tension, high stakes, and gear loss. Now, it has exploded into one of the most exciting spaces in gaming, with one *Arc Raiders *currently leading the charge. With its gorgeous retro-futuristic aesthetic and brilliant handling of PvPvE systems, *Arc Raiders *is inarguably the new gold standard for the masses’ looter shooters.

Now, I’ve stated on multiple occasions how we don’t need more extraction shooters today, but *Arc Raiders *may very well have brought on a turning point. In an over-saturated genre, it manages to be inventive, stylish, and, above all, get millions interested. Even more integral to the genre now, is the wave that it’s bringing with it, in the form of some incredible new extraction shooters that are absolutely worth keeping an eye on. Whether it’s through insanely intriguing hooks or wildly ambitious premises, there are a few more remarkable looter shooters on the horizon, and you should definitely be watching out for them.

Rules of Engagement: The Grey State is creating a ‘horrorverse’

A horror premise that’s never been attempted before

Horror-based PvE games are a dime a dozen today, and even the good ones aren’t all that uncommon. Make it a horror PvPvE game, though, and suddenly, you’ll be hearing crickets. That’s what *Rules of Engagement: The Grey State *is looking to change with its horror RPG-tactical shooter systems. In fact, things get even more interesting here, because what the game is presenting is a complete “Horrorverse”, where the threat comes from every creature, monster, ghost, or spirit you’ve ever seen or read about on the internet in creepypastas, books, or movies.

There’s Siren Head, characters from The Backrooms, Barnacles and Headcrabs from Half-Life* *(but I doubt they’d call them that), mimics you’ll never see coming, and even Lovecraftian terrors in the game, all while you and your team of operators try and extract valuable but dangerous artifacts for a megacorporation. From early alpha tests, it’s apparent that every player will land in the game with the same basic loadout, and then begin looting and prepping, and each squad will have dedicated operators with their unique abilities and playstyles.

*Rules of Engagement *is a ways away, but it’s definitely at the very top of my list for extraction shooters to watch out for that are coming out in the near future.

Active Matter is trans-dimensional and multiversal

SCP meets Escape From Tarkov

On more than one occasion, I’ve hailed the SCP games as remarkable co-op experiences into mind-bending worlds with creatures that test the boundaries of imagination. *Active Matter *is one such game, only this time, it’s a looter-shooter. From developers Matter Team, *Active Matter *sticks you right into a time loop, at the center of a multiverse where you’ll face enemies and rivals from other timelines... and varying states of sanity and humanity-degradation.

The resource to loot and raid for in *Active Matter *is, well, ‘active matter’. It’s the most valuable resource left for humanity, and you’re not going to be doing so much looting as you’ll be doing harvesting for active matter. It all loops into itself well, with the active matter you harvest being the key to escaping the time loop you’re stuck in, but at the same time, you’re going to be contending with plenty of multiversal threats.

The game will keep changing gravity and the topology of the world around you as universes collide, and creatures and rivals from other timelines invade yours, all while you try to fight your way out of some of the most physics-defying and mind-boggling maps. *Active Matter *is set to release in 2026, and I, for one, cannot wait to see if its premise turns out to be a shallow gimmick or a feature that keeps me playing endlessly.

Exoborne has the most interesting “enemy” among them all

Mother Nature is your biggest enemy

Another PvPvE tactical shooter, Exoborne’s unique hook is that the “E” in its PvPvE comes not from any creatures or supernatural elements. Instead, the enemy here is natural... literally. You’re going to be playing in a world torn apart by “extreme” forces of nature, and the weather system isn’t dynamic. It’s nerve-wracking. The ever-changing weather in the game will continue to find new ways to punish you and your squad, all while you fight other hostile squads.

*Exoborne *is looking to have some of the most emergent gameplay possible, what with the entire landscape constantly changing not just in geography and gravity, but even the weather itself acting against you at every step of the way. Furthermore, there are two additional hooks the game has — first, it’s an open-world extraction shooter, meaning you will have your work cut out for you when it comes to raids. Secondly, players will be donning exosuits to survive in the game, and apart from the obvious cool points they lend to your appearance, the exosuits will have abilities such as jetpacks and more that you’ll upgrade over the course of your playtime.

The moment-to-moment gameplay will also include finding mods to upgrade your suit and finding a way to use the terrible forces of nature against your rival players. There’s no release date for *Exoborne *on the horizon yet, but you can go over to Steam to request playtest access.

Marathon is the next big thing

Bungie’s latest is finally looking to regain footing in the space

Before the pitchforks come out, I know that Marathon hasn’t been having the best time with their PR. The next ‘big’ extraction shooter from industry giant Bungie, Marathon isn’t even a ‘new idea’, per se. And yet, visually as well as from a gameplay perspective, *Marathon *is shaping up to be one of the most distinctive extraction shooters yet, and it’s doing so with that signature *Halo *and Destiny polish and worldbuilding prowess. Marathon is set on the planet of Tau Ceti IV, where you and your friends play as cybernetic “Runners” or mercenaries.

Your raids will consist of scavenging for loot and data, and in this ever-evolving sci-fi world, you could either use your loot to upgrade your loadouts for the next time you step foot on the planet, or to go straight upwards towards a mysterious ship. What stands out the most about *Marathon *is just how incredibly vibrant it is, even during a time when every other game seems to be doing its absolute best to chase that “ultra-realism”, washed-out color palette. The unique visuals here are drenched in clean, neon-dystopian flair, and if you’ve been keeping your eyes out, you’ll know that almost every single player who just came out of the NDA-bound playtests of Marathon has nothing but praise for the game.

There’s no question of whether Marathon’s gameplay is going to be solid, honestly. Bungie’s DNA is going to ensure that, but what matters more is how the game fares upon release sometime next year.

Systems

Released September 23, 2025

Developer(s) Bungie

Publisher(s) Bungie

Multiplayer Online Multiplayer

Franchise Marathon

From the creators of Halo and Destiny...

Scavenge the lost colony of Tau Ceti IV in Bungie’s team-based FPS extraction shooter. Choose your Runner and work together in crews of three as you battle rival teams and hostile security forces for weapons and upgrades. Survive and your loot is yours to keep for future runs on Tau Ceti—or if you’re brave enough, a journey to the derelict Marathon ship that hangs above.

Become a Runner: Choose from a roster of cybernetic mercenaries with unique abilities. Customize your playstyle with the weapons, implants, and equipment you collect on your runs. Every match is a chance to experiment, buildcraft, and come back stronger.

Welcome to Tau Ceti IV: What once was a thriving colony is now a battleground for rival factions competing for power and fortune, hiring Runners to track down weapons, valuables, and the edge they need to win.

Fun and competitive at all skill levels: Bungie’s best-in-class first person gunplay makes playing at every skill level satisfying. With multiple maps to choose from, you can sharpen your skills in starter areas, then challenge yourself in high-stakes zones and Ranked mode in season one.

The next few years are going to be about imagination and creative reinvention in the looter-shooter space.

Arc Raiders is a spark that has reignited the extraction-shooter genre by making it incredibly alluring while keeping it massively accessible at the same time. Now, these upcoming shooters are all set to go off, and the one thing I’m glad to see is that the future of this genre doesn’t lie in repetition. I’m not going to call Arc Raiders the peak of this genre, especially since the whole space is still finding its identity, but we’re certainly coming close.

In the next few years, extraction shooters are simply not going to be about just looting and surviving anymore. Instead, they’re going to be all about imagination and creative reinvention, and sooner rather than later, we’re going to see new believers in the genre.