When Patrick Söderlund left Electronic Arts in 2018—after leading some of the biggest shooters in history like Battlefield—many wondered what could possibly come next. The answer, as it turned out, was Embark Studios, a Stockholm-based developer founded on a bold idea: to reinvent how games are made.
Now, just a few years later, Embark has launched The Finals—a wildly successful free-to-play shooter—and is preparing to release Arc Raiders, a premium co-op extraction shooter set in a retro-sci-fi world. Both games, though wildly different, reflect the same philosophy: radical experimentation, efficiency, and respect for players' time.
In this rare, wide-ranging interview, Söderlund opens up about lessons learned from The Finals, the rebirth of Arc Raiders, the risks of running a studio in 2025's volatile industry, and how Embark's development philosophy might just reshape game creation itself.
From EA to Embark: Building Something New
Söderlund recalls his decision to leave EA as inevitable.
"I'd been there for twelve years. It was time to do something new—to get back to working with teams on software, to be the guy who asks dumb but difficult questions."
— Patrick Söderlund, Founder & CEO, Embark Studios
Embark was born from that restlessness. A small group of ex-EA veterans set out to create something different: smaller, faster, and less corporate, but no less ambitious. The studio's first title, The Finals, became a free-to-play hit with over 20 million downloads in its first month. But success came with lessons.
The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of The Finals
Söderlund admits The Finals wasn't a game Embark originally planned to make.
"When we left EA, we didn't think we'd ever build another FPS. But we got the itch again."
— Patrick Söderlund
The team's rule was simple: no copying existing games.
"We wouldn't go into that space unless we could bring meaningful innovation. Otherwise—why bother?"
— Patrick Söderlund
The result was a fast-paced destruction-focused shooter that immediately found an audience. But a month after launch, the numbers plummeted.
"I remember sitting on vacation, refreshing my phone every hour. Then, on January 7, everything started declining—fast."
— Patrick Söderlund
The problem wasn't a single flaw—it was the structure.
"There wasn't enough content. We didn't onboard players properly. The UI and HUD needed work. It wasn't one thing—it was everything."
— Patrick Söderlund
Embark resisted the panic that kills many live-service games. Instead, they rebuilt systematically—analyzing data, talking to players, and iterating weekly.
"Data is great, but it's what you do with it that matters. You can't just chase numbers—you have to interpret them creatively."
— Patrick Söderlund
The process worked. Over six months, The Finals regained momentum.
"We're now profitable, updating weekly, and planning years ahead. That's rare in free-to-play."
— Patrick Söderlund
How The Finals Shaped Arc Raiders
The experience informed everything about Embark's next release.
"We learned to launch with more depth. It's not about how many maps you have—it's about the second-to-second gameplay loop. If that's not fun, nothing else matters."
— Patrick Söderlund
That understanding—how to keep players coming back—drives Arc Raiders' design philosophy: challenge without cruelty, reward without cheapness.
"It needs to punish you enough, but not too much. It must feel fair, yet sometimes unfair. That balance is everything."
— Patrick Söderlund
The Pivot: From AI Sandbox to Extraction Shooter
When Arc Raiders was first announced in 2021, it looked completely different. Originally conceived as a fully cooperative PvE experience powered by advanced AI systems, the game just wasn't fun.
"We should've realized it sooner. We built an entire loop around deep AI innovations—reinforcement learning, machine learning—but the encounters weren't fun. Some sessions were painfully bad."
— Patrick Söderlund
It took a hard truth to change course.
"I was the one who said it: 'It's not working.' At some point, you have to trust your gut."
— Patrick Söderlund
The team decided to overhaul the game completely. They kept the retro-sci-fi universe they loved but pivoted toward a PvPvE extraction shooter model. Veteran producer Alex Grundahl, a longtime Battlefield collaborator, joined to help redesign the core loop.
"We wanted something accessible but still deep. We played everything—from Tarkov to Hunt: Showdown—and asked how we could make something lighter, more approachable."
— Patrick Söderlund
The result is a hybrid of danger, tension, and accessibility that has captured early buzz. Technical tests drew massive participation—and, unusually, frustration from players who wanted more time in the beta.
Why Arc Raiders Is Premium, Not Free-to-Play
While The Finals succeeded as a free-to-play game, Arc Raiders follows a different model.
"Free-to-play made sense for The Finals, but Arc Raiders has a deeper construct. A cosmetics-based economy didn't suit it."
— Patrick Söderlund
Part of the decision was creative, part financial.
"We looked at Helldivers and similar games. To make a free-to-play game sustainable, it has to monetize aggressively—and we didn't want that."
— Patrick Söderlund
Instead, Embark opted for a premium launch, ensuring the game could live and evolve without constant monetization pressure.
The Embark Method: Building Games 100x Faster
To compete with industry giants like EA or Activision, Söderlund knew Embark couldn't just make games differently—they had to make them faster.
"I told our content lead: I want us to be 10 times faster. Then I called back and said—actually, 100 times faster."
— Patrick Söderlund
This wasn't about crunching. It was about rethinking production from the ground up:
- Procedural content generation
- Machine learning in asset creation
- In-house tools replacing decades-old software
- Automated, iterative workflows
"If you aim for 10x faster, you just optimize existing methods. If you aim for 100x, you have to throw out what you know and reinvent the process."
— Patrick Söderlund
The result? A 300-person studio maintaining two large live games, updating The Finals every week, and developing new IPs simultaneously.
"We've updated The Finals every single week since launch. Sometimes small patches, sometimes big. Arc Raiders will get the same treatment."
— Patrick Söderlund
This focus on efficiency over speed defines Embark's culture.
"It's not about rushing. It's about removing boring, tedious work so people can spend time creating fun things for players."
— Patrick Söderlund
Creative Freedom and Support from Nexon
Unlike many studios navigating volatile markets, Embark benefits from its parent company's stability. Nexon, a Korean publisher known for long-running titles like MapleStory and Dungeon Fighter, gives Embark complete creative freedom.
"We've never once had pressure to ship on a specific date. When The Finals stumbled, Nexon told us: 'Take your time, fix it.' We were the impatient ones—not them."
— Patrick Söderlund
This patience and trust have allowed Embark to experiment aggressively while maintaining financial stability—something few Western studios can claim.
On the State of the Games Industry
Söderlund doesn't mince words about the industry's current turbulence.
"This problem is self-inflicted. During the pandemic, we all got high on the idea that people would play games forever. But the world reopened."
— Patrick Söderlund
As studios over-hired and investors flooded the market, reality eventually hit.
"A lot of new studios formed, but building games is incredibly difficult. Not everyone will make it. Now venture capital is gone, big publishers are right-sizing, and competition is brutal."
— Patrick Söderlund
Still, he's optimistic—particularly about studios that focus on quality, curiosity, and player respect.
"It's about understanding that players choose to spend their time with you. You have to make it worth it."
— Patrick Söderlund
Looking Ahead: The Next Five Years of Embark
Söderlund doesn't want Embark to grow into a corporate giant.
"I don't envision us being much bigger than we are now. We just want to be known as a studio driven by curiosity—people who look behind the curtain and ask, 'What if?'"
— Patrick Söderlund
That curiosity extends to how Embark treats its players.
"Our goal is to treat players with the deepest respect. Listen to them, adapt quickly, and fix what needs fixing."
— Patrick Söderlund
In five years, he hopes Embark will be seen as a pioneer—in game design, development speed, and ethical player engagement.
"You have to be ambitious. Maybe we'll only get halfway. But that's fine."
— Patrick Söderlund
Rapid-Fire with Patrick Söderlund
- First thing you do at the office: "Clean up my email."
- Best shooter ever made: Half-Life.
- Dream company to run (besides Embark): "FromSoftware."
- Favorite album: Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder.
- Lesson learned: "Be more patient and trust the process."
With Arc Raiders poised to launch and The Finals thriving again, Embark Studios is emerging as one of the most innovative forces in modern game development. Their formula—fewer people, smarter tools, deeper respect for players—stands as a counterpoint to the industry's chaos.
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