An industry analyst has shared new details about the budget of ARC Raiders, and the numbers are turning heads.
According to the report, Embark Studios spent around $75 million to make ARC Raiders, and that amount also includes marketing costs.
ARC Raiders is easily one of the most popular games of 2025. Embark Studios delivered a strong and exciting extraction-style adventure that many players instantly connected with.
The game recently received a huge update that added a lot of fresh content, even though it caused some technical issues.
But this time, the focus is not on updates or gameplay. The big question is how much money it really took to make the game.
The ARC Raiders budget was discussed in a recent SIFTD Games video by well-known industry analyst Michael Pachter.
In the video, he talks about the current state of the game industry and whether Ubisoft can survive after its recent restructuring.
Near the end, Pachter starts talking about game development costs and timelines, and that is when ARC Raiders comes up.
Pachter explains that spending five years to make a game and selling only five million copies is not a healthy model. He believes three years is more than enough for most games.
He also mentions how people often compare every big game to GTA 6, which may cost $1.5 to $2 billion to develop.
But he points out that Rockstar will earn that money back very fast, possibly within the first week of release.
He says developers should stop comparing themselves to GTA, FIFA, or the old peak of Call of Duty. Instead, they should look at ARC Raiders as a better example.
Then Pachter shares a key detail, saying ARC Raiders cost $75 million to make. The game was developed in three years, with a team of about 70 developers, and the budget also covered marketing.
Even more impressive, Pachter claims that ARC Raiders has already earned around $500 million, with over 12 million units sold so far.
He believes the game will likely reach close to $1 billion in total revenue, showing that a smart budget and shorter development time can still lead to massive success.
