Recently, Aleksander Grøndal, Executive Producer of ARC Raiders, stated that the continuous updates after the game's launch placed more pressure on the Embark Studios team than anticipated. The title attracted a large number of players upon release, and the team maintained operations with monthly updates and regular patches. Embark later adjusted its pace, preferring to roll out larger-scale new features at a lower frequency.
In an interview with Game Developer, Grøndal said that while the team knew live service operations wouldn't be easy, dealing with the constant demands of millions of players proved more challenging than expected. He described the team as being extremely exhausted and dissatisfied with their work conditions at the time. Even though they tried their best to deliver content quickly, neither the update speed nor the content itself necessarily satisfied players.
In addition to developing new features, the team had to fix bugs, address exploitable issues, and handle daily maintenance tasks. Grøndal mentioned that the workload once exceeded what the team could handle, making scheduling difficult.
Grøndal also mentioned that he previously took a five-month break due to burnout while working at EA. He believes that teams need to find a way of working that balances creativity with personal life.