Arc Raiders is inspiring a new generation of ‘war’ photographers

Virtual photography is nothing new. In an age where video game graphics are increasingly photorealistic and dedicated photo modes are more commonplace, it’s no wonder the hobby of capturing this beauty continues to grow in popularity.

Most virtual photography takes place in either single-player games, where the photographer can take a break from the action, enter photo mode, then take as much time as needed to frame the perfect shot, or in slower multiplayer games such as Second Life, where the first ever virtual art gallery featured photos of player avatars. Most multiplayer titles are too fast-paced for virtual photography to be viable, especially shooters, where you’ll inevitably just be shot in the back… right?

In most cases, sure, but Arc Raiders subverts a lot of the expectations and norms surrounding the genre. Despite always-on PvP, it’s a friendly experience if you don’t go in guns blazing. That means there are plenty of opportunities for players to experiment and experience the game in an antithetical manner to how the developers likely intended. Turns out, Arc Raiders has become a breeding ground for virtual photography, in a way we’ve rarely seen in multiplayer games.

Arc Raiders‘ potential for photographic excellence first caught my eye a few weeks after launch, when YouTuber TopsideFlicks (“topside” is in-game lingo for the world’s hostile surface) posted a gallery to the game’s subreddit. The photos are thematic, visually striking, and each one tells a story. One features a raider hopping down into an elevator on Blue Gate, heavy backpack full of loot, hoping nobody takes a pop at him before he can extract safely. Another depicts a brave soul duking it out with a smoking Rocketeer face-to-face, armed only with an Anvil, staring down the ominous red sensor, knowing they have mere moments before they’ll be blown to smithereens.

Following that Reddit post, he’s uploaded 11 (and counting) videos showcasing what it’s like to be a wartime journalist in a fictional conflict. In an email conversation with Polygon, TopsideFlicks explained that despite being a photographer and videographer in real life (no wonder the shots look so good), he “had no idea virtual photography was a thing until the first video blew up.” That led to folks directing him towards other virtual photographers.

Image: TopsideFlicks via Embark Studios

“I always strive to make my videos less of a ‘photo showcase’ and more of a ‘hey, come along on this photo adventure with me,'” he explained. “One moment that stands out is when my friend and I were finishing a photo run together and were racing for the extract with little over a minute remaining. We stumbled upon a guy on the ground in the middle of nowhere so I revived him. Turns out, he’d been crawling for 10 minutes. The three of us dodged Bombardier shells while racing for the extract, and we made it with seconds left on the clock.”

TopsideFlicks isn’t the only Arc Raiders shutterbug though. My Instagram algorithm clearly knows me too well, because not long after, Garntrpg’s posts appeared in my feed. He takes more of a “street photography” approach, where he’ll introduce himself to players in-game and ask if they’re down for a photoshoot. He’s also a real-life photographer, and considers his Arc Raiders endeavors to be “one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done in terms of photography and just connecting with people.”

Both Topside and Garnt produce their photos by using the in-game binoculars, then editing the shots in post. Embark Studios, the developers behind Arc Raiders, has steadily introduced more non-combat items into the game, including fireworks and various instruments such as the recorder and acoustic guitar. An old wartime camera that enables the player to take authentic, themed photos would go down a treat and fit in with the not-always-hostile vibes the community has cultivated.

Arc Raiders has garnered plenty of attention over the last couple of months due to its aggression-based matchmaking system, where the less you shoot at other players, the more pacifist the lobbies you’re placed into. Topside explained that around 90% of his encounters are friendly, but he’ll “spend an evening playing PvP with some friends just so the next day I get some more hostile lobbies for photo runs, because these videos are more fun when I’m getting shot at.”

Meanwhile, Garnt’s experience is that most people don’t have a mic, but those that do “are almost always down” for a photoshoot. He says that even when he’s playing the game ‘properly’ — i.e. not roleplaying as a street photographer — he can never bring himself to shoot first.

As for their favorite shots? Garnt’s is the second shot in the video embedded above, where he’s edited it to look like chronophotography, a late 19th-century technique intended to capture phases of movement, as a raider travels between two silos on Spaceport.

Topside says “it’s impossible to pick a favorite because I have a new favorite after every video, but if I had to choose, it’d be one of three: the Queen peeking over the gunfire because it feels so cinematic; the lightning strike behind the raider on top of the Vigorosa building; or the shot of the Leaper jumping in front of the moon.”

Topside and Garnt aren’t the only two producing this style of Arc Raiders content. There’s also Red Raider on TikTok, SperanzaFrontline on Instagram, ItsTheJimJam on YouTube, and more. Playing in this way is catching on, but what happens when Arc Raiders starts to tail off? Topside revealed he’s “working on a Cyberpunk 2077 video right now,” and that he has a “roster of other games” he’ll be tackling eventually. Garnt says he’s explored photo modes in other games, but “never anything to this extent.” He plans on doing this in more games in the future, most notably Grand Theft Auto 6, whenever it eventually lands.

If you encounter a photojournalist in Arc Raiders, be sure to cooperate. They’re there to document the fight against the machines, and who knows, maybe you’ll be the subject of a work of art.