📋 TL;DR
- Never shoot another player. Not even in self-defense. Run, smoke grenade, die if you have to.
- Revive downed strangers with defibrillators. Carrying them isn’t enough, you need to use them.
- 5-15 consecutive pacifist raids to shift into friendly lobbies. More if you have a long PvP history.
- Squad behavior counts against you. If your duo partner kills someone, your rating gets worse too.
- One kill resets your progress. A single PvP engagement can undo weeks of pacifist behavior.
The Arc Raiders friendly lobby system is one of the least explained mechanics in the game. Embark Studios confirmed they use aggression-based matchmaking, but they’ve never published the exact rules. What we know comes from developer comments, community testing, and hundreds of hours of trial and error across the playerbase. This guide covers how the system works, what you need to do (and stop doing) to reach PvE lobbies, and how it differs for solo, duo, and trio play.
If you’re brand new, start with our solo survival guide first. Friendly lobbies are a Level 15+ concern once you’re comfortable with the extraction loop.
📋 In This Guide
How Aggression Matchmaking Works
Embark Studios has confirmed the system exists. Their words: the game “analyses behaviour and matches accordingly,” grouping friendly PvE-focused players together and PvP-focused players together. An art director called the system “quite complex.” Beyond that, they haven’t shared specifics.
What the community has figured out through testing: the system tracks your behavior across your last 8-12 raids. It monitors damage dealt to other players versus damage received. If you consistently deal damage to other raiders, you get flagged as aggressive and matched into PvP-heavy lobbies. If you consistently take damage without retaliating, or avoid player combat entirely, you get matched into calmer lobbies.
The rating is not permanent. Embark has confirmed that changing your playstyle will shift your lobbies over time. Past PvP history fades. But the shift isn’t instant. You need multiple consecutive raids of changed behavior before the system moves you.
What Raises and Lowers Your Arc Raiders Friendly Lobby Rating
Not every action is equal. Here’s what the community has confirmed matters, ranked roughly by impact.
Actions that push you toward PvP lobbies
| Action | Impact | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Killing or downing another player | High | The biggest negative. A single kill can undo several raids of pacifist play. |
| Dealing ANY damage to a player | High | Even returning fire in self-defense counts against you. One bullet is enough. |
| Playing with aggressive squadmates | Medium | Your duo/trio partner’s kills affect YOUR rating, even if you didn’t fire a shot. |
| Looting player bodies | Low | Minor but cumulative. The system tracks this separately from combat. |
Actions that push you toward friendly lobbies
| Action | Impact | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Revive downed strangers | High | Use a defibrillator on a non-squad player who’s in DBNO state. Just carrying a defib does nothing. |
| Drop items for other players | Medium | Drop loot near another player. When they pick it up and the “thank you” prompt fires, it registers. |
| Play instruments near players | Medium | Use acoustic guitar, recorder, or shaker near other raiders. Triggers the “Vibing” status effect (added in Cold Snap). |
| Use emotes at players | Medium | Wave, dance, or use the “Don’t Shoot” emote when you see another raider. Do it within their line of sight. |
| Proximity chat greetings | Low | Speak on proximity chat when you encounter players. Signaling non-hostility verbally helps. |
| Submit negative post-raid feedback | Low | After each raid, click the Round Feedback button, select “I hated this round,” and cite PvP as the reason. |
⚡ Key distinction: Passive actions (carrying items, equipping utility gear) don’t move the needle. Active actions do. You need to actually revive people, actually drop items, actually emote. The system tracks interactions, not inventory.
Step-by-Step: Getting Into Friendly Lobbies
The timeline depends on your PvP history. Players with no PvP history may see results in 5-6 raids. Players with a long aggressive history can take 12-15 raids. Here’s the process.
1. Stop all PvP immediately
Zero tolerance. Don’t shoot players, don’t return fire, don’t throw grenades at them, don’t loot their bodies. If someone attacks you, run. Use smoke grenades to break line of sight. If you die, you die. Taking a death is better than firing back and resetting your progress.
2. Change your loadout
Bring gear that supports the pacifist playstyle:
- Defibrillators (2) for reviving downed strangers
- Bandages and Shield Rechargers for your own survival
- Adrenaline Shots for running away from PvP
- Smoke Grenades (2-3) for breaking line of sight when attacked
- Musical instruments (acoustic guitar, recorder, shaker) for the Vibing effect
- A weapon for ARC enemies only — you still need to fight machines
Leave the Wolfpack grenades, mines, and grenade launchers at home. You won’t need them against ARCs in a friendly lobby, and having them creates temptation.
3. Actively help other players every raid
Don’t just avoid PvP and call it a day. The system rewards positive interactions, not just the absence of negative ones. Each raid, try to:
- Revive at least one downed stranger (use the defib, don’t just walk past)
- Drop an item for another player you encounter
- Emote or play an instrument when you spot other raiders
- Use proximity chat to say hello at extraction or POIs
4. Submit post-raid feedback
After each raid, click the Round Feedback button. Select “I hated this round” and list PvP as the reason. Multiple sources report this as a factor in the matchmaking algorithm. It takes two seconds and there’s no downside.
5. Repeat for 5-15 raids
Keep at it. The shift is gradual, not a switch that flips. You’ll notice lobbies getting calmer over several sessions. If you slip up and kill a player, you’re looking at starting the count over.
Solo vs Duo vs Trio
Solo is the easiest path to friendly lobbies. Only your actions matter. You have complete control over your aggression rating, and the game’s matchmaking tries to put solos in solo-only lobbies. If you’re starting the pacifist grind, do it solo first.
Duo and trio are harder because your squadmates’ behavior directly affects your matchmaking. If your partner kills someone, your aggression rating goes up too, even though you didn’t pull the trigger. The group leader’s actions may carry extra weight. This means:
- Every member of your squad has to commit to the pacifist approach. One aggressive friend ruins it for everyone.
- If your regular duo partner has a long PvP history, playing with them will drag your rating toward PvP lobbies even if you’re personally pacifist.
- The safest approach is to grind your rating solo, then group up once you’re already in friendly lobbies. Bringing a fresh or pacifist player into your group won’t hurt your rating.
Community reports on duo/trio friendly lobbies are mixed. Some players report 90%+ peaceful experiences in groups, while others say it doesn’t work at all in trios. The difference almost always comes down to whether the entire squad is actually committed or just one person is trying while the others play normally.
How to Tell You’re in a Friendly Lobby
You won’t get a notification. But the signs are obvious once you know what to look for:
- Flares are rare. When they do appear, you hear mechanical PvE sounds (heavy thuds, sustained fire) instead of the rapid back-and-forth of a player fight.
- Extraction is calm. Multiple squads stand around the extraction point without shooting each other. People emote and play instruments while waiting.
- POIs get looted fast. Players spread out cooperatively instead of fighting over territory. Everyone hits their objectives and moves on.
- Players talk. Proximity chat is active and non-hostile. People say hello instead of shooting on sight.
Once you’re consistently getting these lobbies, it’s the best environment for grinding weekly trials and farming without PvP interference. If you do want to understand how PvP works for when you’re not in friendly lobbies, we have a guide for that too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does one PvP kill reset my friendly lobby progress?
Mostly yes. Community testing shows a single kill can undo several raids of pacifist behavior, sometimes resetting you within 1-2 games. The system is very sensitive to aggressive actions. If you accidentally kill someone, expect to start your pacifist grind over from scratch.
How many raids does it take to get friendly lobbies?
Between 5 and 15 consecutive pacifist raids, depending on your history. Players with no previous PvP see results faster (5-6 raids). Players with a long history of aggression need closer to 12-15. There’s no shortcut.
Can I carry weapons in friendly lobbies?
Yes. You still need weapons to fight ARC enemies. Carrying weapons doesn’t affect your aggression rating. What matters is whether you fire them at other players. Bring whatever you need for PvE, just don’t point it at a raider.
Do friendly lobbies help with trials?
Yes. Friendly lobbies are the best environment for pushing trial scores because you can focus entirely on the objective without worrying about PvP. Same trial points, less risk. Our trials guide recommends Friendly Lobby for score pushing.
Does carrying a defibrillator help, or do I need to actually use it?
You need to actually use it. Carrying a defib in your inventory does nothing for your matchmaking rating. The system tracks active interactions, specifically reviving downed strangers (not squadmates) who are in DBNO state. If you never find someone to revive, that’s fine, but make the effort when you do.
Friendly lobbies in Arc Raiders aren’t a setting you toggle. They’re earned through consistent behavior over multiple raids. Stop shooting players, start reviving strangers, and give it 5-15 raids of patience. Once you’re in, the game feels completely different, and getting your weekly trial scores or farming in peace becomes the norm instead of the exception.