Arc Raiders' PvE scavenging is a fairly straightforward affair. You drop into a map to loot, fight robots, and get out. But human encounters can vary wildly. Some lobbies feel like team-up sessions, while others feel like warzones where every raider must fend for his/her self. And it all boils down to how you play!
Also called aggression-based matchmaking, the game pits you against humans who are like you (at least in terms of game behavior). So if you're a gentle scavenger, you'll meet people who'll emote 'hey' as they pass you by and sometimes even help you like a good Samaritan. But if you're a trigger-happy maniac, expect to meet maniacs and look over your shoulder as you get topside.
Aggression-based matchmaking isn't just based on community hunch. Embark Studios art director Robert Sammelin has addressed these rumors, stating that matchmaking is "quite complex" and that "we do analyse behaviour and match accordingly." He didn't detail metrics like kill counts or proximity chat use, but didn't denying aggression as a factor.
During the beta, gear and skill based matchmaking was a thing that Embark Studios was playing around with. But instead of those, we have matchmaking based on how aggressively you play. Several player anecdotes confirm this, including those who have played Arc Raiders using multiple accounts with different gameplay styles.
If you go non-stop PvP, the lobbies turn hostile with shoot-on-sight raiders everywhere. Switch to ignoring players, focus on NPCs, and you enter "chill" zones where strangers share loot, revive each other, and chat via proximity voice.
Behavioral tracking seems session-based or short-term. You can shift lobbies by adapting your playstyle, so there's no permanent 'sweaty' label on you. Regardless, you should play how it suits you.
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