Katarzyna Petru
The success of the game ARC Raiders by Embark Studios can be measured by the enormous numbers that make a colossal impression in January 2026. With over 12 million copies sold and record popularity on the Steam platform, where almost half a million people were playing at one moment, it would be easy to label this title as just another market hit. However, what is happening around the "Arks" in the visual realm goes far beyond ordinary gameplay. Fans of the game, fascinated by its incredible atmosphere and photorealism, began to treat this post-apocalyptic world as a professional film set.
Gametography, or when the player becomes a film operator
An extraordinary example of this phenomenon is the work of the channel “Director of Gametography”, which proves that the world of ARC Raiders is more than just a backdrop for shootouts. The creator, who is a professional film operator in his professional life, has brought his craft into the game. He creates short action films, using the graphic engine to build frames that could proudly appear in high-budget science fiction productions. What is truly impressive is the way the “director” collaborates with random players, casting them in the roles of actors, setting up scenes, and using game elements – such as smoke or lighting – to create true virtual cinema.
Photorealism that pushes the boundaries of the best televisions
From the perspective of screen enthusiasts, such productions are the best demonstration material for modern games. The game based on the Unreal Engine 5 offers a level of detail and lighting that allows one to fully appreciate the capabilities of OLED panels and the latest Mini LEDs. It is for such experiences, which we encounter in today's games, that we purchase screens with high brightness and excellent contrast – to see how digital dust, the light of the setting sun, and the metallic structures of robots look almost tangible.
Hollywood is already knocking at the door of Embark Studios
The film potential of ARC Raiders has not gone unnoticed by the biggest players in the entertainment industry. In early January 2026, the head of Embark Studios, Patrick Söderlund, admitted in interviews with GamesBeat that the studio has been inundated with proposals from Hollywood studios wanting to bring this brand to screens as films or series. Although the creators emphasize that any potential adaptation must be done correctly and without haste, the sheer fact of such considerable interest confirms that we are dealing with a universe of enormous appeal.
Source: Director of Gametography, GamesBeat
