u/CheeseheadTroy — reddlx

Hello friends,

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of people online and in my friend groups talking about “extraction shooter fatigue” and how there are supposedly too many of them on the market, that the genre is oversaturated, etc.

I’ve also seen constant debates about what actually qualifies as an extraction shooter versus what falls into a subgenre.

So I wanted to touch on both sides of that conversation.

Quick note before we begin: This discussion is focused on PvP extraction shooters only. I know PvE extraction games exist, but for the sake of this discussion I’m not including them.

What Makes a “Traditional” Extraction Shooter?

To me, the traditional formula is:

Get in

Do missions/objectives (which may differ from player to player)

Loot items for money/gear

Extract

If you die, you lose what you brought in/carried

That is the core traditional extraction shooter loop.

So What Games Actually Fit That Mold?

If we use that definition, the current traditional extraction shooters on the market are:

Escape from Tarkov (the grandfather of the genre)

Arena Breakout: Infinite

ARC Raiders

Marathon

Delta Force: Operations

That’s five.

And realistically, only two of those are on console if we’re being honest, because I’m not counting Delta Force on console in its current state.

So the idea that there are “too many” traditional extraction shooters feels pretty disingenuous to me.

“But There Are More Than Five!”

Sure. There are more games with extraction elements.

But a lot of them fall into subgenres, not the traditional extraction shooter mold.

Hunt: Showdown

One of the best multiplayer experiences on the market, in my opinion.

Seriously, if you haven’t played it, do yourself a favor.

But Hunt is different.

You don’t really loot beyond ammo/consumables

Everyone on the map is fighting over the same one or two objectives

Most players do not extract

The game is extremely PvP-focused

Usually only one, maybe two teams leave alive

That’s not a criticism. Hunt is fantastic.

But to me, Hunt feels closer to a battle royale / objective PvP hybrid than a traditional extraction shooter.

Gray Zone Warfare

Fantastic game.

But it’s more of a sandbox MMO extraction hybrid.

No traditional raid structure

Players can enter/leave freely

You can recover gear after death

Again, great game. But it doesn’t fit the traditional mold.

Dark and Darker

Also close.

But this is much more of a:

Dungeon crawler

Hack-and-slash

Fantasy extraction game

Than it is a traditional extraction shooter.

My Main Point

My overall point is this:

The extraction shooter genre is still in its infancy, maybe toddler stage at best.

People act like the genre is flooded, but if you think 5-7 games is oversaturated, then you must think plenty of other genres are oversaturated too.

Take mil-sim shooters for example:

Arma Reforger

Arma 3

Hell Let Loose

Squad

‘83

Plus more I’m probably forgetting

And there are still more coming:

BELLUM

Wardogs

Hell Let Loose: Vietnam

Every genre gets crowded eventually.

That doesn’t mean developers should stop trying to enter the space.

It means the real question is:

Which game will make the splash that keeps players engaged long-term?

My Thoughts on the Current Big Names

Tarkov

Has done it and likely will continue to do it, but the game has dev/design decisions that turn a lot of people off. Plus it will likely never hit console, so its growth ceiling is limited.

ARC Raiders

Had huge potential/playerbase interest, but the seasonal content hasn’t evolved enough to maintain momentum.

Marathon

My personal GOTY right now.

But the hate mob has gone after that game hard despite many of them never even playing it.

So that’s fun.

Final Question for You All

Let’s keep it respectful:

Have you played extraction shooters?

If so, do you enjoy the genre?

If not, why not?

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day.