Speranza Bounties is Arc Raiders players’ answer to getting shot in the back at extraction by some randomer who screamed “don’t shoot” before you could even see them. It’s not the first time something like this has taken shape, but it is the first iteration that actually has a bounty system.
“Speranza Bounties is a community-driven platform for tracking and reporting players who betray others in-game,” the description reads (via GamesRadar). “Mark targets, vote on the most wanted, and confirm eliminations to build your reputation as a bounty hunter.”
(Image credit: Embark Studios)
Once someone is marked, alongside a string of offences they have apparently committed, such as “Extract Ambush” or “Long Con”, other users can vote on who is the most hated or worthy of getting killed in-game. You can confirm a kill by sending in “a screenshot or video as proof of elimination” and there are apparently rewards waiting for “hunters who eliminate the weekly top 10 bounties”, but those haven’t been revealed yet.
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So far 77 players have been eliminated in-game, the first of which was streamer TheBurntPeanut. But strangely enough, despite being eliminated, TheBurntPeanut still sits at the top of the most wanted with 705 votes due to crimes like “voice chat snake”, “vault vulture”, and “hate speech”. Other streamers on the list include: Nadeshot, Nickmercs, Cloakzy, and Tfue. Thus proving the issue with bounty hunting systems: they’re really just used to punish high-profile players such as streamers.
We’ve seen a similar situation play out recently in Marvel Rivals with its incentivised throwing epidemic. It got so bad that NetEase had to step in and restore lost points for those targeted and tighten up malicious disruption rules in-game. Arc Raiders also saw something similar to a bounty system pop up before with The Speranza Watchlist, but that just ended up being more of a role-playing tool than an actual hitlist.
(Image credit: Embark)
It does, however, seem like reception of Speranza Bounties is split, with some welcoming a chance to shame unsportsmanlike behaviour, while others point out that witch hunts rarely end well. There’s also the argument that it’s “a waste of time and resources”, and perhaps a slight overreaction.
Sure, Embark has explained how it never intended Arc Raiders to be a strictly PvP game: “The game isn’t about shooting other players.” But this is an extraction shooter, and other players have free will, so as long as they’re not cheating I see no issue in killing other players, other than it being irritating when someone lies to you about their intent in-game.
I actually find Arc Raiders interesting because it carries so many multitudes. You can experience the best and worst of people in this game. I’ve been backstabbed many times but I’ve also had other players go out of their way to help me. You never really know what you’re going to get when you head Topside but that’s what keeps me invested.
