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How to Pitch New Map Content to Developers: Lessons from Arc Raiders’ 2026 Roadmap

UUnknown

2026-02-15

9 min read

Practical guide for community managers to build evidence-backed map requests. Lessons from Arc Raiders’ 2026 roadmap on getting devs to listen.

Hook: Why your community pitch needs to beat the noise — fast

As a community manager you face a familiar frustration: players beg for stadium or map updates, moderators gather feedback, but developers barely respond. In 2026 that gap is less about passion and more about evidence — studios prioritise requests that show clear impact on engagement, retention and revenue. If your map requests read like wish lists, they’ll end up in the backlog. If they arrive as concise, data-backed proposals — with playable solutions and measurable success metrics — they get scheduled. This guide shows you exactly how to build that kind of pitch, using lessons from Arc Raiders and Embark Studios’ 2026 roadmap.

Executive summary: The Arc Raiders lesson in one paragraph

In early 2026 Embark Studios confirmed multiple new maps for Arc Raiders — "across a spectrum of size" — which signals a roadmap balanced between quick, small-scale updates and larger, marquee environments. The community that wants changes to existing maps or new stadium-like arenas must move from sentiment to proof: combine telemetry, player heatmaps, clip evidence and organised playtests, then present a prioritised, developer-friendly ask that aligns with Embark’s live-ops rhythm and engineering constraints. Follow this blueprint and your next community pitch will look like product research, not a petition.

"There are going to be multiple maps coming this year... across a spectrum of size to try to facilitate different types of gameplay." — design lead Virgil Watkins (GamesRadar, 2026)

Why evidence-backed pitches win in 2026

Game development in 2026 is leaner and more metrics-driven than ever. Live service studios like Embark prioritise features that prove they will: 1) keep players playing longer, 2) reduce churn, or 3) increase monetisable engagement. Developers get dozens of community asks; the ones that rise to the top are those that map cleanly to KPIs. As a community manager you become influential by translating community sentiment into developer language: numbers, hypotheses, and controlled experiments.

What developers actually care about

Retention and DAU/MAU: Will this map keep players returning?
Session length and match throughput: Does it reduce matchmaking time and boost time-on-platform?
Monetisation levers: Can the map support cosmetics, tickets or seasonal events?
Technical risk: Memory, netcode, or physics constraints that add dev time.
Live-ops fit: Can it slot into the existing roadmap or seasonal calendar?

Step 1 — Gather the right evidence

There are two categories of evidence developers respect: quantitative telemetry and qualitative artefacts. You need both.

Quantitative evidence: metrics that matter

Pull or request these metrics from whatever telemetry access you have — or collect them via community-run events if direct telemetry isn’t available.

Map pick rate: How often is each map selected in matchmaking or rotations?
Win/loss and balance stats: Do certain sides or loadouts dominate because of choke points?
Average match length: Maps that consistently overrun the intended session time create dissatisfaction.
Match dropout rates: High dropouts on specific maps indicate frustration or performance problems.
Player retention cohorts: Compare cohorts who played specific maps in week 1 and their 7/28-day retention.
Streamer viewership & clip spikes: Increased Twitch/YouTube views when a map is featured is a direct engagement signal.

Qualitative evidence: the human story

Numbers are persuasive, but developers also need to understand player behavior and perception. Gather:

Clip reel: 3-5 minute montage showing repeated choke points, spawn-kills, or confusing geometry (host on a timestamped cloud folder).
Heatmaps: Player movement and death maps from community analysers or replay tools.
Bug report aggregates: Consolidated, de-duplicated list of reproducible issues tied to map coordinates.
Sentiment summary: Short analysis of forums, Reddit threads, Discord messages and top-voted posts.
Playtest reports: Run a controlled community playtest, record feedback forms and A/B results.

Step 2 — Translate problems into hypotheses & solutions

Developers want suggested, testable solutions — not just problems. Structure your pitch with hypotheses that link a change to a measurable outcome.

Example structure

Problem statement: Concise, single sentence (e.g., "Stella Montis spawn corridors create spawn-camping; match dropout on spawn is 18% higher than average").
Evidence: Bullet the key metrics and one representative clip timecode.
Hypothesis: What you expect to happen (e.g., "Widening corridor A by 30% will reduce spawn-camp dropouts by 60% and shorten time-to-first-engagement by 20s").
Proposed solution(s): Two options — a quick, low-risk bandaid (tweak spawn timers or add a barrier) and a deeper fix (rework corridor geometry or add alternate routes).
Success metrics: DAU uplift target, dropout reduction percentage, and acceptable regression thresholds for performance (monitor with a network observability plan).

Step 3 — Craft a developer-friendly pitch

Deliver the pitch in a format engineers and producers can digest quickly. Keep it concise, visual, and linked to deeper evidence.

Pitch essentials (one-page brief)

Subject line: Clear and action-oriented (e.g., "Map Request: Stella Montis spawn fix — 60% dropout reduction target")
TL;DR: Two sentences summarising the ask and expected impact.
Top 3 pieces of evidence: One metric, one clip, one heatmap thumbnail — each with a link to full files.
Priority: Low / Medium / High — and why.
Estimated effort: Community’s estimate — quick tweak vs. rework — and offer to help fund / run tests if applicable.
Next steps: Slack channel, playtest dates, and who to contact.

Case study: Applying the blueprint to Arc Raiders’ 2026 roadmap

Embark’s 2026 plan to ship multiple maps — including smaller and more grandiose environments — is a rare opportunity to influence the roadmap while the studio is reshaping map variety. Community managers for Arc Raiders can use the studio’s stated direction to align asks: small maps for fast-paced modes or large maps for seasonal events. The trick is to show how your request fills a gap in the declared strategy.

Sample Arc Raiders pitch (condensed)

Problem: Buried City shows a 22% higher match dropout after 10 minutes due to predictable choke at Quarry Alley. Evidence: heatmap (link), clip (00:01:12–00:01:42) showing spawn-camping, and forum thread with 1.2k upvotes. Hypothesis: Introducing alternate flank routes and a timed gate will reduce choke incidents by 50% and bring match lengths to the intended window. Proposed fix: Add a small side corridor (low dev cost) + gated tunnel (medium effort) for seasonal use. Success metrics: Dropout down to baseline, pick rate increase of +8%, no net increase in server CPU. Priority: Medium — aligns with 2026 focus on small maps and fast-content cadence.

Advanced strategies that impress developers in 2026

If you want your pitch to stand out, bring experimental data and an offer to co-run the work.

A/B tests & playtests

Run community playtests with variant config files (if the devs allow) and capture key metrics.
Use a small subset or test server to demonstrate an uplift before requesting mainline changes.

Propose phased rollout

Suggest a minimal viable tweak first — quick to ship and reversible — followed by a roadmap for broader reworks. This reduces dev risk and makes the change more palatable during busy seasons.

Offer community resources

Volunteer QA squads, matchmaking stress testers, and curated clip libraries reduce overhead for the studio and make the proposal low-friction. Developers appreciate when you take work off their plate.

Common mistakes to avoid

Flooding devs with emotion-heavy posts instead of a focused brief.
Submitting raw, unfiltered streaming clips without timestamps or context.
Requesting sweeping map reworks without measurable KPIs or rollback plans.
Failing to align with the studio’s stated roadmap or live-ops calendar.
Ignoring developer constraints like physics, netcode, or asset budgets.

Sample KPI dashboard for a map request

Provide a one-page KPI snapshot that devs can glance at. Include:

Baseline: Current pick rate, dropout rate, average match time.
Target: Numerical goals (e.g., dropout -50%, pick rate +10%).
Tracking: Data sources and cadence (daily, weekly).
Regression markers: Metrics that, if they worsen, will trigger a rollback.

How to follow up and build long-term influence

Pitches are the start of a relationship. Follow-up matters more than the initial send. Keep your communication regular, transparent and respectful of developer workload.

Follow-up best practices

Check in two weeks after the pitch with any new data or condensed community feedback.
If devs respond, acknowledge constraints and offer a phased plan.
Share post-change metrics publicly so the whole community sees the impact and gains trust.
Document the process: what worked, what didn’t — this becomes your community playbook.
When tone matters, lean on calm, structured messaging to reduce friction and keep conversations productive.

Templates: Quick copy-paste tools

Email / Ticket subject

Map Request: [Map Name] — [One-line Impact] — [Priority]

One-page pitch template (paste into Notion or ticket)

TL;DR (2 sentences)
Problem statement (1 sentence)
Top evidence (metric, clip, heatmap) with links
Hypothesis & proposed fix (Quick + Deep)
Success metrics (3 KPIs)
Estimated effort & risk
Offer: community resources and next steps

Final checklist before you hit send

Did you reduce the ask to one page?
Is there a clear connection between the change and a KPI?
Are clips timestamped, and heatmaps annotated?
Have you offered at least one low-risk option?
Did you align the ask with the studio’s public roadmap or recent statements (eg. Arc Raiders’ 2026 map variety)?

Actionable takeaways

Translate sentiment into metrics: Developers prioritise measurable impact.
Bring evidence in multiple formats: telemetry + clips + heatmaps.
Offer phased solutions: quick fix first, rework later.
Be developer-friendly: short, linked, and respectful of constraints.
Volunteer community resources: testing, QA, and curated clips speed approvals.

Why this works for Arc Raiders — and your game

Embark’s openness to multiple map sizes in 2026 creates an entry point for targeted community influence. If you present a pitch that demonstrates alignment with that strategy — for example, suggesting a small, fast-paced map tweak that supports a new mode, or a larger, event-ready space that can drive cosmetics revenue — you’re not asking for a favour. You’re delivering product insights that match the studio’s public roadmap and live-ops cadence. That’s how Map Requests become Roadmap Items.

Closing — your next steps (call-to-action)

Ready to turn community feedback into scheduled dev work? Start by building a one-page pitch using the template above, run a two-hour playtest this weekend, and compile the top 3 clips and a heatmap. Share the brief with your studio contact and offer to co-run the first A/B test. If you want a ready-made checklist and downloadable pitch template tailored to Arc Raiders, join our community hub — bring your evidence and we’ll help refine the brief before you send it. Together we’ll make sure player voices shape the 2026 roadmap.

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Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.