What is an Extraction Shooter?

Extraction Shooter is a high-stakes subgenre of multiplayer shooter games where the objective isn't just about eliminating all other players/teams, but rather more about looting and successfully escaping AKA "extracting". There's added intensity with the possibility of losing all your loot, or making away with bountiful loot. The player count of these matches vary by game, as some games may emphasize the PvE element more than PvP.

The popularity of Battle Royale is due to a number of reasons.

• High Stakes - in Extraction Shooter games, you have a persistent stash of loot & gear - playing a large role in game progression. The loot you escape with from successfully extracting goes into that stash. Before a match, you have the option to bring said loot with you, giving you the advantage from the beginning. However, whenever you die within these games then you will lose all your loot - both the loadout you chose and whatever you looted along the way.
• Risk vs. Reward - the high-value rewards that come from taking large risks provides a highly gratifying experience, as that's the type of addiction that keeps players hooked. Not everyone wants to play it safe and progress at a safer pace, and even if they do, they always have the option to change it up and play a bit spicy.
• Persistent Progression - As previously mention, there is a persistent stash of loot & gear that dictates progression in a game. You can use the extracted gear in a future match, or sell it to traders for in-game currency. Some games will also provide materials for crafting or in-game progression.
• Unpredictable Matches - Considering the PvPvE (Player vs. Player vs. Environment) aspects, the matches in Extraction Shooers are never identical. Every match is unique as you cannot replicate the same exact behavior from both the PvE and PvP aspects between matches. While other players can be your primary concern, the game's environment will quickly come and remind you that it's also a force to be reckoned with.

Extraction Shooter games generally have the following:

• Stash & Gear Fear - Choosing your loadout is one part of the game, but being able to successfully make it back out of the match with the loot you also attained is another feat. However, there's also the constant wariness that if you die then you can lose all that loot you stepped in with and/or looted throughout the match - AKA "gear fear".
• Asymmetrical Maps & Spawns - players/squads spawn in at various locations and times across a large map, unlike Battle Royale where all players drop in at once.

• Designated Extraction Points - to successfully extract, you'll have to utilize specific extraction areas scattered across the map. In some games these can be seen as helicopter pads or armored vehicles. Upon reaching an extraction point, there will be a period of time you'll have to wait once it's activated - and this is when times can get really intense as nearby players and/or AI can be notified of your activity.
• Timed Match - unlike Battle Royale where there's the map continuously "shrinks" with its safe zone, Extraction Shooters are instead on a timer to force you to act fast before the timer runs out - or else you lose it all.

• Loot, loot, loot! - although extraction is the main goal, we can't ignore the fact that looting is a huge part of Extraction Shooters. Whether it's looting a chest or defeated opponent, you never know what you'll find - certain items will provide a dopamine rush and remind you why you keep playing the game.

The most popular Extraction Shooter titles, some of which you may have heard of before stumbling upon this article, include the following:

• Arc Raiders (15-21 players in a match)
• Escape from Tarkov (6-14 players in a match)
• Hunt: Showdown 1896 (12 players in a match)
• Dark and Darker (10-18 players in a match)
• Marathon (6-18 players in a match)
• Gray Zone Warfare (48 players in a match)

In case you want to try them out, all of these titles are available on both PCs and console platforms. Some are free-to-play, but a majority of them are buy-to-play to provide players with a more premium experience, offering more polished gameplay, anti-cheat, long-term development, and "pay-to-win" deterrent. For the free-to-play games, the money aspect doesn't take effect until there are aesthetics you would like to have for your character, which vary from full skins, to smaller accessories like backpacks or weapon trinkets. Regardless, each game has unique aesthetics available for purchase.