Embark Studios

Embark Studios AB was founded in Stockholm in 2018 by six former DICE employees: Magnus Nordin, Rob Runesson, Stefan Strandberg, Patrick Söderlund, Jenny Huldschiner, and Johan Andersson. The company was established with the aim of building multiplayer games using proprietary technology, free from the constraints of large publishers. In 2021, Nexon, the South Korean gaming giant behind MapleStory, acquired Embark as a wholly owned subsidiary, providing financial backing while allowing operational independence.

The studio's first release, The Finals, entered open beta in March 2023 and launched fully on December 7, 2023. The free-to-play first-person shooter emphasizes fully destructible environments, team-based combat, and a virtual game-show setting. Within two weeks, it surpassed 10 million players. The game runs on Embark's own engine, developed in-house to support high-fidelity physics and destruction. Embark's second title, ARC Raiders, a cooperative third-person shooter set in a sci-fi world where players fight robotic enemies, was initially slated for 2024 but delayed to 2025 for further polish. A third, unannounced project is in early prototyping.

Embark maintains a lean operation of roughly 200 employees, with many working remotely. The studio's revenue model relies on cosmetic microtransactions and battle passes, with The Finals contributing to Nexon's growth in North America and Europe. Despite competing against established free-to-play shooters like Call of Duty: Warzone and Apex Legends, Embark has carved a niche through its destruction mechanics and community-driven marketing.[edit]