I have no idea what an extraction shooter is and it feels like I keep seeing news about extraction shooters shutting down not longer after being released.
this post was submitted on 08 Apr 2026
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Spawn on map
Do objectives, collect stuff
Get out of map without dying
Thats basically the main gameplay loops of these games.
Somebody should make some single player ones. The concept sounds fun, but I have little interest in live service stuff.
Escape From Duckov is an excellent single player parody of Escape From Tarkov, one of the most famous extraction shooters. Duckov was one of my most enjoyed games last year.
Escape From Tarkov itself has the Single Player Tarkov mod which I hear is great, but I don't own that game so can't verify.
Zero Sievert is another one, similar style to Duckov with the top down perspective and single player mode.
I'll second Duckov! I had quite a bit of fun with it and progression is pretty solid.
I've wanted this since PUBG came out. PvE with a solo focus, teams optional. Could even involve indirect PvP - can't directly attack the other players, just sabotage/score higher. I feel like there's really an untapped market there, but if it's not a live service with monthly payments and cosmetics then the suits aint interested. Gag.
Try Escape from Duckov! Silly characters but the gameplay really is solid.
witchfire is in early access but it's a single player extraction shooter that kicks ass. gunplay on par with bungie imo
The Forever Winter seems to have offline single-player.
SwapMeat
It could work. Theres that single player "mmo" on Steam and that actually seems fun. My favorite part is looting everything I can and thats still possible in singleplayer. Maybe if it was just not live service and had PvE elements you could play with your friends it might be really auccessful. But everyone is chasing money printers now.
There are a few, Red River and Tarkov has PVE mode. I'm also making one but not FPS.
Hmm, does Pacific Drive count as an extraction... wait, there's no shooting. And it's kinda roguelikey. But it's got "spawn in map, do stuff, try to get out" nailed!
Extraction shooters seem to be all the rage right now, what with Arc Raiders still going strong almost five months after launch, and Marathon hot off the presses. Well, the genre's a hit in theory anyway, as Arc Raiders is really the only extraction shooter to break into the mainstream—even Bungie's stab at it, while excellent, still hasn't exploded into a full-scale phenomenon.
I don't play extraction shooters because it is a dumb format that encourages camping exit points instead of any other style of play. Absolutely never touching any extraction shooters unless it has randomized and multiple exits.
I've only seriously put any time into Matathon, but it has randomized multiple exfils, so maybe give it a try if you have interest in the genre apart from that (I'm not sure how common it is).
Live-service games are a fucking stupid gamble. You either succeed massively amid a crowded field - or you are fucked. There is no long tail, for multiplayer-only games. Not if you're doing modern bullshit with centralized servers and kernel anticheat and real-money charges for shit that's already in the game. You can't have a "cult classic" that relies on several hundred people queuing at all times. The format demands a hit, but you cannot plan a hit, or force a hit. Not even fucking Rockstar bets the farm on their next title meeting expectations.
Just throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks.