'It's the Only Genre Where Its Name Is a Mechanic' — Ex-Marathon Dev Explains Why He Really Hates the Term 'Extraction Shooter'

Former Bungie developer Chris Sides has called retired the word "extraction shooter," saying it's a "terrible" genre sanction due to the fact that it doesn't archer the subordinate what to expect from the game.

Talking connected the Shooter Monthly podcast, the erstwhile manager of merchandise connected Bungie's upcoming Marathon didn't clasp back, stressing that with truthful galore chiseled games perchance falling nether the umbrella of "extraction shooter," players volition find it hard to cognize "what you're going to get."

"The occupation is Helldivers 2 tin beryllium called an extraction shooter, but it's not. The genre sanction is truthful bad," Sides said (thanks, TheGamePost). "I hatred the genre sanction of 'extraction shooter.' When I was moving connected Marathon, I was moving with marketing, dying to beryllium like, 'Can we delight make a antithetic genre name, due to the fact that extraction shooter is truthful dumb.' It's the lone genre wherever its sanction is simply a mechanic.

"Extraction is the mechanic to get out. Helldivers 2, is that an extraction shooter due to the fact that you extract? No. It's not similar Tarkov astatine all. So the terminology of the genre is already terrible. It makes it truly hard to comparison these games. It's wherefore Arena Breakout and Tarkov, you tin benignant of look astatine it due to the fact that they're some extraction shooters and they benignant of acceptable the aforesaid mold. Comparing Arc Raiders to Tarkov conscionable doesn't truly fit. Comparing Arc Raiders to possibly similar a Rust could fit, and past Rust... is that an extraction due to the fact that it's survivor? It's a problem. I cannot basal the sanction of it.

"So I deliberation that erstwhile you accidental the extraction genre, it should deed your spot, I deliberation it's truly the information that the genre doesn't adjacent cognize what it is. So you arsenic a player, however bash you cognize what what you're going to get? And I deliberation that's 1 of the existent issues with the genre itself."

It's good worthy listening to the podcast, wherever Sides is joined by different shooter developers successful an absorbing treatment astir the extraction shooter genre generally, arsenic good arsenic the occupation with however it's named. They sermon everything from Marathon to Arc Raiders and Helldivers 2 to Escape from Tarkov.

While the word 'extraction shooter' whitethorn beryllium problematic, according to Sides, it hasn't held backmost the show of Arc Raiders, which developer Embark Studios describes arsenic a "multiplayer extraction adventure," arsenic opposed to an extraction shooter. It sold 4 cardinal copies successful little than 2 weeks, with a highest concurrent subordinate number of 700,000.

As for Marathon, it was precocious delayed retired of 2025 and into 2026 arsenic Bungie works to respond to feedback from playtests. Bungie describes Marathon arsenic a "team-based extraction shooter."

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.