REPORTED Written by GPN · Nov 7, 2026, 3:36 AM ET · ARC Raiders · Creators
Michael "Shroud" Grzesiek has made a bold call on ARC Raiders, telling viewers on stream that Embark Studios' extraction shooter is "definitely the biggest game since Fortnite" and that he expects it to grow bigger than VALORANT and Apex Legends over time.
The prediction, reported in early January 2026, has split the community. ARC Raiders launched on October 30, 2025 and quickly became one of the most popular multiplayer launches of the year, peaking at around 481,000 concurrent players on Steam. Fortnite, by contrast, has peaked at over 40 million concurrent players across all platforms — a gap Shroud's critics are quick to point out.
Shroud has been one of ARC Raiders' most vocal supporters since it launched, and he has praised its extraction mechanics and staying power. Whether it can close the gap on Fortnite is the open question — the game is a paid title, while Fortnite is free to play, which makes the comparison a steep one.
Away from ARC Raiders, Shroud's biggest recent moment was Fragathon, his 30-day charity subathon in early 2025. The event raised more than $1 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, drew over 27 million views across YouTube, TikTok and X, and was held in memory of his father, who died of lung cancer.
Shroud remains one of Twitch's biggest names, with 11,292,376 followers on the platform.
