Ex-Marathon Dev Decries Extraction Shooter Term

Former Bungie developer Chris Sides has criticized the term "extraction shooter," calling it a "terrible" genre label because it fails to communicate what the gameplay is actually like.

Speaking on the Shooter Monthly podcast, the former product director for Bungie's upcoming game, Marathon, was blunt. He emphasized that the "extraction shooter" label is too broad, encompassing many very different games, making it difficult for players to understand what they're signing up for.

"The issue is you could call Helldivers 2 an extraction shooter, but it isn't one. The genre name is just that bad," Sides stated (via TheGamePost). "I detest the term 'extraction shooter.' While working on Marathon, I pleaded with the marketing team, 'Can we please coin a different genre name? 'Extraction shooter' is just silly.' It's the only genre named after a single mechanic.

"Extraction is just the method for leaving a match. Is Helldivers 2 an extraction shooter because you extract? No. It's nothing like Escape from Tarkov. So the genre terminology is already flawed. It makes comparing these games really challenging. You can somewhat compare Arena Breakout and Tarkov because they're both extraction shooters and follow a similar formula. But comparing Arc Raiders to Tarkov doesn't work. Comparing Arc Raiders to something like Rust might fit better, but then is Rust an extraction game because it's about survival? It's a problematic label. I really can't stand it.

"I believe that when you hear 'extraction genre,' it should give you a clear idea, but the reality is the genre itself doesn't even know what it is. So as a player, how are you supposed to know what you're going to get? That's one of the core issues with the genre itself."

The full podcast is definitely worth a listen. Sides and other shooter developers have a fascinating conversation about the extraction shooter genre in general and the specific problem with its name. They cover everything from Marathon and Arc Raiders to Helldivers 2 and Escape from Tarkov.

Despite Sides's issues with the term 'extraction shooter,' it hasn't hindered the success of Arc Raiders. Developer Embark Studios markets it as a "multiplayer extraction adventure" rather than a shooter. The game sold 4 million copies in under two weeks and reached a peak of 700,000 concurrent players.

As for Marathon, Bungie recently delayed its release from 2025 to 2026 to address feedback from playtests. Bungie's official description for Marathon is a "team-based extraction shooter."