‘We Just Started. I Have Nothing’ — Retired Pro Gamer Goes Viral for Relentlessly Killing Casual Arc Raiders Players — but Is It Griefing or Just Fair PvP?

Arc Raiders is a multiplayer extraction adventure in which players scavenge the remnants of a devastated world. The main threat is Arc’s machines and, as developer Embark Studios puts it, “the unpredictable choices of fellow survivors.” But one Arc Raiders player, hell bent on killing relative newcomers, casuals, and those who have next to no loot or even none at all, has gone viral for killing others for sport — sparking a debate about what is and isn’t acceptable PvP behavior in the process.

Let’s start with a brief primer on how Arc Raiders works. You can play solo or in parties up to three, working as a team to progress through the game. However, other players are a constant threat, and while Arc Raiders’ explosive launch has seen a number of wholesome, viral clips of players coming together to help each other out, some players just want to watch the world burn.

Taylor “THump” Humphries, a retired American professional H1Z1 and Apex Legends player, who has taken it upon themselves to hunt down teams of players and kill them for, well, sport. In a clip viewed 4.8 million times so far on Twitter / X, THump kills a group of players, one of whom pleads: “we just started. I have nothing.” THump is then called “scum” and “a piece of s**t.” THump responds to say: “yeah, I killed every single one of you by the way.” He then laughs.

THump‘s post reads: “I love killing grown men that have jobs and children as they are trying to get 5 million credits for the expedition. Killing all teamers in solos, live now.”

I love killing grown men that have jobs and children as they are trying to get 5 million credits for the expedition. Killing all teamers in solos, live now.https://t.co/hiY3uPb3e7 pic.twitter.com/ncHTgNMT1x

— THUMP (@THump) December 18, 2025

The post sparked a strong reaction from a large group of players, some of whom hit out at THump‘s actions, some of whom backed him up. “I come from a place where PvP is not optional,” THump said. “It’s a way of life. You want optional PvP go play WoW.” Then: “couldn’t imagine spending my Friday night getting mad at a random streamer on the internet enough to comment under his tweet because he killed people in a PvP game.”

“Another toxic streamer,” one critic posted. “You should try helping them instead, it might make you feel good about yourself for a change.” Another said THump was demonstrating “psychotic behavior.”

“I think there’s something uniquely anti-social about people whose only enjoyment in games is ruining the fun of nice and friendly people,” said X / Twitter user Mizutamari. “There was always a difference between people who trolled guys that were yelling slurs or slamming keyboards and people who only trolled guys that were friendly and seemed to try and keep a happy disposition.”

In the months since Arc Raiders’ release, a sort of PvP etiquette has emerged. If you encounter another player and have no intention to PvP, call out that you’re friendly. It’s considered not cool to say friendly and act friendly then shoot, but of course that does happen. In Arc Raiders, PvP is always on.

In truth, this griefing debate has been around for as long as competitive multiplayer games have existed, but Arc Raiders has certainly brought it back to the forefront. Who cares if you pretend to be friendly then shoot to kill? It’s a video game, right? “Your fellow human who trusted you cares,” suggested redditor ilmk9396.

“It’s a video game. You don’t die in real life when your character dies,” countered MachinationMachine.

“There’s a real person on the other end spending real time and effort playing the game and they trust you not to steal that from them after you say you’re friendly,” responded ilmk9396. “They let their guard down and then you take advantage of that like a coward. Be a man and shoot on sight if you want the loot.”

Then, from MachinationMachine: “it’s a competitive PvP videogame where you role-play as a ruthless post-apocalyptic raider. How is being honorable good role-playing?”

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