AQTH GM

In a new interview with Games Beat, Embark's CEO Patrick Söderlund went into some detail on how the studio built the game's maps, and the big surprise for me was how closely they hew to certain real world inspirations.

"[Dam Battlegrounds] is the second one we made," says Söderlund. "To get the first iteration done probably takes weeks before it's playable but ugly and then it takes… I think we probably spent 6 months on this map to playtest it and make it playable."

Arc Raiders is one of the most exciting surprises of 2025: the chilled-out extraction shooter that somehow managed to get everything right. Embark Studios now has the considerable job of building out the game's world and delivering the kind of ongoing content that keeps players interested, but so far it's managed the task well, and not a little of that is down to the game launching with four beautifully realised and huge maps (swiftly bolstered by the addition of a fifth, Stella Montis).

As the region is named after the Caribs (pronounced kar-ib), the technically accurate pronunciation of the word “Caribbean” is “Kar-i-bee-in.” However, many people (some Caribbean natives included) prefer the pronunciation “Ka-RIB-ee-in,” and so both dictions are relatively commonplace.

Even locals can’t agree on how to pronounce the name of this city. Some people say “New Oar-lins,” others say “New Or-leans,” and a small subset even add an extra syllable to make it “New Or-lee-uhns.”

Oregon is yet another state name that people outside of the West Coast don’t know how to pronounce. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not pronounced “Or-a-gone”, but “Or-a-gun.” According to the University of Portland, even “Ory-gun” is acceptable.

Be careful how you pronounce the name of this state in front of a native Nevadan. Though inhabitants of the East Coast refer to the home of the Las Vegas Strip as “Nev-AH-da” (with an “a” like “odd”), the correct pronunciation—according to the state’s residents—is actually “Nev-AD-a” (with an “a” like “add”).

What divides the country when it comes to “pajamas” is the word’s second syllable. Head to Western and Midwestern states, and you’ll find that the “a” in pajamas is pronounced like “jam,” but spend time in any Southern or Eastern state and you’ll hear an “a” as in “father.”

Could you pass the “sear-up”? No, but I can pass the “sirr-up.” Yes, the syrup vs. syrup debate is a sticky one, but both pronunciations are considered acceptable.

This sweet treat’s pronunciation is rather controversial. The Harvard Dialect Survey shows that while the West Coast and Midwest pronounce the word “caramel” with two syllables like “car-mel,” the majority of the East Coast sees the word as three syllables, pronouncing it “car-a-mel.”

You probably know where we’re going with this one. Those in New York City, New Jersey, and the surrounding areas famously pronounce it “caw-fee.” (It’s even earned a spot in Urban Dictionary.) The rest of the country, however, will most likely order their “kaa-fee” with milk or sugar.