How to Pitch Mods and Map Ideas to Indie Studios (Without Burning Bridges)

Hook: Get your map or mod idea heard — without burning bridges

You made a stellar map demo in Unity or a clever gameplay tweak for Arc Raiders, but every time you fire off an eager DM or email you either get no reply or a terse “we don’t accept unsolicited work.” That feeling — rejection mixed with the fear of damaging future chances — is exactly what this guide fixes.

This step-by-step playbook is tailored to students and hobbyists who want to pitch mods and map proposals to indie studios (think Embark Studios and the Arc Raiders community) in 2026. It gives you practical templates, a ready-to-send mod pitch template, portfolio guidance, and outreach scripts that respect studio workflows so you land conversations, not closed doors.

What you’ll get in this guide

• A proven, concise mod pitch template and a one-page map proposal.
• Exact copy for a professional email and follow-up messages that indie studio leads actually read.
• Checklist of portfolio materials and technical delivery standards studios expect in 2026.
• Tools, quick-apply features, and workflow templates to streamline collaboration.
• Negotiation and legal tips to avoid burning bridges and protect your work.

The 2026 context: why studios are more open — and more cautious — than ever

Late 2025 and early 2026 accelerated two trends that affect modding outreach:

• Indie studios like Embark are expanding live-service content (Arc Raiders confirmed multiple new maps in 2026), which increases demand for fresh map concepts and iteration-friendly content pipelines.
• At the same time, studios are more careful about IP, QA, and community expectations — they want high-signal proposals, not vague fan ideas. Many now require standardized contributor agreements or moderated mod pipelines.

The net: there are more opportunities, but your pitch has to be professional, technically compatible, and respectful of existing roadmaps and legacy maps.

Understanding the studio mindset: lessons from the Arc Raiders community

Embark’s 2026 map rollout shows that studios prioritize three things when considering outside content:

• Compatibility and QA — Can your map run on their engine and meet performance targets?
• Design intent — Does the idea amplify the core gameplay loops the studio is building?
• Community trust — Does the proposal respect player expectations and the game’s existing locales?

Arc Raiders community conversations in early 2026 made it clear: players love new maps, but they don’t want the studio to abandon the old ones. When you frame a proposal that enhances legacy maps or complements the new roadmap, you increase your odds of a warm reception.

Step-by-step outreach workflow (the safe, professional path)

1. 1. Do an engine and roadmap sanity check

   Before you design anything, learn what toolchain the studio uses (Unreal, Unity, custom engine) and whether they publish modding guidelines. Check official dev posts, community dev diaries, and recent interviews (for example, Embark’s 2026 roadmap discussions).

2. 2. Research the community expectations

   Read forum threads, subreddit discussions, and Discord channels. If the Arc Raiders community is asking for better support for older maps, shape your pitch to extend or patch legacy content rather than replace it.

3. 3. Build a tiny, focused prototype — not the entire level

   Studios want proof you can deliver and respect their constraints. Build a 5–10 minute playable slice that demonstrates your idea’s core mechanic: a combat arena, a dynamic lighting pass, a traversal puzzle, or an AI spawn concept. Keep it small and stable.

4. 4. Package a professional one-page pitch (use the template below)

   One page. Clear deliverables. A mock timeline. A short compatibility note. Your pitch should answer: what, why, how, and what it costs (time, not necessarily money).

5. 5. Prepare portfolio materials and tech deliverables

   Include a short demo video (60–90s), a build for their engine if possible, a Git or Perforce link with a simple README, and a changelog. Use Git LFS for large assets or a hosted build link (Google Drive/Dropbox/Itch.io) with versioned filenames.

6. 6. Send a professional email (template included)

   Keep it concise. Reference a public dev post or interview to show you did your research. Offer non-exclusive, low-risk collaboration language, and invite a short meeting.

7. 7. Follow up respectfully and keep the community in the loop

   If you don’t hear back in 7–10 business days, send a short follow-up. Meanwhile, post a community preview that doesn’t reveal proprietary content — for example, a high-level concept art board that invites feedback.

8. 8. Negotiate scope, credit, and legal terms

   Accept that many studios will request a Contributor License Agreement (CLA) or ask for non-exclusive rights. If you’re a student or hobbyist, ask for clear credit in the patch notes and permission to include the work in your portfolio.

One-page mod pitch template (copy and paste)

Use this as the front page of your PDF pitch. Keep it to one page and attach the prototype and demo video.

Title: [Map/Mod Name]
Target Game: Arc Raiders (2026) — compatible with [engine/version]
Author(s): [Name, role, contact]
Short elevator pitch (25 words): [What makes this map/mod unique?]
Core goals (3 bullets):
 - [e.g., 

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