‘ARC Raiders’ Launches Frozen Trail, Its Biggest Update Yet, With a Free-to-Play Window Through Oct. 12

Embark Studios has released Frozen Trail, the 2.0 update for its extraction shooter ARC Raiders. The studio calls it the game’s biggest update since launch, and it’s opening the door to new players with a free-to-play window running from Oct. 8 through Oct. 12.

The update went live Thursday at 2 a.m. PT. It adds a new map, new enemies and weapons, a player base system and a sweeping overhaul of player progression.

A new frozen frontier

The update’s centerpiece is Pendola Pass, a snow-covered mountain map that brings Raiders into harsh new terrain. It arrives alongside two new map conditions, Frigate and Redirection, and three new ARC enemies: the Bully, the Skulker and the Hydra.

Pendola Pass is also serving as a testing ground for a new Dynamic Loot Zone system. Under the system, loot values in certain areas will shift from raid to raid. Embark says the goal is to make popular looting “routes” less predictable, though each area will keep its general loot type.

Players also get two new weapons, the Bantam and the Stiletto, along with an Amplified Weapons upgrade system. New gear includes a Grappling Hook, a Tether Launcher, a Yank Grenade, cameras and even a banjo and harmonica.

Outposts and a rebuilt skill tree

Frozen Trail introduces the Outpost, a customizable base that players unlock by completing a project. Outposts include a Research Bench and can be decorated with 100 new furniture designs, most of which players find while scavenging Topside.

Embark has also rebuilt the game’s Skill Tree after acknowledging that the original design wasn’t offering players enough meaningful ways to shape their playstyle. The revamped tree now forces Raiders to make harder choices: pick between two skills in the middle of each branch, then choose two out of three at the end.

The update also retires Raider Decks in favor of a new Reward Pass system. The in-game currency Cred has been removed and replaced with Reward Points. The first pass, the Frozen Trail Pass, features 60 levels across free and premium tracks. Progress on older decks carries over into a new Legacy Pass.

Other additions include 22 new quests, quest XP rewards, 14 cosmetic Weapon Stencils and expanded stash space.

Balance shake-ups

Veteran players will notice several significant changes. Embark has removed the “Solo vs. Squads” matchmaking option while it reconsiders its role in the game.

The popular Anvil hand cannon has been bumped from Green to Blue rarity after outperforming weapons in its tier, with the new Bantam taking its place as the uncommon option. The Snap Hook’s range and durability have been reduced. A reworked explosives formula means weapons like the Hullcracker now deal more than 50% more damage to ARC armor plates, but less to fragile weak points.

Embark is also cracking down on players who exploited item duplication glitches. The studio is restricting accounts holding large numbers of duplicated items and removing those items from inventories.

The studio flagged several known issues at launch, including a bug that lets the Hydra shoot players through walls in certain areas. Fixes are expected in upcoming patches.