‘Arc Raiders’ Update 1.23.0 Patch Notes: Vanguard Set, Delay & Riven Tides Preview

'Arc Raiders' (Image: Embark Studios)

Players were frustrated when Arc Raiders Update 1.23.0 did not drop on April 7. Here’s everything about the update, when it arrived and what caused the delay.

Embark Studios said on Discord that Update 1.23.0 was delayed by 24 hours to April 8, 2026, without giving a direct reason, but confirmed the patch would arrive at 11 a.m. CET. Although players were left in the dark about why the update was delayed, they didn’t have to wait long for news on when it would drop.

Expect an incremental build-out rather than a wholesale revision. Patch frequency will continue as it has since launch: bi-weekly (every two weeks) for balance/bug fix updates; bigger content releases on the last Tuesday of each month. VICE Update 1.23.0 fits into that paradigm. It will contain some “general” patches, along with what should be the most notable item added to the game from this update – the Vanguard Set.

The set was long anticipated by the community. In fact, players have been anticipating it since VICE Flashpoint was announced. Players had been waiting patiently to spend money on this set for several weeks prior to this release date and the community was aware that the set would arrive in-game with this VICE patch.

The Vanguard Set dropped very positively. On Reddit, users expressed both positive emotion/enthusiasm and humor, and one user even stated how everybody would probably now look alike (and another expressed relief that this was actually a “skin” worth purchasing) and also added a hopeful comment regarding Embark not ruining it with some ugly add-on/accessory. This is the type of cosmetic reaction that all live-service games want.

Embark Studios announced that Update 1.23.0 will be the final small patch before the Riven Tides update, scheduled to drop at the end of April. That’s looking like it’ll be a big content update; Embark Studios has announced they have three new outfits coming out through April – the Brigade Set, Vanguard Set and Nascosto Set. The Phrasemaker — which indicates that Embark will continue to have a stable pipeline of cosmetics dropping alongside their gaming updates.

The 24-hour delay was just a minor speed bump. With Riven Tides on its way and a weekly patch schedule in place, it appears Embark Studios is going to keep Arc Raiders moving.