Embark Studios is changing how it handles ARC Raiders updates. In a May 13 development post, the studio said it is moving away from monthly drops and will now focus on two major updates each year.
Embark said the monthly pace was not sustainable for the kind of long-term experience it wants to build. Regular live updates will still keep coming, with balance changes, bug fixes, and store refreshes arriving more often.
The first major test of that new plan is Frozen Trail, which Embark says will arrive in October. The studio called it the game’s biggest update yet and promised “the largest map in the game”, set in a new Rust Belt area with layered design and fresh mysteries.
Frozen Trail is also bringing a new Arc with fresh designs and unique behaviors, a more ambitious ARC operation, new progression systems, an improved skill tree, and new weapons, items, instruments, and cosmetics. Embark also said the update will dig into the origin of ARC, which points to a deeper lore push alongside the gameplay changes.
Progression is clearly a big focus in the studio’s broader plan. Embark said it is reworking core systems such as Trials and the Expedition loop while looking for more reasons to keep players returning. For the moment, the next smaller update will still land next week and add a new trader, plus up to five slots for carrying items between Expeditions, including blueprints.
If you’ve been waiting on the next big ARC Raiders beat, October is a long way off. Even so, Embark is making it clear that the game is moving toward fewer but larger drops, with the day-to-day upkeep handled through smaller live updates.
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ARC Raiders
Developed by Embark Studios
ARC Raiders is a multiplayer, extraction adventure, set in a lethal future earth, ravaged by a mysterious mechanized threat known as ARC.
- Genre: Shooter
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Modes: Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release: 2025-10-30
- Publisher: Embark Studios
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Age Rating:
ESRB T / PEGI 16 / GRAC 15+ / USK 18 / CLASS_IND 14 / ACB M
- IGDB Rating: 89.7/100
