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ARC Raiders’ Frozen Trail Update Will Bring a Snowy New Map on October 8

Embark Studios' next major update will add a frozen mountain settlement, new ARC threats, a major Operation, and deeper progression systems, while the studio continues work on anti-cheat and stability.

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Embark gives ARC Raiders a new roadmap, with Frozen Trail due in October

ARC Raiders will head into the cold on October 8, 2026, when Embark Studios releases the game’s next major content update, Frozen Trail. The update will introduce a new map, fresh ARC threats, a high-level Operation, and deeper progression features.

Embark moved away from its monthly update model in May 2026, choosing to work toward two major updates each year instead. Smaller Store Updates have continued in the meantime, including the recent 1.41.0 update, but Frozen Trail will be the next major addition to the extraction shooter.

At the time of the Frozen Trail reveal, ARC Raiders‘ recent Steam reviews were sitting at 50% positive, leaving the recent rating at Mixed. The October update is therefore arriving with more than a fresh coat of snow on its shoulders.

A frozen settlement awaits beyond the Rust Belt

Frozen Trail’s central addition will be a new map set in a frozen settlement tucked between towering mountains at the edge of the Rust Belt. The area will offer more vertical routes and new opportunities for discovery, giving Raiders another dangerous place to search for supplies while keeping an eye on the ARC.

A new location also means new machines to worry about. Embark has teased ARC threats ranging from smaller nuisances to an enormous machine that can bring a Raider’s run to a very sudden stop. Snow, cliffs, and giant robots are a pretty rough combination already.

The update will also add a major ARC Operation built around meaningful choices, changing encounters, cooperation, and careful judgment. It sounds like the kind of high-level activity where rushing in with a plan held together by duct tape may not be enough.

Frozen Trail will expand Raider progression

Progression will receive a major expansion through the Outpost, a new space where players can house their Raider, decorate the area, research parts of the world, and work toward reclaiming the surface from the ARC. The Outpost will expand beyond the existing Raider Den, giving experienced players somewhere more meaningful to put their time between raids.

The Skill Tree will also be reworked to give players more control over the type of Raider they build, while Raider Decks are being adjusted to make them more rewarding to use. Together, those changes should give players more ways to shape their progression over time.

Embark has teased more additions beyond those headline features, including new weapons, weapon customization options, gadgets, cosmetics, and instruments. The studio will share more information in September ahead of the October 8 launch.

Embark also said it will continue working on matchmaking, anti-cheat protections, stability, and quality-of-life improvements alongside the Frozen Trail content. Those fixes may not draw the same attention as a new map or giant machine, but they will be important parts of the game’s next stretch.

With a new map, new threats, a major Operation, broader progression systems, and continued work on the systems behind every match arriving together, Frozen Trail is being positioned as ARC Raiders’ biggest update since launch. Whether it can pull former Raiders back into the Rust Belt will become clear when the update goes live.

Will Frozen Trail bring you back to ARC Raiders? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.

ARC Raiders is a multiplayer extraction adventure, set in a lethal future earth, ravaged by a mysterious mechanized threat known as ARC. Enlist as a Raider and scavenge the surface to thrive in a desolate world. But beware of the machines. Beware of Raiders preying on others.

ARC Raiders blends the tension from extraction shooters with atmospheric settings from the adventure genre. Lurking threats—from deadly machines to other Raiders—create a constant ebb and flow of intensity, where every moment is charged with the thrill of high stakes. Extract valuable loot and explore the unfolding mysteries of a vibrant, lethal world.

ARC Raiders supports seamless social play across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Play with your squad and thrive as a team, or rise in the ranks as a lone ranger.