ARC Raiders Reaches 185,443 Steam Players, but Embark Knows the Spike Is Temporary

The October 8 update and a recent free trial preceded the rebound, following a September dip into the low 30,000s.

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Close-up of an ARC Raiders character wearing a helmet, goggles, and respirator.

ARC Raiders reached a concurrent Steam peak of 185,443 players on Oct. 11, its highest mark since March. That is a sharp rebound from the low 30,000s in September, though it remains well below the game’s record of 481,966. SteamDB’s 48-hour chart tracks the latest peak.

The count had not topped 100,000 since May before this recovery, then passed 125,000 on Oct. 8, the day Frozen Trail launched. The rise followed that update and a recent free trial. Frozen Trail added 22 quests, Pendola Pass and three new ARC enemies, among other content, giving returning Raiders fresh reasons to jump back in. The update’s full set of additions includes new weapons and progression changes, too.

Embark full-stack engineer Leon San José Larsson welcomed the returning players in an Oct. 10 post, while acknowledging that the spike would not last forever. The post captured the rebound as the concurrent count passed 150,000.

It won't last forever, of course, but it's great seeing so many people back again after almost a year pic.twitter.com/2pPiRK5rcE

— Leon (@MozzyFX) October 10, 2026

Do you think Frozen Trail and the free trial can keep the returning players around? Follow the player-count swings and Embark’s update cycle 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.