Embark Studios has published a roadmap covering January through April 2026 for Arc Raiders that lays out a monthly cadence of updates. The schedule begins with the Headwinds January update due the week of January 27, 2026 and moves on to Shrouded Sky in February, Flashpoint in March, and Riven Tides in April. Each month will add new map conditions, Arc threats, player projects, and reward passes.
Embark Studios wrote that “The Cold Snap has passed, but its danger casts a long shadow. Extreme weather will continue to test Raiders as they scavenge the surface for the resources that keep Speranza running. The increased Arc presence continues to trouble Shani as the Rustbelt grows more overwhelmed, but no-one holds all the pieces. The scale of the impending escalation remains unknown. Venture topside into an increasingly volatile Rustbelt – and make sure you’re prepared for what’s to come.”
The Headwinds update will introduce a new matchmaking option that applies only to players at level 40 and above. The roadmap frames this as a high-level matchmaking solution aimed at giving established Raiders a separate queue, which could reduce encounters with new accounts and the unpredictability that comes with them.
Headwinds will also add a minor map condition and start a fresh player project. Player projects are time-limited community events where players turn in specific items toward shared goals in exchange for rewards. The roadmap continues the recurring approach of rotating conditions and community targets that the game used during the Cold Snap season. More details on Cold Snap’s map changes and timing appear in the developer’s prior update.
February’s Shrouded Sky will expand the map with a new Arc threat, an additional map condition, another player project, and a new Raider Deck of rewards. Shrouded Sky will also open the next expedition window, letting players extract and optionally wipe progress in exchange for temporary bonuses. Design director Virgil Watkins has indicated the studio wants to find more ways to incentivize participation in those expedition-style events. Flashpoint in March is a slightly smaller update that adds another map condition, a secondary Arc threat, and a new player project. The roadmap specifically notes a planned “Scrappy update” during Flashpoint. Scrappy is the little rooster that appears in players’ Raider Dens and returns bits of scrap after runs, and Embark previously documented Scrappy’s origin and role in the game.
The April update, Riven Tides, will introduce a new map and a new large Arc threat likely tied to that location. Riven Tides will also open another expedition window and bring fresh map conditions. Across the full season Embark says it will roll out new quests, feats, trials, events, gameplay items, cosmetics, and quality of life fixes. Embark has already experimented with aggression-aware matchmaking and acknowledged ongoing work around cheater detection and bans. The new level-gated queue is one part of that broader matchmaking and matchmaking-quality effort, while the monthly map and Arc additions aim to shift surface goals and threats over the season.
For context on recent changes and map conditions, see the developer’s Cold Snap update and patch notes. For Virgil Watkins’ comments on expedition incentives, see details from the design director. For background on Scrappy’s role in the game and why the rooster remained in builds, see the studio’s explanation of Scrappy.
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