Arc Raiders’ Biggest-Ever Update Officially Looks Epic

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Published Sep 23, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT

Ford James is a UK-based freelance games writer at Polygon. He also has bylines at industry-leading outlets including GamesRadar, Eurogamer, PC Gamer, and more. He mostly writes about FPS games such as Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Arc Raiders, but is also partial to a decent RPG, roguelike, or sports game. He's a huge Pokémon fan, thinks The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the best game of all time, and has a degree in Games Journalism & Public Relations.

It's time to go topside again, raider

Image: Embark Studios

After a barnstorming debut last year, Arc Raiders has had a much slower 2026 so far. The extraction shooter's decline in popularity is well documented, and while it still has a healthy, consistent player base, it's nowhere near as large as it was. In an attempt to deliver more substantial improvements and content, developer Embark Studios paused the monthly updates in May. Next month, on Oct. 8, Frozen Trail will be the biggest update Arc Raiders has ever seen.

During an hour-long preview event consisting of a lengthy video and Q&A session ahead of next month’s launch, Polygon got a glimpse of what’s next for Arc Raiders. Longtime players will know about the Emperor, an unfathomably huge Arc enemy that can be seen patrolling the outskirts of the Blue Gate map and occasionally glimpsed through the storm during the tutorial. The new map, Pendola Pass, will finally see players come face-to-face with an Emperor, albeit a fallen one. This colossal machine is slumped against the mountainside, and raiders can get up close and personal with it by exploring its innards. The scale is gargantuan, and it’s intended to feel like players aren't really supposed to be there.

As for actual threats to raiders, the Frigate is coming to multiple maps, and it sounds like Arc Raiders' version of an endgame raid. Embark Studios hasn’t shared full details yet, but we know this is a "massive airborne carrier that presents a high-stakes challenge for experienced raiders," according to a press release, and that it will offer rare loot. What’s more, the Frigate involves puzzle-solving and a need to sabotage it rather than blowing it up. It’s an intriguing departure from previous tough enemies such as the Queen and the Matriarch, which simply soaked up a hell of a lot of damage.

Onboard the Frigate is where you'll find the Hydra. This brand-new Arc foe is essentially a turret that can target multiple enemies at once, as it has three individual sets of guns. On Pendola Pass, the Skulker is a smaller enemy that will take potshots at you from afar and keep you on your toes. Another new enemy is the chunky, aggressive Bully, which has machine-learning behaviors, much like the Leaper. The pair will eventually make their way to other maps, but not immediately.

Players will have two new weapons to fight these foes with — the Stiletto, which is a light ammo battle rifle, and the Bantam, a snub-nosed revolver. Better still, a new weapon amplification system allows existing weapons to be completely modified. For example, once a new type of workbench is crafted, the Burletta pistol can be turned fully automatic, or the Rattler can be customized to shoot incendiary ammo. In total, there are 15 possible weapon amplifications included with the launch of Frozen Trail.

There are new tools players can use in the action, too: the Grappling Hook is something the team considers one of the most ambitious gadgets so far in Arc Raiders. According to executive producer Aleksander Grøndal in the Q&A session, the item has been at the "top of the wishlist for a long time." It works as you'd expect: fire a rope at a surface and you'll be able to climb it, or use it to rappel down the side of a building. Of course, you can also go full Spider-Man and use it to swing across gaps, or even attach it to an Arc enemy and let the foe pull you along.

The Grappling Hook comes alongside two more new items that both work in a similar manner: the Tether Launcher and Yank Grenade. The former allows you to connect two points, so it could be used to prevent an airborne enemy from chasing you. The latter will extend ropes to any nearby enemies and pull them towards it, which sounds extremely helpful for pulling other raiders out of cover mid-PvP.

Embark Studios also plans to add a much-requested feature with Frozen Trail: weapon skins. In true Arc Raiders fashion, you can't just unlock or buy whichever ones you like, though. Some will be available via the store and a new Frozen Trail reward pass, but most weapon stencils must be found as loot, much like how blueprints work. Two new instruments are coming too: a banjo and harmonica. Finally, thanks to the popularity of Arc Raiders photography, an in-game camera is being added.

Pendola Pass is mixing things up in terms of the now tried-and-tested formula too. Where other maps all have similar ways of extracting — call the elevator or train, then jump aboard — in this snowy mountain range, the only way out is via a gondola. Space is limited, though: only three raiders can extract at any one time. Additionally, the new Flash Freeze weather condition forces raiders to seek shelter immediately before the cold takes effect.

Changes are also coming to the skill tree, with some skills being removed, others receiving tweaks, and some brand-new ones. The goal here is to make skill choices "more impactful," and Grøndal explained that players will now have to choose between a few different abilities, rather than "being able to unlock everything." Taken alongside the weapon amplification system, it seems build diversity is being encouraged, as opposed to the existing system where differences between players are only marginal.

Finally, outposts are coming with Frozen Trail, which offer players more customization options. You can't walk around these (yet; Grøndal confirmed the team eventually wants to make them explorable spaces) but you can display furniture, crafting stations, trinkets, and more. These mark the first step in giving players a "home on the surface," according to Grøndal.

Arc Raiders' Frozen Trail will be released as a free update on Thursday, Oct. 8 for PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.