ARC Raiders is Ditching Monthly Updates in Favor of Two Major Drops Per Year

Embark Studios is changing how it handles updates for ARC Raiders, and the studio says the old monthly schedule was no longer working for the kind of experience it wants to build. While ARC Raiders originally launched with plans for monthly content updates, Embark now says the pace made it harder to work on larger features and long-term improvements for the Rust Belt.

ARC Raiders will now get two major updates every year

Embark confirms that ARC Raiders will now receive two large updates per year instead of smaller monthly drops. The studio says future updates will focus on larger gameplay additions and progression changes rather than lighter monthly content. Regular patches, events, bug fixes, and store rotations will still continue throughout the year.

The developer also says the previous update cycle created limitations for the team internally. According to Embark, the extra development time will allow the studio to spend more time improving progression systems, anti-cheat support, economy balance, and player goals.

The first update under the new structure is called “Frozen Trail,” and it launches this October. Embark describes it as the biggest update released for ARC Raiders so far. The update adds a new Rust Belt area, additional ARC enemy types, expanded progression paths, an updated skill tree, and new story details tied to the origins of ARC.

New trader system lands next week

Before Frozen Trail launches, Embark is also adding a new Trader system next week for late-game players. The Trader unlocks at level 25 and allows players to exchange high-value loot for rotating rewards, cosmetics, and rare items.

More importantly, the system also addresses two of the biggest complaints from longtime players: limited stash space and losing valuable gear during Expeditions. Not to forget, players will be able to unlock extra stash capacity and use a new “Expedition Vault” feature that carries select items between Expeditions.