ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders is a multiplayer extraction adventure from Embark Studios that combines third-person shooter, PvE and PvP. Humanity lives mostly underground, while deadly ARC machines patrol the surface of the Rust Belt. As a raider, you start missions from the settlement of Speranza, collect materials, weapons and other loot, and then try to extract safely with your haul.

The game can be played solo or in groups of up to three people. Other raiders are not automatically allies: every encounter can turn into cooperation, avoidance or a fight over the loot.

ARC Raiders was released on Oct 30, 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Embark Studios has since run the game as an ongoing live game, with regular balance, store and system updates as well as larger content updates.

Since Oct 8, 2026, Frozen Trail has been available as a free content update. Embark calls it the biggest update to the game since launch.

ARC Raiders is available natively for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game also supports cross-platform social play, so players on PlayStation, Xbox and PC can form groups together. A PS4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch version has not been released.

The core consists of risky surface runs and preparation in Speranza. Before a raid, you put together your loadout; on the surface you search for resources, complete tasks and react to ARC machines and other players. Successfully extracted loot feeds into crafting, workshop upgrades, new equipment and the long-term development of your own Raider.

Embark combines fixed maps with changing Map Conditions and different ARC enemies. Weapons, gadgets, traps, ziplines and other tools allow different approaches. The skill tree is divided into Survival, Mobility and Conditioning, among others.

Frozen Trail permanently expands this toolkit with new movement and control options. The Grappling Hook is used for climbing, abseiling and swinging across larger gaps. The Tether Launcher and Yank Grenade can pin enemies, link them together or pull them out of cover.

Frozen Trail is not a separate game but a major content update for ARC Raiders. Embark announces a new snowy map on the edge of the Rust Belt, new ARC enemies, a new high-level ARC operation and the Outpost system. The personal outpost can be decorated and used for new research and progression steps.

At the same time, Embark is reworking parts of the skill tree and the Raider Decks, and continues to work on matchmaking, anti-cheat, stability and quality-of-life features. The update was released on Oct 8, 2026.

For the PC version, Embark lists on Steam at least an Intel Core i5-6600K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600, 12 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, Radeon RX 580 or Intel Arc A380. Recommended are, among others, a Core i5-9600K or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM and an RTX 2070, RX 5700 XT or Intel Arc B570. DirectX 12 and a broadband connection are required.

Frozen Trail expands the Rust Belt with Pendola Pass, a frozen valley around an old Italian village and a former Exodus transport hub. At its center lies a crashed Emperor. Its rare technology is the reason Raiders are sent to the region. Flash Freezes make conditions on the surface harsher.

The Frigate, one of the largest ARC ships, patrols over the area. Raiders can board it, fight through internal areas and unlock routes. Bully, Skulker and Hydra also add three new ARC enemy types that demand different tactics.

On Pendola Pass, Embark is also testing Dynamic Loot Zones: between runs, the value of loot in individual zones can change without swapping their basic loot type.

The Outpost expands the Raider Den with a personal base on the surface. Players can install modules, furnish interiors with furniture and unlock new research levels at a Research Workstation.

Weapon Amplification is linked to this station. Fully upgraded, it unlocks a fifth quality tier for 15 weapons to start, with branching abilities and modifications that can significantly change how a weapon behaves. Embark cites a fully automatic Burletta, a Renegade with a scope and a Rattler with incendiary ammo as examples, among others. More weapons are set to follow later.

You unlock the Outpost via a project. In the Research Station, you can unlock the Amplification upgrade levels. Update 2.0 also added 100 blueprints for Outpost furniture, some of which can be looted on expeditions.

With Frozen Trail 2.0, Embark Studios has reworked the skill system. In the middle of each skill branch, a player chooses one of two abilities; at the end of each branch, at most two of three alternatives can be unlocked. A skill tree reset later allows a different build.

The former Raider Decks have been moved into the Legacy Pass. Instead of Cred, you collect Reward Points, which automatically go toward whichever pass is currently active. The first new Frozen Trail Pass has 60 levels with a free and a paid reward track. Earlier unlocks remain in the Legacy Pass, and it can still be progressed.