ARC Raiders Frozen Trail Update Full Breakdown: New Maps, Weapons & More

Embark Studios has finally shown what its next major patch looks like, and it is the largest the game has seen so far. The ARC Raiders Frozen Trail update arrives on October 8, 2026, bringing a snowbound map, fresh ARC machines, new weapons and gadgets, a personal Outpost, a reworked skill tree, and a brand-new Reward Pass. Here is when it drops and what to expect:

ARC Raiders Frozen Trail Update Release Date and Launch Details

Frozen Trail goes live on October 8, 2026. Embark revealed most of the update’s content in a first-look showcase on September 23, and a developer Q&A stream is planned for September 25. It is the first major release since the studio said in May that it would move to two big updates a year instead of a steady run of smaller ones.

If you have leftover Cred, spend it before October 8. The developers are retiring the currency with Frozen Trail, and any balance still in your account at that point is wiped. Shani and the Raider Deck rewards you haven’t claimed yet are the places to use it. Anything you’ve already claimed is safe, and the Deck rewards themselves carry over into the new Reward Pass system through a free Legacy Pass.

Everything Coming in the Arc Raiders Frozen Trail Update

The new map’s story starts with a strange signal that Shani and Celeste have traced to Pendola Pass, where one of the Emperors has fallen, and rare technology waits inside. Here is what Embark has confirmed:

• Pendola Pass (New Map): Embark’s largest map yet, a snowbound mountain region past the peaks around the Rust Belt and dominated by a fallen Emperor. The terrain is more vertical than earlier maps, and Flash Freeze storms force players to find shelter.
• Arc Frigate: A huge flying carrier that can’t be destroyed, only sabotaged. The run means finding a way aboard, unlocking a path through its interior while fending off ARC, and dealing with rival Raiders chasing the same haul. It isn’t limited to Pendaol Passand can appear on other maps too.
• New ARC enemies:
  • Bully: A four-legged brute that closes the distance fast and keeps the pressure on.
  • Skulker: A small, quick machine that stays out of sight, attacks in bursts, then slips away.
  • Hydra: Found on the Fridgate, it is a turret whose separate gun sections can each target a different raider.
• New Weapons:
  • Stiletto battle rifle
  • Bantam revolver
• Weapon Amplification: Once the Research Workstation in your Outpost is fully upgraded, it opens a new top tier for 15 existing weapons. Each gets a branching set of upgrades that can change how it plays.
• New Gadgets:
  • Grappling Hook: For vertical traversal, powered by stamina instead of limited uses.
  • Tether Launcher: Links two anchor points, enemies included.
  • Yank Grenade: Hauls nearby targets toward the blast
• Outpost: A new personal base on the surface that you can customise with modules, furniture and crafting stations, and where you’ll find the Research Workstation. You can’t walk around it yet, since it works through menus, but Embark hopes to build out much further.
• Progression Changes: The skill tree gains fresh options and trims overlap, while quests become more involved and pay out bonus XP for optional objectives.
• Cosmetics and extras:
  • Banjo and Harmonica Instruments
  • New first-person Camera
  • Weapon stencils
  • 60-level Reward Pass with free and premium tracks.

The premium track in the Reward Pass costs 1,150 Raider Tokens.

Frozen Trail is coming in hot, and it will reshape how ARC Raiders feel, bringing everything from vertical movement and gear customization to longer-term progression. What content are you looking forward to the most? Make sure to let us know in the comments below!