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ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders is an extraction shooter developed by Embark Studios, with cumulative sales past 16.3 million units as of August 2026. Its largest update yet, Frozen Trail, arrives October 8, 2026, under a new biannual content schedule.

Synthesized from 8 Yomimono stories · updated 4d ago

ARC Raiders has moved past its early launch phase into a period of sustained commercial success and content expansion. Cumulative sales passed 16.3 million units by August 2026, a figure that supported Nexon's announcement of a special dividend of about 324 billion yen, or 415 yen per share, pending board approval in September 2026. The sales milestone followed second-quarter results that beat forecasts.

Embark Studios shifted the game's major content cadence from monthly to twice a year in May 2026. The first test of that policy is Frozen Trail, announced on August 12 and arriving October 8. Embark called it the game's largest update yet. It adds a new map set in a frozen settlement at the edge of the Last Belt, with abandoned villages, factories, research facilities, and observatories, plus new ARC machines, skill tree and Raider deck adjustments, weapons, gadgets, cosmetics, and quality-of-life fixes. The story approaches the origins of the ARC machines as Raiders investigate an unidentified signal from beyond the mountains.

ARC Raiders has also appeared in platform and system news beyond its own updates. NVIDIA listed it among titles gaining RTX Spark support at Gamescom 2026, alongside EA SPORTS F1 25, Apex Legends, Anno 117: Pax Romana, and THE FINALS. Microsoft linked the game to crashes caused by the August 12, 2026 Windows update, offering a temporary workaround that disables RGB lighting drivers. Japanese media outlets Game*Spark and AUTOMATON ran a self-organized duck toy competition in the game in May 2026, an unofficial event that ended with AUTOMATON winning 77 to 35.

Key facts

Cumulative sales
Over 16.3 million units ↗
Next major update
Frozen Trail, arriving October 8, 2026 ↗
Update policy shift
Moved from monthly to twice-a-year major content releases in May 2026 ↗
Frozen Trail scope
Described as the game's largest update yet ↗
Platform availability
PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store, plus PS5 and Xbox Series X|S ↗
Nexon special dividend
About 324 billion yen, or 415 yen per share, pending board approval in September 2026 ↗
Windows crash workaround
Microsoft issued a temporary workaround for crashes in ARC Raiders and other games caused by the August 12 Windows update ↗
RTX Spark support
Listed among titles with NVIDIA RTX Spark support announced at Gamescom 2026 ↗

Timeline

Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.

Facts

Release
game · October 8, 2026 · 2026-10-07
Release
game · October 8 · 2026-10-06
Release
game · October 8 at 18:00 to October 12 at 17:00 Japan time · Japan · 2026-10-03
Release
game · October 2026 · global · 2026-07-09
Release
game · fall 2026 · global · 2026-08-29
Release
game · cumulative sales passing 16.3 million units · 2026-08-14
Announced
addition of the snow-covered map Pendra Pass · 2026-10-07
Announced
major update (October 8) · 2026-10-05
Announced
limited-time PvE mode test starting October 13 (ARC Raiders PvE mode test) · 2026-10-03
Announced
will be free to play from October 8 at 18:00 to October 12 at 17:00 Japan time on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S · 2026-10-03
Announced
Frozen Trail major update (launch on October 8) · 2026-10-03
Noted
ARC Raiders at 50 percent off · 2026-10-03
Noted
The update adds the new map Pendra Pass, a frozen region built around an old Italian village and an Exodus transport hub beyond the mountains around the Rust Belt · 2026-10-03
Noted
Three new enemies arrive: the charging Bree, the ambushing Skulker, and the three-unit turret Hydra. · 2026-10-03
Noted
The Outpost is a second hideout that can be customized with modules and furniture · 2026-10-03
Noted
a fully upgraded Research Workstation unlocks a fifth weapon quality tier, initially for 15 weapons · 2026-10-03
Noted
The update also introduces a Reward Pass, and all existing Raider Decks are folded into a free Legacy Pass · 2026-10-03
Noted
may cause crashes, freezes, and system restarts · 2026-08-21
Noted
The update follows a May 2026 policy shift that moved the game's major content cadence from monthly to twice a year, with Frozen Trail being the first major release under that new schedule. · 2026-08-14
Noted
The update introduces a new map set in a frozen settlement at the edge of the Last Belt, featuring abandoned villages, factories, research facilities, and observatories, with greater verticality and exploration opportunities. · 2026-08-14
Noted
New high-level challenges are designed for experienced Raiders, demanding meaningful choices, dynamic encounters, and cooperation. · 2026-08-14
Noted
The update also adds new ARC machines, ranging from small nuisances to massive threats, plus adjustments to skill trees and the Raider deck system. · 2026-08-14
Noted
Additional content includes new weapons, gadgets, cosmetic items, instruments, and improvements to matchmaking, anti-cheat, stability, and quality of life. · 2026-08-14
Noted
The story will approach the origins of the ARC machines, as Raiders investigate an unidentified signal from beyond the mountains. · 2026-08-14
Noted
The game is available on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store, as well as PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. · 2026-08-14
Noted
This update is the first test of Embark's revised twice-a-year update policy, and its scale is meant to answer long-standing community questions about the game's direction. · 2026-08-14
Noted
Japanese game media outlets Game*Spark and AUTOMATON held a collaborative event in the extraction shooter 'ARC Raiders' · 2026-05-29
Noted
Affected titles include ARC Raiders · 2026-08-28

Connections

Produces of
embark studios, nexon, electronic arts

Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/arc-raiders. CC BY 4.0.

Claim activity

When a claim about ARC Raiders was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.

  • Confirmed limited-time PvE mode test starting October 13 Oct 4 · source
  • Confirmed will be free to play from October 8 at 18:00 to October 12 at 17:00 Japan time on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S Oct 4 · source

All coverage

4d ago

ARC Raiders Hands-On: Frozen Trail Adds Pendra Pass And Flash Freeze

Embark Studios releases ARC Raiders update Frozen Trail on October 8, 2026, adding the snow-covered map Pendra Pass. The map sits in the northern Rust Belt and holds a supermarket, a huge station, a crashed giant ARC called Emperor, and a rail junction. Localized blizzards trigger Flash Freeze, which drains HP outdoors and turns vision white, so Raiders must shelter in buildings. New ARC include Bree, a large enemy that fires homing projectiles scattering grenades, and Skulker, a small ground unit that fires from range and repositions for line of sight. The update adds the Grapple Hook, a reusable gadget for climbing to rooftops and crossing gaps, and the Tether Launcher, which pins flying ARC to the ground for a short time. Weapons include the Stiletto battle rifle and the Bantam hand cannon. Extraction runs through the Ballistic Gondola, which carries three players.

6d ago

Nexon Taps Chernin Entertainment for ARC Raiders and THE FINALS Adaptations

Nexon announced on October 6 that it has signed a partnership agreement with Chernin Entertainment to develop film and television adaptations of ARC Raiders and THE FINALS, both developed by Nexon subsidiary Embark Studios. Chernin Entertainment will be lead producer on both projects, selected after multiple production companies and studios competed for the adaptation rights. Embark Studios' creative team will work closely with Chernin on the adaptations. Patrick Söderlund, founder and CEO of Embark Studios and chairman of Nexon's board, called it a next big step in growing both titles into transmedia experiences. David Ready, president of film at Chernin Entertainment, said both are global IP with potential to grow into major franchises, and that Nexon and Embark have built worlds with many stories waiting to be told. No directors, cast, or release timing were specified in the announcement. ARC Raiders is slated for a major update, Frozen Trail, on October 8, with a free play period running through October 12. THE FINALS begins a new season on October 20.

Oct 5

Embark Studios Reports 85 Percent Drop in ARC Raiders Queue Teaming

Ahead of an October 8 major update, Embark Studios gave an account of its cheat and exploit countermeasures in ARC Raiders. Executive producer Aleksander Grondal said the studio uses Denuvo kernel-level protection, Anybrain detection, and in-house machine learning models, and is weighing Elytra. Team-focused penalties cut queue teaming by 85 percent, and the share of raids affected fell from about 1 in 50 to about 1 in 300.

Oct 3

ARC Raiders And Marathon Add PvE Modes As Extraction Shooter Talk Turns To Decline

Embark Studios has announced a limited-time PvE mode test for ARC Raiders starting October 13, and Bungie has announced a PvE mode for Marathon in its December update, Symbiosis. The two announcements arrived back to back, and both titles are PvPvE extraction shooters. Forbes published a piece framing the pair as a pivot, saying interest in high-difficulty PvPvE elements is fading and that both games took the same strategy to acquire players. The Forbes article says Marathon faces a serious player count decline and described its operation as a big bet on sustainability, while ARC Raiders is only running a test. On the ARC Raiders subreddit, a thread citing the article drew over 1,000 comments debating whether the genre is declining or whether the problem is each game's design.

Oct 3

Nexon Sets Free Play For ARC Raiders From October 8

Nexon announced on October 3, 2026 that ARC Raiders will be free to play from October 8 at 18:00 to October 12 at 17:00 Japan time on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The full release version is playable during that window, according to Embark Studios. The promotion runs alongside the launch of Frozen Trail, which the developer calls the largest update since release, adding the Pendula Pass map, a new base, and skill tree revisions. New players who start during the free period can reach Pendula Pass immediately by teaming with someone who has already unlocked it, since the map normally requires unlocking. ARC Raiders is a PvPvE extraction shooter set on a future Earth overrun by machines called ARC, with players as Raiders who carry resources back to the underground settlement Speranza. It supports solo play or teams of up to three.

Oct 3

Steam Autumn Sale Runs Through October 9 With Palworld and Pragmata Discounted

Valve started the Steam Autumn Sale at 2:00 AM Japan time on October 2, and the sale runs until 2:00 AM on October 9. Pocketpair put Palworld at 30 percent off for 2,380 yen and Craftopia at 40 percent off for 1,680 yen, with the publisher saying every eligible title sits at its lowest price yet. Capcom's BIOHAZARD requiem is 30 percent off at 6,293 yen and PRAGMATA is 20 percent off at 6,392 yen. Square Enix and Atlus opened their own sales ahead of Valve's start, listing Persona 3 Reload at 70 percent off for 2,303 yen and FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH at 70 percent off for 1,973 yen. 4Gamer.net reported Pocketpair's discounts and Automaton listed titles including ARC Raiders at 50 percent off and Monster Hunter Wilds at 25 percent off.

Oct 3

ARC Raiders Frozen Trail Update Adds Pendra Pass Map And Grappling Hook On October 8

Embark Studios has detailed Frozen Trail, the major update for ARC Raiders, scheduled to launch on October 8. The update adds the new map Pendra Pass, a frozen region built around an old Italian village and an Exodus transport hub beyond the mountains around the Rust Belt, where one of the giant ARC machines called the Emperor has crashed with rare technology inside. ARC has sent its largest-class vessel, the Frigate, to patrol the area, and players can find a way aboard and fight through its interior. Three new enemies arrive: the charging Bree, the ambushing Skulker, and the three-unit turret Hydra. The Outpost is a second hideout that can be customized with modules and furniture, and a fully upgraded Research Workstation unlocks a fifth weapon quality tier, initially for 15 weapons, allowing changes such as a fully automatic Beretta, a scoped Renegade, and a Rattler with a 64-round incendiary magazine.

Aug 29

RTX Spark Gains EA, Ubisoft, and Embark Titles Plus Native EA Javelin Support

NVIDIA announced new RTX Spark support at Gamescom 2026. Electronic Arts, Embark Studios, and Ubisoft will provide titles including EA SPORTS F1 25, Apex Legends, Anno 117: Pax Romana, ARC Raiders, and THE FINALS. EA Javelin Anticheat is being built with native support for the Arm-based SoC. NVIDIA also released DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction.

Aug 28

Microsoft Issues Temporary Workaround for Windows Update Game Crashes

Microsoft announced a temporary workaround on August 22 for game crashes and other issues caused by the August 12 security update KB5121003 on Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. Affected titles include ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and THE FINALS. The fix involves disabling a specific driver via the registry editor.

Aug 21

Microsoft Warns August Windows Update May Crash Some Games

Microsoft acknowledged that the August 12, 2026 Windows update (version 26100.9168/KB5121003) may cause crashes, freezes, and system restarts in some games, including ARC Raiders, The Finals, and MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls. The company is investigating whether the issue is caused by Microsoft and asks users to report problems via the Feedback Hub.

Aug 14

ARC Raiders' Biggest Update Yet, Frozen Trail, Arrives October 8

Embark Studios announced on August 12 that ARC Raiders will receive its largest update to date, titled Frozen Trail, on October 8. The update follows a May 2026 policy shift that moved the game's major content cadence from monthly to twice a year, with Frozen Trail being the first major release under that new schedule. The update introduces a new map set in a frozen settlement at the edge of the Last Belt, featuring abandoned villages, factories, research facilities, and observatories, with greater verticality and exploration opportunities. New high-level challenges are designed for experienced Raiders, demanding meaningful choices, dynamic encounters, and cooperation. The update also adds new ARC machines, ranging from small nuisances to massive threats, plus adjustments to skill trees and the Raider deck system. Additional content includes new weapons, gadgets, cosmetic items, instruments, and improvements to matchmaking, anti-cheat, stability, and quality of life. The story will approach the origins of the ARC machines, as Raiders investigate an unidentified signal from beyond the mountains. The game is available on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store, as well as PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Jul 9

ARC Raiders Sets Sights on October Update After 16 Million Sales

Embark Studios is running a 25% off Steam sale for extraction shooter ARC Raiders, which has sold over 16 million copies. The studio also detailed the 'Frozen Trail' update, arriving in October 2026 as the largest update yet, following a shift from monthly to biannual major updates. The update adds a new map, enemies, and progression systems.

Jun 16

Embark Studios Details Machine Learning Lessons From Arc Raiders and The Finals

At NDC26, Embark Studios machine learning lead Martin detailed how the studio uses ML for recommendations, quest generation, and enemy behavior. A key takeaway was that a simple EASE recommendation model increased purchasers by 400% in The Finals, but organizational hurdles nearly killed the project until an engineer physically moved desks to the commercial team.

May 29

Game*Spark and Automaton Face Off in 'ARC Raiders' Duck Toy Raid

Japanese game media outlets Game*Spark and AUTOMATON held a collaborative event in the extraction shooter 'ARC Raiders' on May 29, 2026, that ended with a direct competition over in-game duck toys. The event followed a previous co-op session where an AUTOMATON editor betrayed a Game*Spark writer, creating a grudge. For the rematch, the two editors ran solo raids for one hour on the 'Buried City (Bird City)' map, collecting duck toys of varying rarities for points. AUTOMATON won with 77 points against Game*Spark's 35. The loser, Game*Spark's writer, had to donate high-rarity items from their stash to the winner in a subsequent raid, but a mistake left the AUTOMATON editor stranded without an extraction key, resulting in the items being lost to other players. The event was not an official game mode but a self-organized challenge.