Patch Notes

ARC Raiders update history and balance changes

Full breakdown of every ARC Raiders patch, including weapon balance changes, new content, enemy additions, and crafting recipe updates. Bookmark this page to stay current on the meta.

Patch 1.29.0LATESTMay 19, 2026

Nomadic Envoys

New Rascal grenade launcher, a rotating-stock trader for Level 25+ Raiders, weapon balance tuning, augment buffs, and Denuvo Anti-Cheat rollout.

New Weapon

Rascal

Rare Launcher

A lightweight break-action grenade launcher positioned as the accessible anti-ARC alternative to the Hullcracker. The Rascal only detonates on ARC machines — useless in PvP but devastating for boss encounters. Single-round chamber with a slow reload; all three upgrades improve reload speed exclusively. Requires Rascal Blueprint + Gunsmith Level 2.

Damage: 75 · Fire Rate: 13.7 · Mag: 1 · Weight: 4kg

Ammo: Launcher · Meta: B-Tier · Recipe: 2× Adv. Mechanical Components, 3× Heavy Gun Parts, 5× Canisters

New Trader — Nomadic Envoy Ermal

Ermal the Nomadic Envoy arrives in Speranza for Raiders who have reached Level 25+. He offers stash expansion (increasing your total stash slots), Expedition Vault access for up to 5 extracted items, blueprints, cosmetics, and Raider Tokens. His inventory rotates weekly and is stocked primarily through trades of high-value ARC materials and rare surplus weapons.

Weapon & Augment Balance

Bettina — minor fire rate nerf

Fire Rate Interval235 ticks250 ticks (slower)

Slight pullback from the major buff received in Riven Tides (1.26.0). Bettina remains strong after the damage buff that patch.

Extended Barrel Rework

The Extended Barrel attachment is now a tiered system with three variants. Extended Barrel III receives the largest bonus: bullet velocity +30% (up from 25%) and increased falloff distance by 15%.

Tactical Mk.3 Healing Augment Buff

Revive Heal Cloud20 HP over 10s45 HP over 10s

Now also heals nearby allies — significantly improving squad survivability in coordinated play.

Photoelectric Cloak Fix

Active Power Draw10/s5/s

Partial reversal of the Riven Tides nerf. Cloaking is viable again for sustained use.

Patch 1.26.0April 28, 2026

Riven Tides

New coastal map, the game's first airborne boss, a Beachcombing map condition, and significant weapon economy changes.

New Map — Riven Tides

A deserted western coastline in the Rust Belt, featuring the Panorama Azzurro hotel, the Exodus Port dockyard, and a sprawling container yard. Open coastal terrain rewards long-range play. Exclusive spawn point for the ARC Turbine boss. Supports 24–40 players with 5 extraction points.

Panorama Azzurro HotelExodus PortContainer YardBeachcombing ZonesARC Turbine Landing Zone

View Riven Tides Map Guide

New ARC Enemy — ARC Turbine

ARC Turbine

~4,000 HP · Boss

The first airborne boss in ARC Raiders — an enormous cone-shaped aerial machine exclusive to Riven Tides. Immune to damage while airborne; land it to expose the three spinning yellow canisters (its weak points). Attacks with cluster lightning missiles and deploys proximity mines on landing. Drops the exclusive Turbine Compressor.

Spawns: 16–12 minutes into match · Weak point: Spinning yellow canisters (2× damage)

New Items & Map Condition

Turbine Compressor

Epic-tier crafting material. Only drops from the ARC Turbine boss on Riven Tides. Required for the Powered Descender gadget and Avian Alarm project. Sell value: 1,800 credits.

Beachcombing Map Condition

When active on Riven Tides, the Dockmaster's Detector spawns in the map. Pick it up and sweep the sand to uncover 72 possible buried loot sites invisible to other Raiders. Stashes contain materials, keys, and valuables.

Weapon Balance Changes

Bettina — major buff

Base Damage1416

ARC armor penetration also improved by +33%, and bloom significantly reduced. The Bettina is now a genuine S/A-tier pick for heavy ARC content.

Photoelectric Cloak — nerf

Weight13

Active Power Draw2.5/s10/s

Partially reversed in Patch 1.29.0 (power draw reduced back to 5/s).

Weapon Durability Economy Overhaul

Common-tier weapons now degrade faster during use. Epic and Legendary weapons received durability buffs, lasting longer before repair is needed. Encourages use of higher-rarity gear over common alternatives.

Patch 1.22.0March 31, 2026

Flashpoint

The biggest content drop ARC Raiders has seen. Two new weapons, two new ARC enemies, a new deployable, Close Scrutiny ARC Operations, crafting UI overhaul, and Shredders on all maps.

New Weapons

Canto

Rare SMG

Fully-automatic medium-ammo SMG with high damage per shot but serious kickback. Shreds at close quarters and punches through ARC armor better than light-ammo SMGs. Requires Canto Blueprint + Gunsmith Level 3.

Damage: 6.5 · Fire Rate: 56.7 · Mag: 18

Ammo: Medium · Meta: A-Tier

Dolabra

Legendary Shotgun

Energy shotgun with variable focus — hipfire for a wide close-range blast, ADS for a concentrated medium-range energy beam. Deletes Heavy Shields in two focused shots. Requires Dolabra Blueprint from Close Scrutiny + Vaporizer Regulators.

Damage: 72 · Fire Rate: 8.5 · Mag: 8

Ammo: Energy Clip · Meta: S-Tier

New ARC Enemies

Vaporizer

~8,000 HP

A terrifying aerial ARC with Rocketeer speed, a Matriarch-grade energy shield, and devastating precision laser attacks. Patrols near ARC Operations. Destroy its 8 rotors to reduce altitude, then target the belly core.

Drops: Vaporizer Regulator (required for Dolabra crafting)

ARC Assessor

~5,000 HP

A large stationary ARC that descends from orbit during Close Scrutiny operations. Unarmed but heavily guarded — breaching each of its 3 sections triggers deadly ARC reinforcement waves. High-tier loot inside.

Drops: Assessor Matrix, ARC Powercell, ARC Alloy, ARC Circuitry

Close Scrutiny — New ARC Operation

A new major map condition featuring the ARC Assessor landing at a fixed location, surrounded by heavy ARC patrols including Vaporizers. Less loot spawns overall, but the Assessor contains extremely high-tier rewards. High-risk, high-reward gameplay for organized squads.

Dam BattlegroundsBuried CitySpaceportBlue GateStella Montis

New Items & Deployables

Item	Source	Used In
Vaporizer Regulator	Vaporizer drop	Dolabra crafting (x2)
Assessor Matrix	ARC Assessor breach	Advanced crafting
Surge Coil	Crafted at Explosives Station (Lv.2)	Deployable (10m radius, 6 DPS, stun)

ARC & System Changes

Shredders on All Maps

Shredders now spawn on all maps (Dam Battlegrounds requires specific map conditions).

Rocketeer Collision Nerf

Rocketeer collision damage reduced. They no longer instantly self-destruct when stunned on impact — now survives stun as a damage window.

Firefly Spawn Density Reduced

Reduced frequency of multiple simultaneous Firefly spawns across all maps. The Firefly Burner also received “new extra-spicy functionality.”

ARC Detection & Loot

Faster ARC player detection at close range. Improved target-switching behavior. Locked room loot values increased (scaled by key rarity). Baron Husk loot spawns increased.

Crafting UI Overhaul

Missing materials can now be fulfilled directly from the crafting view — recycle, refine, or purchase in a single window instead of jumping between tabs. Free augments are now recyclable into 6 Plastic Parts + 6 Rubber Parts.

Matchmaking

Custom loadout players now biased toward fresh servers for fairer starts.

Patch 1.17.0February 24, 2026

Shrouded Sky

A major content update bringing dangerous new weather conditions, two new ARC enemy types, new crafting materials, and significant weapon balance adjustments across multiple tiers.

Hurricane Map Condition

A new dynamic weather event has been added to select maps. Hurricane conditions bring reduced visibility, amplified ARC activity, and environmental hazards including flying debris and lightning strikes near metallic structures.

Dam BattlegroundsBuried CitySpaceportBlue Gate

New ARC Enemies

Firefly

200 HP

A fire-spewing aerial drone that patrols in pairs during Hurricane events. Fires sustained streams of incendiary fluid that ignite terrain and deal burn damage over time.

Drops: Firefly Burner

Comet

150 HP

A fast-rolling explosive ARC unit that charges at players and detonates on impact. Spawns in groups during Hurricane weather. Can be shot mid-roll to trigger a premature explosion.

Drops: Comet Igniter

New Items

Item	Source	Used In
Firefly Burner	Firefly drop	Trailblazer recipe
Comet Igniter	Comet drop	Deadline recipe
Synthesized Fuel	Crafted / world loot	Trailblazer recipe

Weapon Balance Changes

Nerfs

Kettle

Base Damage108.5

The Kettle was overperforming at all ranges. This damage reduction brings its TTK more in line with other shotguns.

Stitcher

Base Damage86.5

Headshot Multi2.5x1.75x

The Stitcher's high fire rate combined with its headshot multiplier made it dominant in close-range PvP. Both values have been reduced.

Venator

Base Damage98

Headshot Multi2.5x2.0x

Slight adjustments to bring the Venator in line with other mid-range options after its dominance in Season 1 ranked play.

Buffs

Jupiter

ADS Zoom1.8x2.2x

Equip SpeedFaster

The Jupiter was underutilized due to slow handling. Improved ADS zoom and faster equip speed should make it a more viable long-range pick.

Aphelion

Fire RateFaster

Reload Time2.6s2.0s

RecoilReduced

Comprehensive quality-of-life improvements to make the Aphelion competitive with other ARC-tier weapons. Faster fire rate, quicker reload, and less kick.

Crafting Recipe Changes

Deadline

Now requires Comet Igniter (x1) as a crafting ingredient. Farm Comet enemies during Hurricane events to obtain.

Trailblazer

Now requires Firefly Burner (x1) and Synthesized Fuel (x1). The Firefly Burner drops from Firefly enemies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is new in the ARC Raiders Nomadic Envoys update (Patch 1.29.0)?

The Nomadic Envoys update (Patch 1.29.0, May 19, 2026) adds the Rascal — a lightweight rare-tier break-action grenade launcher that functions as an anti-ARC sidearm alternative to the Hullcracker. It also introduces Ermal, the Nomadic Envoy trader available at Level 25+, who offers stash expansion, Expedition Vault slots, and weekly rotating stock. Weapon balance changes include a slight Bettina fire rate reduction, an Extended Barrel attachment rework into three tiers, and Tactical Mk.3 Healing augment buff (healing cloud 20→45 HP, now heals nearby allies). Denuvo Anti-Cheat was also rolled out.

What is new in the ARC Raiders Riven Tides update (Patch 1.26.0)?

The Riven Tides update (Patch 1.26.0, April 28, 2026) introduced the new Riven Tides coastal map — a deserted western shoreline featuring the Panorama Azzurro hotel, Exodus Port, and container yard. The ARC Turbine, the game's first airborne boss, was added exclusively to this map. It spawns at 16–12 minutes into the match, drops the unique Turbine Compressor crafting material, and attacks with cluster lightning missiles and proximity mines. A new Beachcombing map condition was also added, allowing Raiders with the Dockmaster's Detector to uncover buried loot.

How do you beat the ARC Turbine in ARC Raiders?

The ARC Turbine is immune to damage while airborne — wait for it to land before attacking. Once grounded, target the spinning yellow canisters visible through its landing gear gaps for 2× damage. Avoid standing directly beneath it as it deploys proximity mines when it sets down. Its cluster missile attacks create lightning strikes on impact — break line of sight immediately when it fires. Bring a Hullcracker or Rascal for maximum damage. The Turbine drops the Turbine Compressor, the rarest crafting material in Riven Tides.

What is new in the ARC Raiders Flashpoint update (Patch 1.22.0)?

The Flashpoint update (Patch 1.22.0, March 31, 2026) added two new weapons: the Canto (rare medium-ammo SMG) and the Dolabra (legendary energy shotgun). Two new ARC enemies were introduced: the Vaporizer (flying ARC with laser attacks, 8000 HP) and the ARC Assessor (stationary loot machine during Close Scrutiny operations). The Surge Coil deployable was added, along with Close Scrutiny ARC Operations as a new map condition. Crafting UI was overhauled and Shredders now appear on all maps.

What changed in the ARC Raiders Shrouded Sky update?

The Shrouded Sky update (Patch 1.17.0) introduced the Hurricane map condition affecting Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and Blue Gate. Two new ARC enemies were added: the Firefly (fire-spewing drone, 200 HP) and the Comet (explosive rolling ARC, 150 HP). Multiple weapons received balance adjustments including nerfs to Kettle, Stitcher, and Venator, and buffs to Jupiter and Aphelion.

Last Updated: June 4, 2026

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