Key facts
- Following the update, Arc Raiders' concurrent player count on Steam peaked at approximately 185,000 players.
- The update launched alongside a free trial/weekend that allowed players to access the full game from October 8 to October 12, 2026, on Steam, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.
- Embark Studios is testing a dedicated PvE‑only mode from October 13 to October 20, 2026, as an experimental feature.
- The Frozen Trail update adds a new snowy map called Pendola Pass.
Embark Studios released the Frozen Trail update for Arc Raiders, upgrading the game to version 2.0, on October 8, 2026, on Steam, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, alongside a free trial that allowed full-game access from October 8 to October 12.
The Frozen Trail update adds a new snowy map called Pendola Pass and introduces a grappling hook that is less rare than the existing snap hook and offers a higher skill ceiling for movement. It also brings three new ARC enemy types—the Bully, the Skulker, and the Hydra—and adds two firearms, the Bantam and the Stiletto. Gear includes a tether launcher, yank grenade, basic and advanced cameras, a mountaineer’s detector, a banjo and a harmonica.
The update implements an amplified weapons system that changes how certain weapons work and buffs their performance. A new player hub called The Outpost is added, featuring a research bench and expandable modules that can be unlocked after completing a project and offer 100 furniture designs, some exclusive to the Frozen Trail Pass or DLC. Embark Studios describes the update as the largest update since the game’s launch on October 30, 2025.
The skill tree was overhauled to replace large midpoint nodes with binary choices and end‑branch nodes that allow up to two selections from three skills, while a new Reward Pass system replaces Raider Decks with Reward Points and provides 60 levels across free and premium tracks. Weapon stencils were added with 14 variants at launch—eight obtainable topside, five exclusive to the Premium Pass and one tied to DLC—and the maximum stash size increased by two levels to a base capacity of 328 slots.
The update launched with a free trial that let players access the full game on Steam, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 from October 8 to October 12. Twitch Drops offered an Oxygen Respirator after 60 minutes of viewing and a Mailbox after 120 minutes, active from October 8 to November 4.
Following the update, Arc Raiders‘ concurrent player count on Steam peaked at approximately 185,000 players, the highest since March 2026 and well above the game’s typical sub‑40,000 daily peaks. Another source noted the game surpassed 130,000 concurrent players on Steam after the update. Prior to the update, daily concurrent players had been in a near‑constant decline for several months, with only brief bumps after other major updates, and Embark Studios is testing a dedicated PvE‑only mode from October 13 to October 20 as an experimental feature.
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