ARC Raiders: Frozen Trail
Frozen Trail releases on 8 October 2026. It is the first of ARC Raiders’ twice-yearly major updates and adds a new frozen map at the edge of the Rust Belt, new ARC enemies, a high-level ARC Operation, Outposts, and skill tree changes. 54 days to go.
This page tracks only what Embark have officially confirmed. We datamine ARC Raiders for the rest of this site, but we do not publish unreleased content before it ships — so everything below is from the official announcement, and the gaps are stated as gaps.
Everything officially confirmed
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release date | 8 October 2026. |
| New map | A harsh, frozen settlement beneath towering mountains at the edge of the Rust Belt — once home to villages, factories, research facilities and an observatory, long since abandoned. |
| Map design | Built for greater verticality and exploration, with threats both above and below ground. |
| New ARC enemies | Multiple new threat types, described as ranging from a small, nifty problem-maker to an enormous machine. |
| New ARC Operation | A high-level challenge for experienced Raiders, built around meaningful decisions, dynamic encounters and cooperation. |
| Outposts | A new player space to decorate and research new elements from, used to begin reclaiming the surface. |
| Skill tree | Adjustments intended to increase player agency. |
| Raider Deck | Improvements to engagement and rewards. |
| Other content | New weapons and weapon personalisation, gadgets, cosmetics and instruments, plus matchmaking, anti-cheat, stability and quality-of-life work. |
Not yet announced
- The new map’s name. Embark have described the location but have not named it.
- Names and stats for the new ARC enemies.
- The new weapons, gadgets and their stats.
- Exactly what the skill tree changes are.
- Whether existing maps change alongside the update.
Common questions
- When does ARC Raiders Frozen Trail release?
- Frozen Trail releases on 8 October 2026, as announced by Embark Studios.
- What is the new Frozen Trail map called?
- Embark have not announced a name for the new map. They describe it as a frozen settlement beneath towering mountains at the edge of the Rust Belt, previously home to villages, factories, research facilities and an observatory.
- Is Frozen Trail a paid expansion?
- Embark have not announced any charge for Frozen Trail. It has been presented as a major free content update, the first of the studio’s twice-yearly large updates.
- What new enemies are in Frozen Trail?
- Embark have confirmed multiple new ARC threat types, ranging from a small problem-maker to an enormous machine, but have not yet named them or published their stats.
- When will more Frozen Trail details be revealed?
- Embark said more details would follow in September 2026, ahead of the 8 October launch.
On launch day
We extract the update from the shipped build as it goes live. Every new item, quest, ARC unit and recipe gets a page with exact stats within the hour, and the changes are published as a dated diff against the previous build. Until then, this page stays official-only.