Now we’re getting an idea of what lies at the edge of the Rust Belt. Nexon’s Embark Studios has revealed the content of ARC Raiders ambitious Frozen Trail update.
In its biggest update since ARC Raiders launched in October 2025, Embark Studios announced the content that the developers hope will lure lapsed players back into the multiplayer extraction adventure game.
The update takes players into the snowy mountains of Pendola Pass. Frozen Trail invites Raiders to discover a new map filled with dangerous ARC, environmental hazards, new challenges and valuable loot. I’m happy about this, as I’ve put more hours into ARC Raiders than any other game in the past year.
The ARC Raiders Frozen Trail update will be available on October 8 on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nvidia GeForce Now at no additional cost to all existing players. You can see the video on YouTube here.
Frozen Trail launches just in time to mark the first anniversary of ARC Raiders, which has sold more than 16 million copies at around $40 a piece, or roughly $640 million during its first year, Embark Studios continues to evolve the world of ARC Raiders in new ways, providing players with an unparalleled experience and new ways to explore, fight and survive Topside.
Perhaps this will help lift the number of concurrent players, which is currently far below the numbers of last winter. Still, there’s a lot of competition out there, including that from Wardogs, which saw more than two million copies sold at its debut in the past couple of weeks.
Frozen Trail’s highlights include:
New map: Pendola Pass
Head to the northern edge of the Rust Belt and face ARC Raiders’ most challenging environment yet.
Pendola Pass is a harsh, remote mountain region and the most ambitious map to date, designed with increased verticality, dense interiors, complex terrain and new points of interest to uncover, including a massive fallen Emperor for Raiders to explore, if they dare.
Pendola Pass also introduces dynamic Flash Freeze weather conditions that can sweep across the map at any time, forcing Raiders to seek shelter before the cold takes its toll. Avalanche Shelters activate as a freeze approaches, offering both protection and the promise of loot, but they can also draw the attention of opportunistic Raiders.
Pendola Pass also introduces the Ballistic Gondola, a unique new extraction method that must be called in and boarded quickly, with space for just three Raiders. With its unforgiving environment and unpredictable threats, Pendola Pass provides a new level of challenge for even the most experienced Raiders.
New Minor Map Condition: Redirection
Exclusive to Pendola Pass, Redirection gives Raiders a chance to draw Harvester Payloads away from the Collector and toward their own location. But calling in the valuable ARC loot comes with a cost: the Transmitter will attract both ARC and rival Raiders, forcing players to balance threats in order to clear and defend the area before they can claim their reward.
This is introducing a new level of risk to extraction, as normally a Raider and two companions would go in, grab loot and escape as fast as possible, rather than waiting to defend an area first before getting out with rewards.
New ARC threats
Frozen Trail introduces three new ARC enemies, alongside the Frigate, a massive airborne carrier that presents a high-stakes challenge for experienced Raiders. The relentless Bully uses aggressive hit-and-run attacks, while the swift and tactical Skulker keeps Raiders on their toes. Aboard the Frigate, Raiders will encounter Hydra, an ARC capable of targeting multiple players at once and respawning.
New progression
Raiders can now settle outside Speranza with Outposts, new personal spaces that can be expanded. Players can also build and upgrade workbenches, craft items, and express themselves through decor.
Weapon amplification
The new Research Station unlocks Weapon Amplification, allowing players to upgrade weapons beyond the current limit with special gameplay mechanics and new weapon skins.
New gameplay items
Frozen Trail brings new items, weapons and musical instruments, including the Camera gadget, allowing players to take photos in first-person mode, and the Grappling Hook.
New weapon stencils
The update introduces a new system for customizing the appearance of weapons, granting distinct aesthetics (weapon stats are unaffected). Weapon Stencils can be acquired in various ways, and, once those stencils are learned and consumed, Raiders will have the permanent ability to apply them to any compatible weapon.
New quests and quest system
An improved system offers Raiders more robust quests, including bonus XP for completing optional objectives.
Skill tree improvements
Changes to the Raider skill tree include new skills and improvements to existing skills, enabling players to better embellish their playstyle with more impactful skill choices.
Trials Season 6
Frozen Trail kicks off the next season of Trials, giving Raiders new challenges to take on.
New reward pass
The Frozen Trail Reward Pass consists of 60 levels of in-game rewards, and two tracks: the Free Track, available to all players who own the base game, and the Premium Track. The Premium Track can be unlocked via the in-game store for 1,150 Raider Tokens, or via the Frozen Trail Collectors Set store bundle, and includes 60 additional rewards, including exclusive Raider cosmetics and 1,150 additional Raider Tokens.
This brings the total of Raider Tokens available for completing the Reward Pass across both Free and Premium Tracks to 1,350.
Frozen Trail Collector Set DLC
A new DLC bundle will launch with the Frozen Trail update on October 8. The bundle includes exclusive cosmetic items including the Renzo outfit, plus Dragon’s Breath Weapon Stencil, Bob Hair Style, as well as 2,400 Raider Tokens. The DLC also unlocks the Premium Track for the new Frozen Trail Reward Pass.
ARC Raiders’ Frozen Trail 2.0 update will be available on October 8 on PC via PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S as well as Steam and Epic Games Store and on cloud streaming through Nvidia GeForce Now.
Embark Studios is a Stockholm-based game studio founded in 2018. Driven by deep curiosity and an underdog’s mindset, Embark challenges the conventions of game development. With a team of over 370 game makers, the studio pairs technical ambition with a relentless pursuit of new ideas to deliver surprising, genre-defying experiences. Embark released The Finals in 2023 and ARC Raiders in late 2025.