Embark Studios announced its free Flashpoint Update is available on Tuesday to all ARC Raiders players.
I’m just at level 54 out of 75 levels in ARC Raiders, with 114 hours in the game. But many friends I’ve played with have hit the peak level of 75. This update is for them. I and others have stuck it out since last fall because the gameplay is so emergent.
You can rise from the underground haven of Speranza to the surface of the post-apocalyptic world. Then you scavenge for loot and avoid the deadly AI-controlled ARC machines flying above you or rolling on the ground. If you run into humans, you can decide whether to shoot them or team up with them, adding an unpredictable tension to the experience. And then you race to an extraction point to escape to the underground. The matches take around 15 minutes to 30 minutes.
The timing of the update is important as many hardcore fans have finished the missions and reached their peak powers in the game. While the audience has held steady, there is serious competition from rival extraction titles like Bungie’s Marathon as well as seasonal updates from Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (with its new Black Ops Royale) and Battlefield 6.
What’s remarkable about ARC Raiders is that Embark Studios built it over six years with a core team of around 60 people. Now they’re under pressure to hold on to the audience by feeding the beast with more live updates. We talked about some of this in our in-game interview with Embark CEO Patrick Soderlund and Owen Mahoney, former CEO of parent company Nexon. Soderlund said people were spending three hours a day in the game, and they were churning through the content. More than 14 million copies have sold.
The update doesn’t change that basic gameplay but it notes the ARC threat is escalating. The update introduces enemy threats, high-risk encounters and expanded progression systems as part of the game’s ongoing post-launch roadmap.
Stockholm-based Embark Studios said raiders returning to the surface will face new dangers and adapt to increasingly unpredictable, high-risk operations.
The standard game is available for $40 via Steam and Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nvidia GeForce Now. The update is free.
Following a hurricane, ARC activity has escalated, with scattered reports giving way to a more coordinated presence across resource-rich zones. Raiders will encounter the new Close Scrutiny ARC Operation map condition, introducing high-risk engagements and high-value targets centered around the ARC Assessor—a heavily guarded unit carrying rare components tied to player progression.
ARC adaptation
ARC behavior is changing. The ARC Raiders Flashpoint Update introduces the Vaporizer, a new aerial unit equipped with a lethal laser and deployed in support of active operations, often appearing in groups and forcing Raiders to rethink positioning and timing in combat.
At the same time, a broader shift is emerging across Speranza, as the Shredder—known as one of the deadliest ARC threats—has begun appearing beyond maps including Stella Montis, with sightings reported across Blue Gate, Buried City and Spaceport, and under specific conditions in Dam Battlegrounds. What was once contained is now spreading, making every run more dangerous.
Keep up or fall behind
The update expands player loadouts and progression through new weapons—the Dolabra Energy Shotgun and the Canto Sub-machine gun—and a new player project with objectives tied to ARC activity.
The High-Gain Antenna Player Project will see players work to monitor ARC activity by collecting and contributing materials found topside and in the ARC Operation, unlocking staged rewards including gameplay items and Raider Tokens for successful completion of the Antenna.
Systems and content updates
Flashpoint introduces updates aimed at improving progression, player agency and customization, alongside new content and store offerings.
Scrappy feeding boost
Raiders can now influence what Scrappy retrieves by feeding specific items, enabling more targeted resource collection and bonus items.
Crafting Improvements
A streamlined system allows players to fulfill missing materials directly from the crafting interface through suggested actions, such as recycling, refining or purchasing.
Additional content includes new quests, quality-of-life updates and new store bundles.
Wasp Hunter Set
Alongside the update the Wasp Hunter Set launches, a new premium cosmetic pack available for $20 or local equivalent from all major storefronts.
The Wasp Hunter Set includes:
Outfit: The Wasp Hunter in 4 color variants (Navy Blue, Hornet Yellow, Orange, Light Blue)
Backpack: Oxygen Tank (White)
Scrappy Helmet: Wasp Hunter
Raider Tool: Thruster Hammer
2400 Raider Tokens
The ARC Raiders Flashpoint Update launches on March 31, 2026, and will be available at no additional cost to all players.