Nexon’s Embark Studios is launching ARC Raiders’ first content update, North Line, opening a new chapter for the masses of Raiders that have gathered around this popular game.
The update goes live on Thursday, November 13 at 1:30 a.m. Pacific time, introducing a community unlock event called Breaking New Ground, which will reveal the new map Stella Montis, and a slate of new gameplay items, ARC, and quality-of-life updates.
ARC Raiders is available for $40 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and NVIDIA GeForce NOW. The North Line update is free for all players, and follows a strong debut for the game, which recently surpassed 700,000 concurrent players. It’s a big game for Embark Studios, a division of Nexon, whose CEO Junghun Lee talked to me about the chances for new intellectual property games recent.
I’ve been playing the game with my friend Mark Chandler and others, and it’s a really cool scavenger and extraction game, where you have to leave your home in the tunnels and go up to the surface to scavenge items. And you have to escape before the AI-based ARC enemies discover you and stop you from getting your stash. It’s not unlike the world of Fallout, but the gameplay is pretty tense and exhilarating at times. (Check out our video of one of our runs below).
Discover Stella Montis
The frontier expands north. The new Stella Montis map invites Raiders to explore abandoned structures that remain eerily pristine compared to the wrecks of the Rust Belt. Cold, sterile, and steeped in mystery, these ruins hint at what humanity left behind in its push toward the stars, challenging players to uncover the truth buried within.
Raiders who complete its challenges will recover rare resources, new gameplay items, and potential weapon blueprints hidden in the ruins, revealing the next step in the struggle to reclaim the surface.
Access to Stella Montis must first be earned — the tunnels leading to the new region will only open once the global community completes Breaking New Ground.
The North Line introduces ARC Raiders’ first global community event, Breaking New Ground; kicking off November 13 at 10:30 a.m. CET. Raiders who’ve battled through at least a few rounds can join forces to help Speranza rebuild the tunnels connecting to Stella Montis.
As players contribute resources to the effort, they’ll earn Merits — a new event currency that fuels the next phase of the community event. The release timing of Stella Montis will be set by community progress, revealing the next frontier and triggering the “Staking Our Claim” Phase II, a new progression track with rewards to earn and challenges to complete. This new track will be available for a limited time, running until December.
The update also introduces two new ARC enemies, each bringing distinct challenges to the surface. The Matriarch — a hulking ARC that makes the Queen look friendly by comparison — appears under specific map conditions and will be available from the start of Breaking New Ground. The Shredder is exclusive to Stella Montis and will only emerge once the new region opens, and forces Raiders to stay sharp in close-quarters encounters.
Alongside these threats, players gain access to the Energy Burst Battle Rifle, a set of new Mines, fresh Playstyles, and new Questlines themed around Stella Montis.
Looking Ahead
The North Line is just the beginning of ARC Raiders’ post-launch roadmap. The next update, Cold Snap, arrives this December – introducing the Flickering Flames event, new snowfall Map Condition, the awaited Expedition Project Raider reset, and more.
Embark Studios, based in Stockholm, was founded in 2018 by former DICE studio leaders at Electronic Arts. It has a team of 300 people and previously made The Finals in 2023.