The Bettina, ARC Raiders' heavy-ammo assault rifle, received a meaningful rebalance in the Riven Tides update (patch 1.26.0) that landed on April 28, 2026. Embark Studios increased its damage output, tightened its accuracy curve, and raised the heavy ammo stack size, turning a weapon many considered a downgrade from the Anvil into a credible top-tier pick for fighting ARC enemies.
Quick answer: The Bettina now deals more base damage and more damage to ARC armor per shot, with reduced fire rate, a tighter dispersion curve for longer bursts, and heavy ammo stacks raised from 40 to 60.
What changed in the Riven Tides Bettina buff
The rework targets the gun's two long-standing weaknesses, low per-bullet value and ammo logistics. Damage per round goes up, both against players and against ARC armor, while the fire rate drops slightly to keep the time-to-kill from spiraling. The dispersion model is the more decisive change, since it lets the rifle keep its grouping during longer bursts instead of blooming after a few shots.
| Attribute | Change in Riven Tides |
|---|---|
| Base damage | Increased (applies to players and ARC) |
| ARC armor damage | Increased per shot |
| Fire rate | Reduced to offset higher damage |
| Per-shot dispersion | Reduced by 40% |
| Dispersion recovery time | Reduced by 30% |
| Heavy ammo stack size | Raised from 40 to 60 |
Why the heavy ammo stack size matters
The Bettina chews through heavy rounds quickly because of its 22-round magazine and burst-friendly playstyle. Before the patch, a 40-round stack forced raiders to dedicate multiple inventory slots just to feed the gun for a single run. With stacks of 60, three or four stacks comfortably cover a full raid, freeing backpack space for loot, consumables, and grenades. The same buff helps the Anvil and Pharaoh, but the Bettina benefits the most because of its higher per-engagement ammo cost.
How the new dispersion curve plays
The previous Bettina punished anything beyond short taps, with the reticle blooming aggressively between shots. The 40% per-shot dispersion reduction means each follow-up round stays closer to the center, so longer bursts remain viable at medium range. The 30% faster dispersion recovery shortens the pause needed between bursts before the weapon resets to its tightest spread. Combined, these two values make the Bettina behave less like a heavy DMR and more like a controllable burst rifle, especially with a compensator and padded stock.
Bettina performance against ARC enemies
The increased ARC armor damage is the headline change for PvE. A full 22-round magazine into the core of an ARC Turbine, the new heavy enemy added in Riven Tides, lands around 840 damage. Smaller ARC units, including Rocketeers and standard infantry variants, drop noticeably faster than they did pre-patch, even without specialty tools like the Showstopper or Hornet Driver. For raiders who previously defaulted to the Anvil for ARC clearing, the Bettina is now a stronger option when one drops in a raid.
PvP considerations
Because the base damage buff also applies against players, the Bettina hits harder in raider-versus-raider fights, but the lower fire rate means trigger discipline matters more. The tighter dispersion rewards two-to-four round bursts at range, while close-quarters duels still favor faster weapons. The gun is more punishing as a self-defense option than it was previously, particularly when paired with an angled grip and compensator for vertical control.
Recommended attachment direction
The buff does not change attachment slots, but it shifts which mods give the most value. Recoil and dispersion control attachments scale better now because the underlying dispersion floor is lower. A compensator helps maintain the tighter horizontal spread during sustained fire, while a padded or angled stock reduces the kick that previously forced shorter bursts. Magnification choice depends on map, with Riven Tides' open beachside sightlines favoring a mid-range optic.
How to verify the buff in-game
Step 1: Update ARC Raiders to patch 1.26.0 (Riven Tides). The update went live on April 28, 2026, and the Bettina changes are active from that build forward.
Step 2: Pick up any Bettina and inspect its weapon stats screen. The damage value and dispersion stats should reflect the new numbers, and heavy ammo in your inventory will stack to 60 per slot rather than 40.
Step 3: Test against an ARC target in a raid. A full magazine into an ARC Turbine core should land near 840 total damage, which confirms the ARC armor damage increase is applied.
The combination of higher per-bullet damage, tighter sustained accuracy, and a larger ammo stack puts the Bettina in a strong place for both ARC clearing and opportunistic PvP. It is no longer a situational sidegrade to the Anvil, and for raiders who find one in the field, swapping in is a defensible call until Embark's next balance pass.