Frozen Trail is the largest ARC Raiders update since launch, and it reshapes almost every part of the game rather than just adding a single map. Embark Studios is sending Raiders past the mountains that ring the Rust Belt to a frozen region built around a fallen Emperor, and the patch bundles in new machines, weapons, gadgets, a personal base, and a rebuilt progression system.
Quick answer: Frozen Trail launches October 8, 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, adding the Pendola Pass map, the Frigate activity, three ARC enemies, two new weapons, Outposts, Amplified Weapons, new gadgets, and a Reward Pass.
When Frozen Trail releases
The update goes live on October 8, 2026. Embark has not confirmed an exact launch time yet and plans to share one closer to the date. Because Frozen Trail is such a large release, some launch-day downtime or queueing is possible.
Frozen Trail is the first major drop since Embark moved to two large updates a year instead of a monthly cadence. A developer Q&A livestream about the update is set for September 25 at 6pm CEST, ahead of the full launch.
The in-game currency Cred is being retired with Frozen Trail. Any balance left in your account when the update arrives is wiped, so spend it on Shani and unclaimed Raider Deck rewards beforehand. Rewards you have already claimed carry over.
Pendola Pass: the new frozen map
At the heart of the region lies Pendola Pass, a centuries-old Italian village that also serves as an Exodus transport hub, hidden below the towering mountains along the Rust Belt’s edge. After tracing an unusual signal there, Celeste and Shani send you north with the first scouting team to enter territory no Raider has charted.
It is the biggest map in the game so far, built with more verticality and threats both above and below ground. You will move through abandoned villages, factories, research facilities, an observatory, a supermarket, and a lifeless town square, plus a buried train depot that once served as a major transit point.
Dominating the region is a fallen Emperor, one of the enormous ARC machines. Rare technology sits inside it, and the objective is to reach the wreck and find a way in. The cold is a hazard in its own right: brutal Flash Freeze storms can sweep the valley as a new map condition, forcing you to find shelter.
The Frigate: a high-level PvPvE activity
The fallen Emperor triggers a major ARC response, and one of the largest ARC vessels, nicknamed the Frigate, patrols the area. This is not a simple boss fight. You first have to board the flying ship, then navigate its interior passages, unlock paths, crack puzzles, and survive both ARC forces and rival Raiders.
Fighting hundreds of feet in the air in close quarters is a big shift from the usual open-terrain combat, so you may need a different approach than you are used to. Other Raiders are chasing the same loot, meaning you either team up or cut through them. The Frigate can appear on other maps too, not only Pendola Pass, and it is aimed at experienced players.
Three new ARC enemies
Frozen Trail adds three machines built around very different combat styles, each meant to change how you move and fight rather than just being tougher versions of familiar ARC.
Bully
The Bully is modeled after a raging bull. It is fast, aggressive, and refuses to give ground, charging your position and hitting with a range of lethal attacks. Embark recommends using cover, timing your shots, and fighting it from a distance because it closes gaps quickly.
Skulker
The Skulker is the opposite: an opportunist that hides in bushes and behind buildings, waiting for an opening to strike. If you lose track of it, it retreats out of sight and returns to ambush you when you least expect it, so keep eyes on it during a fight.
Hydra
Aboard the Frigate, the Hydra remains fixed in place. Its three sections are stacked vertically, operate independently, and may each target a separate Raider at the same time. Squads must pull its focus away, get behind cover immediately, then strike during the gaps separating its volleys.
New weapons: Stiletto and Bantam
| Weapon | Type | Ammo | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stiletto | Battle rifle | Light | Cheap early-game long-range alternative to the Renegade |
| Bantam | Revolver | Heavy | Snub-nosed sidearm with a unique hip-fire mode |
Serving as an early-game counterpart to the lever-action Renegade, the Stiletto is a battle rifle that uses light ammunition. Crafting it is inexpensive, and its range is a strength; however, rapid trigger pulls reduce precision, making measured shots the better approach.
The Bantam is a snub-nosed revolver using heavy ammo to punch through targets. It works against both ARC and hostile Raiders and comes with a dedicated hip-fire capability, and Embark suggests it can rival Anvil as a favorite handgun.
Outposts replace the Raider Den
As you move toward Pendola Pass, the Raider Den becomes the Outpost, a personal base nestled between the Rust Belt and the mountains. It represents the first step toward reclaiming the surface. You can customize it with different modules, furniture, and workstations to make the space your own.
The most important addition is the Research Workstation, which sits inside the Outpost and unlocks higher levels of weapon customization and modding. Embark describes the Outpost as the beginning of a system it intends to expand over time, and for now it is accessed through menus rather than walked around.
Amplified Weapons add a fifth quality tier
With the Research Workstation completely upgraded, certain guns can advance to fifth quality level, known as amplification. This does more than raise their stats: it unlocks branching abilities and upgrades capable of fundamentally altering a weapon’s behavior.
Examples Embark showed during the reveal include:
- A fully automatic Burletta
- A Renegade fitted with a scope
- A Rattler with incendiary bullets and a 64-round magazine
The system launches with support for 15 weapons, and Embark plans to add more later. The goal is to give late-game players a reason to reinvent guns they previously ignored instead of leaning on the same small pool of favorites.
New gadgets for movement and crowd control
Several new gadgets change how you traverse Pendola Pass and handle enemies:
- Grappling Hook — climb hard-to-reach spots, rappel off buildings, and swing across gaps; powered by stamina rather than limited uses.
- Tether Launcher — connect two points with a wire to root targets in place or attach a Raider to an ARC and watch them get dragged away.
- Yank Grenade — uses the same tether principle but violently pulls a nearby target toward the blast, useful for smashing flying ARC down or pulling Raiders out of cover.
- Camera — this complete photography tool offers zoom, aperture adjustment, manual or automatic focus, and a selfie mode featuring emotes; every picture goes into your Codex.
The Camera effectively serves as the photo mode players have wanted since launch, replacing the old habit of framing pictures through Binoculars.
Instruments and Weapon Stencils
Following the guitar, Embark is adding two more instruments: the Harmonica and the Banjo. You can find these blueprints out in the world and craft them, though the Banjo blueprint is offered through the Collector Set DLC.
Weapon Stencils provide a way to give favorite firearms a new look. A gun with a custom appearance may nevertheless be lost in a raid, after which another Raider can claim it.
Reward Pass and Collector Set DLC
The old Battle Pass and Raider Deck format evolve into the Reward Pass, which runs across three tracks:
- Free Pass — 200 Raider Tokens, five new outfits, new gameplay items, and 20 cosmetics including Scrappy outfits, furniture, charms, attachments, and emotes.
- Premium Pass — This track grants 1,150 Raider Tokens, plus premium toggles for every outfit, exclusive colorways, weapon stencils, and hairstyles.
- Legacy Pass — free for everyone, it combines the existing Raider Decks so no previous progress is lost.
There is also a Collector Set DLC that bundles both the free and premium Reward Pass tracks, the Renzo cosmetic set, the Dragon’s Breath Weapon Stencil, the Bob hairstyle, and 2,400 Raider Tokens.
Skill Tree rework and other changes
Frozen Trail revises the Skill Tree by introducing improved and new skills while reducing overlap between them. These changes are intended to give build decisions greater weight, encouraging experienced Raiders to specialize rather than eventually acquire almost every option. Individual skill details have not yet been released.
Alongside these headline features, the update brings new questlines, more involved objectives with bonus XP for optional goals, and ongoing work on matchmaking, anti-cheat, and stability. Together they make Frozen Trail less a single map drop and more a broad reset of how ARC Raiders plays heading into October 8.
