Quick answer: ARC Raiders Update 1.23.0 was delayed from its original Tuesday, April 7 slot and is now live as of Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at 2:00 AM PT / 5:00 AM ET / 11:00 AM CET.
Release time: April 8, 2026 at 2:00 AM PT / 5:00 AM ET / 11:00 AM CET
Why Patch 1.23.0 Was Pushed Back
Embark Studios announced the delay on the official ARC Raiders Discord server on the morning of April 7. The studio's message was brief: "Patch 1.23.0 is moved until [April 8] at the usual time, 11:00. It comes with the highly anticipated Vanguard Set and a number of fixes." No specific reason was given for the 24-hour postponement, though it aligns with the team's general approach of holding patches until they meet internal quality checks rather than shipping on a rigid schedule.
This is a minor disruption to Embark's otherwise consistent cadence. The studio typically releases smaller weekly patches on Tuesdays, reserving larger content drops for the final Tuesday of each month. The Flashpoint update, for instance, landed on March 31 and introduced the Close Scrutiny map condition, the Vaporizer enemy, two new weapons, and a crafting overhaul.
ARC Raiders 1.23.0 Release Times by Region
The patch deploys simultaneously worldwide. Below is a breakdown of when it goes live in each major region on April 8, 2026.
| Region | Local Time |
|---|---|
| North America (PT) | 2:00 AM |
| North America (ET) | 5:00 AM |
| Brazil (BRT) | 6:00 AM |
| United Kingdom (GMT) | 10:00 AM |
| Europe (CET) | 11:00 AM |
| Japan (JST) | 6:00 PM |
| Australia (AEDT) | 9:00 PM |
| New Zealand (NZDT) | 11:00 PM |
Expect a short maintenance window around these times. Once the servers come back online, the patch content — including the new cosmetic bundle — will be available immediately.
Vanguard Set Now Available for Purchase
The headline addition in 1.23.0 is the Vanguard Set, a cosmetic outfit that was first teased in Flashpoint's marketing materials. Players have been requesting it for weeks, and Embark confirmed it will be purchasable with Raider Tokens through the in-game store once the update is live. If you've been stockpiling tokens, this is the patch to spend them on.
Community reaction to the Vanguard Set has been broadly positive. Players on Reddit described it as "finally a skin worth buying," though some expressed hope that the lower half of the outfit wouldn't be undermined by an unusual footwear choice. The set is purely cosmetic and does not affect gameplay stats or progression.
Expected Bug Fixes and Known Issues
Full patch notes have not been published yet, but Embark confirmed the update includes "a number of fixes." Players are particularly hoping for resolutions to several bugs that surfaced or worsened after the Flashpoint update.
Another high-priority issue involves Tick enemies. If a Tick attaches to your character while you're holding a Battery or Field Crate, the normal removal methods — dodge rolling or pressing the designated shake-off button — fail entirely. This often results in an unavoidable death and a full loss of carried loot. No reliable workaround has been found, and the community has been vocal about wanting a fix before the larger Riven Tides update later this month.
Players have also flagged a change to the Rocketeer enemy's sound design introduced in Flashpoint. The new audio reportedly sounds too similar to the Vaporizer, making it difficult to distinguish between the two enemy types during hectic fights. While less critical than the Tick bug, it has generated consistent feedback in community channels.
Separately, mid-raid disconnections have become more frequent since the last update, with some players reporting being kicked from sessions multiple times per play session. Whether 1.23.0 addresses server stability remains to be seen once the full notes drop.
What's Not in This Patch
Don't expect major content additions, weapon balance changes, or new map features in 1.23.0. Embark has been clear that weekly patches focus on bug fixes, quality-of-life improvements, and minor additions like cosmetics. Significant new content is reserved for the monthly updates.
Riven Tides and the Road Ahead
The next major ARC Raiders content drop is Riven Tides, expected at the end of April. It's positioned as the final large update of the first half of 2026 on Embark's official roadmap. Riven Tides is anticipated to include a brand-new map, a new map condition, and a large-scale ARC enemy — widely speculated to be the Emperor. No exact release date has been confirmed, but following the studio's pattern of shipping major updates on the last Tuesday of each month, April 28 is a reasonable expectation.
Production director Caio Braga has acknowledged that the game needs more challenging content for players who have reached the endgame, and Riven Tides is expected to begin addressing that gap. Between now and then, Embark will continue shipping smaller weekly patches to keep the game stable.
ARC Raiders launched in October 2025 and has maintained strong momentum since, winning Best Multiplayer at The Game Awards 2025 and holding a healthy player base across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Embark has committed to a 10-year support plan, and even a minor delay like this one reflects a studio that would rather hold a patch for an extra day than ship something that isn't ready. Keep an eye on the official Discord for the full 1.23.0 patch notes once the servers are back up.