The Shrouded Sky content update for ARC Raiders went live on February 24, 2026, bringing version 1.17.0 to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The download weighs roughly 15 GB on Steam. It is the second major release in the game's "Escalation" roadmap, following January's smaller Headwinds patch, and it touches nearly every system in the game — from a brand-new weather mechanic to significant PvP weapon tuning.
Hurricane map condition
The headline feature of Shrouded Sky is the Hurricane, a new map condition that sweeps across the Rust Belt. When a hurricane is active, gale-force winds directly affect movement speed: a tailwind at your back makes you faster, while pushing into the wind slows you down and drains stamina more quickly. Smoke and gas clouds disperse differently, and the trajectory of thrown objects like grenades shifts with the gusts.
Airborne debris is the other major hazard. Rocks and dirt kicked up by the storm will strike your shield, sending visible sparks into the air and steadily degrading its protection. Running through open terrain without a shield becomes a tactical decision rather than a safe default. Visibility drops sharply, and howling wind masks audio cues, giving both ARC enemies and hostile Raiders more opportunities to ambush you.
The trade-off for braving the storm is access to First Wave Raider Caches — valuable loot containers unearthed by the hurricane along the surface. These are exclusive to the hurricane condition and are expected to contain some of the highest-value items in the game.
Two new ARC enemies — Firefly and Comet
Shrouded Sky introduces two new robotic threats to the Rust Belt. The Firefly is an armored flying machine equipped with a flamethrower. It has four armored rotors, making it significantly tougher to bring down than a standard Wasp or Hornet — light ammo will bounce off the rotor plating until the armor is broken. Quick movement or hard cover is essential to avoid its flame jet, and armor-piercing weapons like the Anvil are likely to be popular counters.
The Comet is a spherical ARC unit that calmly patrols the surface outdoors. Once it detects a Raider, it locks on and charges toward them before detonating with a seismic shockwave. Unlike the smaller indoor Pop, the Comet roams freely across the map, appears to be armored, and its explosion carries enough force to potentially knock players off ledges or out of cover.
Weather Monitoring System — Seasonal player project
A new community-driven player project accompanies the hurricane lore. The NPC Shani tasks Raiders with collecting and contributing specific materials from topside to construct a weather monitoring system for Speranza. Completing stages of the project earns individual rewards. The project launched alongside the update and is available immediately from the project board.
Free Raider Deck — Surgeon
A new free Raider Deck called Surgeon shipped with Shrouded Sky. It works identically to previous decks: you earn Cred by completing Feats topside and spend it to progress through the deck's reward track. The Surgeon cosmetic set — styled after a field medic — unlocks gradually as you advance. This is the third free Raider Deck since launch, continuing Embark's pattern of not charging for seasonal battle passes.
Facial hair customization
Character customization now includes facial hair for the first time. The Stubble option is available to all players immediately after updating. A Full Beard can be unlocked through the Surgeon Raider Deck. Two additional styles — Stubble Beard and Thick Moustache — are purchasable in the in-game shop.
Dam Battlegrounds map update
Dam Battlegrounds received a new high-security area called the Controlled Access Zone. It functions as a high-value loot zone, and you'll know you've found it when you spot the Rocketeer chandelier. The zone is designed to attract players looking for top-tier gear, which naturally makes it a PvP hotspot as well.
Weapon balance changes
Embark addressed a lingering issue with weapon input buffering that was introduced accidentally in patch 1.13.1. That version inadvertently allowed players to spam-click semi-automatic weapons and bypass the intended firing cadence. The fix adds per-weapon input buffering controls: spam-clicking still works but is now less effective than properly pacing your shots.
The broader balance goal is to close the gap between low-tier and high-tier weapons. Lower-tier guns that were outperforming more expensive options received nerfs, while underperforming legendaries got buffs.
| Weapon | Change Summary |
|---|---|
| Stitcher | Headshot multiplier reduced from 2.5 to 1.75; base damage lowered from 7 to 6.5; per-shot dispersion increased ~50% |
| Kettle | Base damage reduced from 10 to 8.5; headshot multiplier kept high to reward precision |
| Venator | Headshot multiplier reduced from 2.5 to 2; base damage lowered from 9 to 8 |
| Jupiter | ADS magnification improved from ~1.9x to ~2.2x; equip time reduced from 1.2s to 1.05s; unequip time reduced from 0.9s to 0.75s |
| Aphelion | Reload time reduced from 4.5s to 3.5s; time between shots reduced from 0.9s to 0.7s; vertical recoil cut ~50%; ADS settle speed improved ~35% |
The Stitcher and Kettle nerfs specifically target their close-range TTK (time-to-kill), which was allowing cheap loadouts to dominate encounters against higher-tier gear. The Venator, still one of the strongest PvP weapons after earlier nerfs in patch 1.3.0, received another damage reduction. Embark noted that further changes to its ammo economy may follow if these adjustments aren't enough. Meanwhile, the Jupiter and Aphelion received quality-of-life buffs to make them more competitive in fast-paced PvP fights.
Item and crafting cost adjustments
Several items had their values, trader prices, and crafting recipes reworked. The Energy Clip is now available by default at the Workbench without needing to unlock it. ARC Parts sell values were reduced across the board to better reflect their role in crafting progression rather than as a quick cash source.
| Item | Value Change | Notable Recipe Change |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline | 5,000 → 6,000 | New ARC part added as crafting cost |
| Trailblazer | 1,600 → 2,200 | New ARC part added as crafting cost |
| Wolfpack | 5,000 → 6,000 | Rocketeer Driver added; Refined Explosive cost reduced |
| Vita Spray | 3,000 → 3,400 | Tick Pod added as crafting cost |
| Showstopper | 2,200 → 2,100 | Hornet Driver added; Advanced Electrical Components swapped to Electrical Components |
Progression and Feat changes
Feats (daily challenges) can now be rerolled three times per day for free, removing a friction point that previously locked players into unwanted objectives. All PvP-specific Feats have been removed entirely, with some existing Feats updated and new ones added in their place. An Expedition catch-up system was also introduced, letting you earn missed Skill Points from previous Expedition runs. The UI now tracks your catch-up progress.
Gameplay, utility, and exploit fixes
A piano was added as an interactable object in the game world — a small but notable flavor addition. On the exploit side, Embark blocked the simultaneous activation of all NVIDIA Freestyle filters, which some players were using for an unfair visual advantage. Interactions can no longer be triggered from excessive distances, closing a bug that let players open doors and loot items without being nearby.
Pop Triggers and Spotter Relays can now be placed in quick-access slots. The Spotter Relay doubles as a trap that lures nearby ARC, and the Pop Trigger now rolls forward briefly before detonating. A new field-craft item, the Shaker instrument, was added. Ziplines can no longer be placed on carryable objects or on other small deployables, and mines, traps, and remote flares are similarly restricted from being stacked on ziplines.
The Vita Spray was adjusted so healing applies continuously during use, closing an exploit where players could interrupt the animation to gain healing without consuming the item properly.
Map-specific fixes
Stella Montis received the most attention, with collision fixes across the Lobby, Atrium, Loading Bay, Train Station tunnels, and Seed Vault to prevent out-of-bounds exploits via the Unstuck function. Night lighting was improved across the map, and the Seed Vault extraction point got additional local lighting for better visibility. On Buried City, the chance of finding rare loot in chimneys during the Bird City condition was slightly reduced. Blue Gate received improved thunderstorm lighting and a fix for an out-of-bounds issue in the tunnels.
Anti-cheat enforcement update
Embark included a statement on anti-cheat with the patch. The team confirmed that serious infractions now carry stricter consequences, with clear detections resulting in immediate permanent bans. Lesser violations receive a temporary suspension and a single chance to correct behavior. Updates to Family Sharing have strengthened the studio's ability to remove bad actors, and a systematic manual review process for ban appeals is being prepared.
New cosmetic bundles and known issues
The Volare Set launched in the shop on February 24, while the Devotee Set is listed as coming soon. A new Backpack Set and Raider Tool Set are also part of the store refresh. On the known-issues front, Embark acknowledged several bugs shipping with the update: certain containers may be non-interactive, ziplines placed on destroyed ARC parts may not display correctly, and one of the new ARC enemies occasionally shows an unusable interaction prompt when destroyed.
Shrouded Sky is the second of four planned updates in the Escalation roadmap. The next major patch, Flashpoint, is expected in March 2026 and will include another new map condition, a new ARC threat, and a Scrappy update. April's Riven Tides update is slated to add an entirely new map and a new large ARC enemy type.