Embark Studios has been rolling out new cosmetic skins for ARC Raiders on a roughly weekly basis since the extraction shooter launched on October 30, 2025. The results have been polarizing. Some outfits earn immediate praise, others get roasted into memes within hours, and a vocal portion of the community keeps saving their Raider Tokens week after week, waiting for something that truly stands out. The most recent development is a teaser for what appears to be the game's first animal-themed skin, but to understand why it matters, it helps to look at the broader cosmetics landscape in ARC Raiders.
How ARC Raiders cosmetics work
ARC Raiders is a buy-to-play title with a $40 entry price. Cosmetic items are purchased through the in-game store using Raider Tokens, which can be bought with real money. Embark reduced store prices in late 2025, but bundles still typically run in the range of 1,300 tokens and up. Unlike free-to-play competitors such as Fortnite or Marvel Rivals, the upfront cost of the game makes expensive cosmetic bundles a harder sell for many players.
Skins in ARC Raiders are full outfits rather than individual pieces. There is currently no mix-and-match system, which is one of the most persistent community requests. Each skin typically ships in three color variants, and some bundles include an emote. Backpacks are sometimes included but not always. Notably, skins added to the store are permanent — there are no time-limited cosmetics yet.
The Abyss skin and its "kinky" pants problem
In mid-January 2026, Embark released the Abyss skin as part of the game's first update of the new year. The upper half of the outfit features a heavily armored look with a pilot-style helmet and a glowing red tech eye, which players generally liked. The lower half is where things got complicated.
The Abyss skin's leg armor includes lace-up compression panels that many players immediately compared to bondage gear. Reddit threads quickly renamed it the "Kinky Raider" outfit, and it became a meme almost overnight. One player, rather than removing the lacing, went the opposite direction and edited the entire outfit to match the leg aesthetic — a joke the community genuinely appreciated.
The lacing actually has a real-world reference. The design is modeled after anti-G suits historically worn by fighter pilots. These compression garments prevent blood from pooling in the lower body during high-G maneuvers, keeping oxygen flowing to the brain. Given that ARC Raiders leans into a retro sci-fi aesthetic inspired by 1980s technology and early space programs, the design choice fits the game's world — even if it caught players off guard.
The general consensus was that if the pants were different, the Abyss skin could have been one of the best in the game. Instead, many players chose to hold onto their tokens.
The Fiero skin and the weekly rotation cycle
A week later, on January 20, 2026, Embark added a new skin that community members identified as the Fiero set. This one landed more favorably. The outfit features a scarf, leather jacket, goggles on the helmet, and — critically — normal-looking pants. Players drew comparisons to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Hoth rebels from Star Wars, and Amelia Earhart.
The Fiero skin shipped in three color variants, all in earthy tones that some players found too muted. A common complaint was the limited palette: brown, slightly different brown, and mostly brown. The bundle did not include a backpack, and the skin cost 1,300 credits. Despite the lukewarm reaction to the colors, many players considered it the most solid weekly skin release to date, with clean lines and no single element that ruined the overall look.
Community members who showcase each week's skin and its variants have become a fixture on the ARC Raiders subreddit, with posts regularly pulling nearly 2,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments.
The Headwinds update brought the Sandwalker Set
On January 27, 2026, Embark released the Headwinds content update, which introduced two new cosmetic sets alongside gameplay additions like Solo vs. Squads matchmaking and the Trophy Display project. One of the highlighted cosmetics was the Sandwalker Set, described as suitable for stealth-focused play. Embark's messaging leaned into the idea of going against the odds, tying the cosmetics thematically to the update's new solo-in-squads mode.
Embark's stance on keeping skins grounded
Embark has publicly committed to keeping ARC Raiders cosmetics consistent with the game's post-apocalyptic, retro sci-fi tone. This stance came after competitors like Call of Duty faced backlash for increasingly unrealistic cosmetics, prompting studios across the shooter genre to reassure their communities. Embark explicitly promised that new skins would remain true to the game's aesthetic.
So far, the studio has largely followed through. The controversies around skins like Abyss and the earlier Marco skin have been about specific design choices — unusual pants, questionable color palettes, missing gloves — rather than lore-breaking or cartoonish designs. Players frequently request facial hair options, more varied color schemes, and the ability to toggle accessories like goggles, but the overall art direction has stayed consistent.
An animal-themed skin is coming next
On February 9, 2026, Embark posted a short teaser video on the official ARC Raiders social media channels. The clip shows a raider cautiously looting before a pair of pointed, fox-like ears appear behind them. The accompanying text confirmed a new outfit is heading to the store the following week.
Community speculation quickly centered on a wolf or lone wolf theme, based on the imagery and emoji used in the teaser. Players pointed out that an animal-themed skin had already surfaced in earlier datamines and was spotted in a pre-launch trailer, making this teaser feel like official confirmation of something long rumored. The most popular theory is that the skin will feature a wolf or fox pelt worn as a hood or helmet — similar in concept to Destiny's Wolfswood Cloak — rather than transforming the player character into an animal.
No official name or price has been announced. Based on the game's weekly store refresh schedule, the skin is expected to arrive on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. A new game update is also planned for February 10, which will likely include bug fixes and balance adjustments.
What else is on the ARC Raiders roadmap
Beyond the animal-themed skin, Embark has a major content update called Shrouded Sky planned for February 2026, though no exact release date has been confirmed. That patch is expected to add a new map condition, a new ARC threat, a new player project, and a new raider deck. A map update is also teased for Shrouded Sky, though it's unclear which of the game's five maps will be affected.
The game's second Expedition departs on March 1, 2026. Players who missed Skill Points during the first Expedition can reclaim them through a new Catch Up mechanic, with each missed point costing 300,000 and new points reduced to 600,000.
ARC Raiders is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The cosmetics debate will almost certainly continue with each weekly store refresh — and if the animal-themed skin lives up to the hype, it could be the first outfit that actually empties some of those hoarded token stashes.
