Store Update 2.1.0 for ARC Raiders is live, and it opens a one-week window where you can drop into the Rust Belt without another Raider shooting you. The same patch closes a door exploit on the Emperor, shuts down a workaround that softened the Sprinting on Fumes skill, and cleans up a long list of traversal, map, and interface bugs.
Quick answer: Update 2.1.0 went live on October 13, 2026, adding a limited-time PvE toggle beta that runs through October 20, patching the Emperor throwable-door exploit, and stopping stamina consumables from bypassing the Sprinting on Fumes cooldown.
PvE toggle beta test: what it is and when it runs
Embark Studios is running a temporary PvE matchmaking toggle from October 13 through October 20, 2026. It is a beta, not a permanent mode, and it is open to every player with no separate build or access key. The studio has been clear that whether the toggle sticks around depends on player data and feedback gathered during the week. You can read the full rules on the official PvE toggle page.
To switch it on, open the Play tab to reach the Destinations map, find the Limited Time panel on the left, and flip the PvE Only button to On before you queue. The choice resets every time you deploy, so you can run a quiet scavenging raid and then jump straight back into a standard PvPvE match.
PvE is not a separate game with its own progression. It uses the same maps, machines, quests, stash, and blueprints as the normal queue.
What changes inside a PvE raid
Turning off the human threat brings a set of balancing rules with it. The important ones to know before you queue:
- No player-to-player damage. Gunfire between Raiders does nothing, and stun and fire throwables no longer affect other players.
- Barricades and ziplines still have physical collision, so other players can still block routes, race you to loot, and crowd extraction points.
- ARC can still fully eliminate you. A downed Raider gets an eight-second grace period before machines resume attacking.
- Squad sizes are mixed. Solos, duos, and trios share the same sessions to keep queue times short.
- Overall loot value is lowered in PvE to offset the reduced risk, while standard PvPvE gets a slightly higher baseline during the test.
- Five conditions are unavailable: Night Raid, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate, Frigate, and Redirection.
- PvE results do not touch your PvPvE matchmaking rating.
The Redirection exclusion matters most for endgame players, since that condition is the targeted route for Emperor Payloads, ARC Couplers, and the Gateway Conduit blueprint. If you are chasing the Fallen Emperor, those parts still require the standard queue.
Emperor door exploit patched
Players had found a way to use throwables to interact with certain doors on the Emperor, letting teams reach the loot room without completing the full maze. That created a camping problem, with groups sitting inside and ambushing anyone who arrived the intended way. Update 2.1.0 fixes those unintended throwable-door interactions.
Sprinting on Fumes nerf and skill fixes
The drawback that kicks in after Sprinting on Fumes ends is deliberate; it is meant to balance the ability. Since stamina consumables could erase that cost, they are now blocked whenever its cooldown is running.
A related loophole with the Fight or Flight skill, which let players sidestep the same penalty, has also been closed. Two other skill bugs got attention: Broad Shoulders now activates on spawn so sprinting works within the increased carry limit, and Field Repair no longer needs a restart to work after you unlock it mid-session.
For crafting, research for Mobile-Fire Grip Fittings now calls for Skulker Targeters, not Skulker Drivers. Since either component comes from the Skulker, this correction determines which part you need to collect.
Grappling Hook traversal and rope fixes
The Grappling Hook has received multiple movement adjustments, with several focused on Pendola Pass. Players can vault onto ledges and rooftops more easily; rope-climb finishes trigger auto-vault more consistently, and swings now end more reliably on walkable terrain.
- Even before the hook reaches its destination, its rope can now bend around surrounding geometry.
- Swinging from objects too light to hold your weight no longer causes issues.
- Tethering the hook to a rapidly moving target, including the Ballistic Gondola, no longer causes it to release during lift-off.
- Grappling Hooks and Tether Launchers now release when you are downed by fall damage, and ones at 0 durability break instead of being destroyed.
Hairpin Semi-Auto Amplification now applies its headshot penalty
The Hairpin’s Semi-Auto Amplification now applies its intended headshot damage reduction. This common pistol has an integrated silencer, and Semi-Auto is one of four Amplification options available for it.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Category | Pistol |
| Ammo |  Light Ammo |
| Magazine size | 8 |
| Mod slots | 1 |
| Item weight | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Upgrade levels | I to IV |
| Amplification upgrades | Incendiary Rounds, Semi-Auto, Sprint Shooting, Tracker Rounds |
Map, performance, and quest fixes
Pendola Pass took the largest share of map work. A bug that could eliminate players who were inside the Gondola and extracting is fixed, terrain and collision gaps have been smoothed, a Railyard spot where you could not step up as expected is corrected, and night lighting is now darker with reduced visibility. Frigate cargo drop points on the map were adjusted for better access.
Across other maps, Frigate hatches now deal burning damage over time when they open, vaulting on destroyed Matriarch, Vaporizer, Hydra, and Firefly remains is stable, and shelter doors give you more room so you no longer get squeezed. Lighting and reflections improved in Frigate areas and on Dam Battlegrounds, and memory use dropped on Spaceport, Buried City, and Dam Battlegrounds, with the biggest gains on Xbox Series S.
Quest fixes include progress bars displaying correctly in Speranza, loot-icon areas on Pendola Pass now counting toward the “Picking Up the Pieces” objective, and the “Sizing Things Up” cinematics playing after completion.
UI, Reward Pass, and Outpost fixes
Compass and map visibility for Gondola markers now extends from 120 to 175 meters, pings on the Skulker and Bully place better at long range, and the Weapon Amplification tree highlights the path to a node when you hover it.
The Reward Pass had several accuracy problems corrected. It now progresses properly, the end-of-round screen no longer counts milestones from previous rounds, the pass tile no longer overstates completed levels, and the details screen shows the active pass name. In the Outpost, module recipes clear from the tracker after installation, a new orange indicator flags completed project steps, and exiting a decorated room returns you to the room you were editing instead of the base room.
The Carrion Set in the store
A new cosmetic bundle, the Carrion Set, is available in the in-game store for 1,600, discounted from 2,000. It includes customizable armor parts with Default, Black, and White color options, the Carrion Helmet, and a Traffic Band backpack charm. Full patch details are posted on the official Store Update 2.1.0 notes.
Mobility branch skills affected by the nerf
Sprinting on Fumes sits at the end of the Mobility branch in a choice group with In The Flow and Wall Run. You pick up to two of the three, the first unlocking at 30 points invested in the branch and the second at 40. Each is a single-rank skill. Knowing what the other two options do helps if you are rebuilding around the cooldown change.
| Skill | Branch | Effect |
|---|---|---|
 Sprinting on Fumes | Mobility | Carries a cooldown penalty after use that can no longer be bypassed by stamina consumables. |
 In The Flow | Mobility | Combining movement abilities during a sprint boosts your speed and spends less stamina. |
 Wall Run | Mobility | Build up speed toward a wall, and you can run several steps up its surface. |
You will know the update is applied when the client reports version 2.1.0 and the PvE Only toggle appears under the Limited Time panel on the Destinations map. That toggle disappears when the beta window closes on October 20.
