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The period spanning late August and early September seems to be a peak time for game updates. If you play ARC Raiders but also juggle other titles, you might overlook key milestones, such as the end date for Phantom Targets Part 2!

Admittedly, recent ARC Raiders news might not have grabbed your attention immediately. However, with the launch window for Expedition 5 fast approaching, it is wise to start gathering resources now to complete the associated missions.

Phantom Targets event consists of two parts, with three steps in each. Part 2 concludes on September 6, meaning you have just one week left to complete it.

Below, we outline the mission requirements for each of the three steps and the rewards you will earn upon completion.

Step 1: Bring In Glitched Wasp Parts for Testing

Regardless of the elaborate backstory surrounding Phantom Targets event, your main priority is simply understanding the requirements for each step and completing them on time.

Part 2, Step 1 requires you to collect ten of each of four specific ARC Raiders items. The first three were introduced with Update 1.42.0 and may be removed once Phantom Targets ends:

• Glitched ARC Power Converter
• Glitched ARC Transmitter
• Glitched ARC Phased Array
• Advanced ARC Powercell

Upon collecting and submitting these items, you will receive the following rewards:

• 1x Canto III
• 1x Stable Stock III
• 1x Extended Medium Mag III
• 1x Silencer III

How to farm the three Glitched items?

The three Glitched items mentioned above are obtained by eliminating a special enemy type known as Erratic Wasp. While Glitched ARC Power Converter can occasionally drop from ARC Raiders Hornets or Pops, focusing on Erratic Wasps is clearly more efficient.

Like Glitched items themselves, Erratic Wasp, also known as Glitched Wasp, was introduced to the game specifically for Phantom Targets event.

It is a variant of the standard Wasp ARC you are likely familiar with; while their appearance and combat mechanics are largely identical, Erratic Wasp displays signs of malfunction, its lights flicker chaotically, and its audio sounds off, as if it is in need of repair.

If encountered naturally on the map, its movement is erratic and unsteady due to its malfunction, and it moves more slowly than a standard Wasp. Consequently, if you have some gameplay experience, shooting it down shouldn't be difficult.

Upon spotting you, Erratic Wasp will target you with a red laser before firing continuously. During this engagement, you should constantly seek cover while looking for opportunities to target and destroy the enemy's thrusters.

Each Erratic Wasp has four thrusters, and fortunately, they are fully exposed. Once the thrusters are destroyed, Erratic Wasp loses control and may even crash outright.

To farm more efficiently and ensure your safety, it is best to use a Lure Grenade before opening fire.

When thrown, this item attaches to a surface and draws Erratic Wasp's attention, causing it to shift its focus; this allows you to eliminate the group of enemies more easily and with concentrated fire.

How to farm Advanced ARC Powercells?

This ARC Raiders item is classified as Rare, so most destroyed ARCs will drop it. If you have spare Assessor Matrices, you can also obtain additional Advanced ARC Powercells by recycling or salvaging them.

Step 2: Perform Final Tests on Glitched Wasp Parts

The requirements for Step 2 are essentially the same as Step 1, though the materials needed have changed (you still need ten of each):

• Glitched ARC Light Ring
• Glitched ARC Circuitry
• ARC Thermo Lining
• ARC Circuitry

There is no need to re-explain how to obtain the two Glitched items; ARC Thermo Lining can be found by scavenging during raids or by defeating most common PvE enemies.

In contrast, the enemy types that drop ARC Circuitry are more limited and consist mostly of large ARCs, such as Bastion, Matriarch, Queen, and others.

If you are concerned about facing these specific ARCs, you can prioritize scavenging ARC Probes instead. It cannot attack you directly; you simply need to retreat before the enemies it attracts arrive. Alternatively, you can craft ARC Circuitry at Refiner 2 workshop by consuming 8x ARC Alloy.

Rewards for completing this step include:

• Fireworks Box Blueprint
• Vulcano III
• Extended Shotgun Mag III
• Shotgun Silencer

Step 3: Conduct One Final Explosive Test

The only requirement for this step is to deal 100 points of damage to any flying ARCs using fireworks, specifically, the fireworks obtained as a reward in Step 2.

More precisely, you need to use the blueprint to craft a Fireworks Box, place it in an area where flying enemies frequently spawn, lure them nearby (using traps or other methods), and then trigger the fireworks remotely.

If you use a Fireworks Box but fail to reach the target damage, don't worry; the item can also be obtained through scavenging or by trading with Shani.

As for Fireworks Box blueprint recipe, you need to unlock Explosives Station 2 and gather at least 1x Explosive Compound and 3x Pop Trigger.

Rewards for Step 3 include:

• 1x Computer Mouse Backpack Charm
• 1x Crash Mat Blueprint
• 1x Anvil IV
• 1x Anvil Splitter

Crash Mat is particularly noteworthy. It is essentially a special grenade that deploys an inflatable pad upon impact with the ground; landing on it reduces fall damage. Crafting requirements include 1x Electrical Components, 1x Durable Cloth, and Utility Station 1.

Completing all the above marks the end of ARC Raiders Phantom Targets event, meaning you can start preparing to unlock the permanent rewards for Expedition 5!

Camera Gadget is coming in October!

Gamescom 2026, the biggest offline gaming event of the second half of the year, is currently in full swing, and ARC Raiders is participating.

While the team hasn't revealed new details about core gameplay yet, they announced the launch of Camera Gadget feature for October and released a dedicated short video for it.

This means you'll be able to use the in-game camera to capture and preserve fun moments during your raids. We might see previews of more new features before Gamescom 2026 concludes.

That covers everything for now. Also, this week's trials are ending soon, so be sure to manage your time wisely to avoid missing out on any rewards!

ARC Raiders' Frozen Trail is just over a month away from its full reveal, and the official team will begin its marketing campaign in September, gradually introducing everything they have been preparing over the past few months.

In fact, Gamescom 2026 would have been an excellent opportunity for promotion, but the official team chose not to reveal any information about Frozen Trail. It seems they mainly wanted to maintain a presence at the event, while saving more substantial reveals for September.

Some information about Frozen Trail was already revealed on August 12, including the map, new ARC enemies, and skill tree adjustments. Before the official team reveals more details, let's first discuss whether it can save ARC Raiders.

Opening Promises

ARC Raiders has certainly made quite a few mistakes throughout its live service, and it all goes back to the beginning. When the game first launched, the development team promised monthly updates to ensure that the content would remain fresh.

However, that became their first major mistake because it created expectations that were simply too high and unrealistic.

Even the largest game studios in the industry would struggle to deliver substantial updates every single month.

Based on the wording used by the official team at the time, it seemed to suggest that a large amount of content was already prepared and waiting to be released. The reality, however, was quite different.

The new ARC enemies and new map conditions they introduced were both fairly good, but they still could not hide the underlying lack of content.

What actually had a positive impact were Close Scrutiny event and Vaporizers. These challenging activities provided a welcome test for veteran Raiders who were beginning to find the core gameplay loop increasingly repetitive.

Reward System

ARC Raiders has always had some serious problems with its reward system. The rewards only remain meaningful during the early stages, and once players reach the endgame, even rare and legendary loot can no longer generate much excitement.

This is partly because legendary weapons not only fail to outperform blue or pink-tier weapons, but can even be slightly worse in certain situations.

They have a higher value and a more impressive appearance, but from a risk-to-reward perspective, they are simply not worthwhile because players carrying these weapons often become like cheese that attracts huge numbers of rats.

Blueprints also make it much easier for players to obtain these weapons. As long as they have the required materials, they can craft them repeatedly, so losing one is not something they need to worry about.

Player Loss

On May 13, the promise of monthly updates was proven to be unrealistic. The official team announced that updates would instead be released only twice a year going forward, explaining that this would provide enough time to make meaningful and substantial changes to the game.

The news was a major blow. The situation was even more disappointing given the expected performance of Riven Tides.

Although this situation was frustrating and temporarily killed the game's momentum, it was indeed the right decision. The game genuinely needs a large-scale and comprehensive overhaul to fundamentally change the gameplay experience.

At the same time, item duplication exploits and cheating problems also pushed the in-game environment into a very poor state. It seemed like almost everyone had a fully equipped Tempest 4, with much of this gear coming from duplication exploits.

Due to this gear disparity, the current environment isn't favorable for starters or those who participated in Expedition reset. If you don't want to be complicit with cheaters, you can buy ARC Raiders items at IGGM.com to gain the ability to fight back.

If you're a registered IGGM user, remember to use IGGM check-ins to accumulate points. You can accumulate a large number of points to redeem discounts and cash coupons, with discounts up to 10%.

Can Frozen Trail Save ARC Raiders?

If you expect players to endure a long period of silence, then every update cannot simply be a new biome, several new threats, and another activity to try out. It needs to provide genuine reasons for players to log in every day, continue forming squads, and remain invested in their own progression.

According to the information released by the official team, Frozen Trail is large in scale and densely packed with explorable areas both above and below ground, which seems substantial enough to keep players occupied for a long time.

Risks 

But the risks remain. Frozen Trail may expand the game's breadth while still lacking depth. A new map can look visually impressive and yet fail to become a space that players actually want to explore repeatedly.

New high-difficulty operations may be tense and exciting at first, but they could eventually lose their appeal if their scope is too narrow. A new ARC Boss may initially become a major challenge for players, but if its behavior patterns are easy to predict, players will quickly adapt to it.

Still, there is reason for cautious optimism. October 8 is not that far away. The official team has also mentioned improvements to matchmaking, stability, and overall quality.

Because no matter how much content a game has, it cannot save an online game if the underlying experience remains rough or unstable. Players pay attention to major features, but they also immediately notice friction throughout the game.

If the game runs more smoothly, the controls feel better, and the overall Raider experience becomes more seamless, these improvements could be just as valuable as a visually stunning new region.

Will it Be a Complete Failure?

ARC Raiders was extremely popular when it first launched, and Frozen Trail may not be able to recreate that level of excitement. Every update is likely to bring a massive wave of returning players, followed by another gradual decline in the player count until the next update arrives.

It is similar to Fortnite. At its peak, it attracted almost everyone, yet its popularity inevitably faded over time. Even so, Fortnite remains full of life to this day.

If September Frozen Trail reveal can demonstrate genuine endgame pressure and progression systems that meaningfully strengthen the core gameplay loop, it could reignite ARC Raiders' momentum. If the reveal remains vague, or the final patch delivers less than what the marketing suggests, ARC Raiders may end up moving toward an even longer development cycle, which would not be good news for the game.