ARC Raiders Will Remove Cred System with the Launch of Frozen Trail: How Should You Deal with This Change?

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• Destiny Inspired ARC Raiders 10-Year Plan | And It's Not Just About More Content

  Were you surprised when the executive producer of ARC Raiders revealed that the team aims to make the game a decade-long journey? To be honest, players aren't afraid of a long-term commitment; what they fear is a long haul that offers nothing new.

  However, the developers have outlined specific directions for this journey, so let's take a closer look at what players can actually expect in each area.

  New Locations

  When it comes to adding new maps, many games simply swap color palettes or reskin monsters while keeping the gameplay loop exactly the same.

  But the new locations mentioned for ARC Raiders promise to be far more complex. Imagine that the survival strategies you've mastered - where to hide, where to find resources, and which routes are safest - become completely obsolete once you step into a new zone.

  For instance, if they introduce a zone with permanent sub-zero temperatures, managing your body temperature would suddenly become your top priority; gear for staying warm - previously an afterthought - would require careful planning and resource management.

  Alternatively, consider a radiation-filled zone: you can no longer scavenge with reckless abandon. Every movement must be calculated, as prolonged exposure could easily mean you won't make it out alive.

  If the new locations in ARC Raiders' ten-year plan achieve this level of depth, it won't just be about having more ground to cover; it will force you to rethink your entire survival strategy.

  Every quarter or year, you'll find yourself exploring the rules of a new environment just as you did during your first week in the game, recapturing that fresh, newbie sense of discovery. That is precisely what makes a decade-long journey so exciting.

  

  New Events and Threats

  If we look objectively at how dynamic events usually play out in games, they often amount to little more than asking players to team up and grind a boss at a set time.

  But if the new events and threats promised for ARC Raiders are implemented effectively, they should be capable of interrupting whatever you're currently doing.

  Picture this: you and your teammates are excitedly hauling loot back to your base, Speranza, when a system broadcast suddenly signals an anomaly in a nearby sector. The ground beneath your feet begins to shake, and a horde of never-before-seen enemies spawns right in a previously safe corridor.

  ARC Raiders items you're carrying were originally only enough to handle standard enemies; now you have to decide - do you grit your teeth and fight, ditch your supplies and run, or take a long detour and roll the dice? 

  These new events and threats arrive without warning or countdown; it's entirely a matter of luck.

  Moreover, a new threat implies more than just a cosmetic reskin; it could involve attack patterns we've never encountered before - such as enemies capable of completely disabling your electronic devices, or stealthy ARC units that track heat signatures.

  If ARC Raiders can roll out one or two new mechanics every six months that keep players scrambling to adapt, the game is sure to win widespread acclaim.

  

  A Deeper Narrative

  In reality, most players diving into an extraction shooter focus on the opening two or three minutes of cutscenes at best; few care much about the actual reason for the conflict.

  However, since the developers have explicitly promised a deeper narrative, it's clear they intend for the in-game storytelling to be a key draw for players.

  Right now, we only know that ARC enemies relentlessly hunt us down. But perhaps after an update next year, you'll receive logs detailing ARC's origins, followed by an event the year after that reveals their mission objectives.

  Naturally, the game will also weave in various clues to help you gradually piece together the enemies' background; with every passing interval, you'll gather another piece of the puzzle.

  Individually, these pieces might not reveal much, but once assembled, they'll fuel your curiosity and spark increasingly intense speculation about what ARC is actually up to.

  Stretching the narrative out over time is far more effective at whetting your appetite than dumping all the information at once; it keeps you voluntarily engaged on ARC Raiders battlefield, eager to uncover more astonishing secrets.

  After all, with a ten-year plan in place, the developers need a substantial amount of story content to keep the experience engaging and prevent it from becoming monotonous.

  Progression and Game Systems

  Finally, let's look at progression and game systems. Regarding the skill tree changes and new weapons or items mentioned by the developers, the ideal approach would be to let players choose between several useful options, rather than simply handing them a more powerful item to use.

  For instance, following a major update, a skill tree might be split into two new branches, forcing you to make a fresh choice.

  Similarly, new weapons might not necessarily deal more damage but could offer functional changes that completely alter your tactical approach.

  If the item system also allows players to combine items into more powerful gear, we'll have to put even more thought into our preparations before each battle.

  Changes like these will undoubtedly inject a fresh feel into the decade-long journey of ARC Raiders.

  Frozen Trail

  

  Everything discussed above is based on reasonable speculation drawn from official reveals, but Frozen Trail update - arriving on October 8, 2026 - will be the first opportunity to put those theories to the test.

  Of course, it likely won't realize every single vision right away, but it should give us a real sense of just how different the new map and events are.

  Nailing Frozen Trail update is essential; only then will players have reason to believe that the ten-year journey of ARC Raiders can truly deliver fresh challenges.

• ARC Raiders Update 1.45.0 Brings New Project Ascending the Mountain: Complete It In Time to Accumulate More Usable Gear!

  Released this Tuesday, Update 1.45.0 is not just a routine weekly update for ARC Raiders; it is also the final major online update before the launch of Frozen Trail on October 8th, making it a crucial event to pay attention to.

  Update 1.45.0 brings the usual bug fixes and optimizations, but it also introduces a new project, Ascending the Mountain, and opens the departure window for Expedition 5.

  Here, we detail the contents of Update 1.45.0 to ensure you can keep striving for rewards over the next 1-3 weeks.

  

  New Raider Project: Ascending the Mountain

  Much like the recently concluded Phantom Targets, Ascending the Mountain is a multi-stage project requiring you to submit specific materials at designated stages to earn corresponding rewards.

  The project is scheduled to run until October 5th, though the Expedition 5 departure window closes earlier, on September 29th. This means the rewards earned during this period are primarily valuable for helping you meet the damage output challenges required within that window.

  Consequently, the rewards for Ascending the Mountain focus on guns, grenades, and popular Augments designed to boost your combat efficiency; completing the final stage also grants an exclusive Hot Air Balloon Charm.

  Required items, such as Mechanical Components or Explosive Compound, can be obtained through scavenging and eliminating ARCs. However, if you are short on time, you can also buy ARC Raiders items directly to collect them faster.

  Here are the details for each stage of the project:

  Stage	Submitted Materials	Rewards
  Research High-Altitude Mechanics	10x Mechanical Components 6x Pop Trigger 10x Explosive Compound 2x Headphones	1x Burletta 1x Extended Light Mag III 1x Silencer III
  Begin Ignition Tests	20x Wires 8x Voltage Converter 2x Sentinel Firing Core 1x Rocket Thruster	2× Wolfpack 2x Deadline 3x Trailblazer 1x Crash Mat Blueprint
  Implement Landing Capabilities	2x Ruined Parachute 10x Crash Mat 5x Shredder Gyro 3x Breathtaking Snow Globe	1x Powered Descender 2x Raider Hatch Key 1x Rascal 30x Launcher Ammo
  Final Tweaks	30x Sensors 3x Broken Guidance System 15x Advanced Electrical Components 3x Vaporizer Regulator	Hot Air Balloon Charm 1x Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive) 1x Tempest 1x Kinetic Converter

  The project also features a narrative backstory: Raider operations have uncovered clues regarding mysterious ARC signals that are leading ARCs into previously inaccessible territories.

  Apollo is seeking a solution to this crisis and needs your assistance, specifically, the delivery of those required materials.

  

  Expedition 5 departure window opens

  As the final ARC Raiders expedition before 2027, the departure window for Expedition 5 spans three weeks, longer than any previous expedition. You will need to deal up to 100,000 points of damage to unlock all the challenge rewards.

  The rewards, including random blueprints, Raider Tokens, and various specific buffs, will significantly aid your progress after the game resets and make starting your Frozen Trail adventure much easier, so it is highly recommended to unlock them all.

  Cred expiring soon

  In addition to standard coins and Raider Tokens (used for outfits and cosmetics), ARC Raiders features a currency called Cred, with a maximum holding limit of 800 points.

  Cred can be unlocked at the vendor Shani or used to redeem specific rewards in Raider Decks. You automatically earn 1 Cred point for every 2,000 XP gained during a raid.

  Following the launch of Frozen Trail, the developers plan to overhaul several mechanics, including Decks, and introduce a more robust reward system; consequently, Cred will be removed.

  With Update 1.45.0, the developers have set an expiration date of October 8 for your current Cred balance; any unused Cred remaining after this date will be wiped.

  New rubber ducks added

  Bird City, a map condition in ARC Raiders offering moderate risk and reward, is ideal for farming ARC drones and hunting down various rubber ducks hidden inside chimneys.

  These rubber ducks offer no combat bonuses; their sole purpose is to decorate your base. However, collecting the wide variety of ducks available is a fun, casual pastime!

  To celebrate this, ARC Raiders hosted a community rubber duck design contest. Three player-created designs were selected via voting and have now been added to the game, so keep an eye out for them!

  

  New Hornet Hunter Set

  New outfit sets are a regular feature of ARC Raiders' weekly updates, and this week introduces Hornet Hunter Set. You can redeem it in the store using Raider Tokens.

  As the name and official teaser video suggest, the set is crafted from salvaged Hornet parts. Its standout feature is a highly detailed helmet that covers only the upper half of the face, making it look as though the wearer has a Hornet strapped directly onto their face.

  Additionally, the bug fix notes mention that Boonie Set will be available in the store starting September 15. It comes in three color schemes, and the set includes four pieces; unlocking a full set is estimated to require around 1,300 Raider Tokens.

  

  More bug fixes

  In addition to standard bug fixes, Update 1.45.0 notes that if you were previously unable to launch Phantom Targets: Project Part 2 (which has since ended), you will receive compensation later this week.

  Another significant change is that Expedition mode will no longer reset your progress and inventory by default; instead, you can choose whether or not to reset them when setting out. This may well be the first step in ARC Raiders' overhaul of Expedition system.

  Update 1.45.0 also introduces an over-encumbrance tier to the game. Specifically, if the weight of your carried items significantly exceeds your capacity limit, you will be restricted to walking; sprinting and jumping will be disabled.

  Furthermore, this update upgrades the game engine from Unreal Engine 5.3 to 5.7. This means you can look forward to a smoother gameplay experience and enhanced visuals in ARC Raiders moving forward.

  That covers the key details of ARC Raiders Update 1.45.0. While you might be eagerly awaiting Frozen Trail, launching in a month, now is the time to focus on unfinished missions and unlock more rewards to stock up for the future!

• ARC Raiders Expedition 5 Damage Challenge | Fastest Ways to Reach 100,000 Damage

  The sign-up window for ARC Raiders Expedition 5 is now open. If you've submitted your supplies for the first five stages, you're ready to set off.

  As this is the last expedition of 2027, if you don't want to restart with empty-handed, you have three weeks from September 8 to September 29 to complete the damage challenges, very similar to the previous expedition.

  In short, all you need to do is enter your preferred map and shoot any ARC you come across. Three weeks is more than enough time, but if you want to finish the challenge quickly and move on to other games in September, the information below can help you complete damage challenge much faster.

  

  Expedition 5 Rewards

  The mysterious reward system introduced with Expedition 4 will continue to be used. As with the fourth and fifth Expeditions, players will no longer receive Skill Points for completing challenges. Instead, they can receive up to five random blueprints.

  You can accumulate damage by attacking other Raiders or ARCs, with the following damage thresholds as the targets:

  1. 5,000
  2. 10,000
  3. 30,000
  4. 50,000
  5. 100,000

  Each threshold grants one reward. The damage requirement for the fourth blueprint is only half that of the fifth blueprint. If you want to save some time, you can also stop after completing the 50,000 damage requirement.

  The mysterious reward pool includes the following ARC Raiders blueprints, which are awarded at random, with a maximum of five blueprints available.

  Weapon Attachment Blueprints:

  • Heavy Gun Parts
  • Complex Gun Parts
  • Padded Stock
  • Extended Barrel III
  • Muzzle Brake III
  • Stable Stock III
  • Vertical Grip III

  Weapon Blueprints:

  • Venator
  • Rascal
  • Osprey
  • Trailblazer
  • Anvil
  • Bettina
  • Hullcracker
  • Tempest
  • Vulcano
  • Dolabra
  • Aphelion
  • Wolfpack

  Augment and tools Blueprints:

  • Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking)
  • Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive)
  • Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper)
  • Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor)
  • Powered Descender
  • Snap Hook

  All mysterious reward blueprints have duplicate protection against one another, but there is no duplicate protection for items already stored in Expedition Vault.

  If your Expedition Vault already contains Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) blueprint, you can still receive the same blueprint again from this reward pool, eventually ending Expedition with two copies. You can store the extra blueprint in Vault for future use, but doing so means you may miss out on other useful blueprints.

  How to Complete the Damage Challenge?

  

  To complete this damage challenge, you need to deal damage to ARCs, other players, or any other unit that can take damage in the game. You do not need to kill them. Even if you contribute only 30% of the damage required for a kill, it will still count toward your progress.

  For example, if you die while attacking a Bastion, it does not matter because the damage has already been dealt and recorded. Even if you die during a Raid, your damage challenge progress will continue to accumulate.

  Even if there are a lot of PvP players in your match, PvP is not recommended as your primary method of farming damage. Player kills provide relatively little damage progress, and most players still active in the game are well equipped and quite capable.

  If you focus on killing ARCs, you can accumulate tens of thousands of damage within a few hours even without deliberately farming damage. Simply playing normally, completing Trials, exploring the map, and looting can be enough.

  Of course, Deadline, Wolfpack, Jupiter, and Hullcracker can help you complete the challenge much faster. All you need to do is enter the game and shoot anything that moves.

  ARC Damage Point

  Since ARCs have different levels of armor, the amount of damage points awarded for killing them also varies. If you want to specifically farm ARCs that provide the most points, the following are the points provided by each ARC.

  • Tick: 10
  • Pop: 10
  • Fireball: 20
  • Turret: 20
  • Snitch: 158
  • Wasp: 110
  • Hornet: 200
  • Firefly: 200
  • Comet: 150
  • Sentinel Turret: 300
  • Surveyor: 260
  • Shredder: 385
  • Leaper: 1100
  • Bastion: 2600
  • Bombardier: 2670
  • Rocketeer: 1100
  • Vaporizer: 1500
  • Queen: 10000
  • Matriarch: 10000
  • Turbine: 6000

  The exact amount may fluctuate slightly when you kill an ARC, but these figures are generally representative. If you want to know which ARCs are the most efficient targets, you can prioritize those with the thinnest armor.

  Rocketeer and Bastion have heavy black armor that is difficult to break through. Bombardier, on the other hand, has lighter armor, making it easier to destroy and more efficient for farming damage points.

  Although Turbine has heavy armor, it can drop a large number of parts and also provides a substantial amount of damage points, making it worth taking on.

  

  How to Kill ARCs Efficiently?

  Weapons such as Deadline, Wolfpack, Jupiter, and Hullcracker, which can quickly destroy ARC armor, are all top-tier choices.

  You can carry Deadline, jump onto the back of a Queen, and plant it there to deal a considerable amount of damage. Repeat this several times and you can make significant progress. Wolfpack is effective against Close Scrutiny or when dealing with groups of Vaporizer units.

  Jupiter is extremely powerful against any ARC. You can stay at a distance and continuously deal damage. Hullcracker is also highly recommended, especially when facing a Queen or Matriarch. Bring enough ammunition and unleash as much damage as possible.

  If no other players are competing with you, reaching 100,000 damage within three to four hours is possible. However, ARC Raiders does not have a purely solo PvE mode, so even with the weapons mentioned above, it may take a full day.

  The best approach is to enter the game and deal damage to moving targets whenever possible. If an area has too many players, leave and start another match. Alternatively, actively participate in Matriarch or Harvester events.

  Overall, there is no foolproof strategy, as everyone starts from the same position. If you plan to kill three Bombardiers in a single match, you may not get the chance unless you can time your run precisely around their spawn points, because other players will also rush to them.

  In short, there is no need to feel anxious about this. It is not a particularly difficult target to reach, and there is more than enough time. If you are not in a hurry, simply play the game normally. If you want to improve your efficiency, bring along the weapons mentioned above.

• Will Frozen Trail Bring a PvE Mode to ARC Raiders? | August 31 Interview May Have the Answer

  ARC Raiders' Frozen Trail will arrive on October 8, and the player community is starting to recover. The official team has stated that Frozen Trail Update will almost reshape the entire game, while one of the biggest questions among players is whether a PvE mode will be introduced.

  Although ARC Raiders producer did not directly answer this question, they did discuss the matchmaking system, which may indirectly provide us with an answer.

  

  ABMM Revealed

  In an interview, the executive producer of ARC Raiders discussed the mechanics behind ABMM. The system was actually finalized very late in the development cycle, so late that it did not even make it into the game's final public test.

  As a result, the player community spent months after launch trying to reverse-engineer a system that the development team itself was still experimenting with.

  Over the past year, the team has continued refining the system, including which behaviors are taken into account, how much weight each behavior receives, and even how different player groups are divided.

  PvP, PvE and Mix Groups 

  After extensive experimentation, the official team has finally revealed more details about how the matchmaking system divides players into different groups.

  According to the internal metrics, the overall player ecosystem is currently in a healthy state. Social players with a low tendency toward PvP and competitive players with a strong PvP focus have each formed relatively stable groups, while there is also some overlap between the two sides.

  The game is not simply divided into peaceful servers and hostile servers. The system intentionally preserves uncertainty. A player who usually focuses on social cooperation may suddenly choose to initiate PvP on a given day, and the opposite can happen as well.

  The development team wants even low-PvP matches to retain the possibility of combat, while high-PvP lobbies can still contain unexpected friendly social interactions.

  The most noteworthy data comes from statistics previously shared by the official team:

  • Around 30% of players primarily engage in PvE and team-based content.
  • Around 30% of players focus mainly on PvP.
  • Around 40% of players are interested in both playstyles and belong to the mixed group.

  Nearly half of all players have completed fewer than 10 raids, while roughly one in five players has never taken down a single Raider.

  Simply dividing the player community into PvE and PvP camps is an oversimplification. The actual mainstream group consists of players who switch between playstyles depending on their mood that day, their team composition, or their current objectives.

  

  Refining ABMM

  The official team actually implemented an important change on July 7. Player behavior data is now tracked separately for solo, duo, and trio modes. Before this change, everything you did in solo matches directly affected your matchmaking evaluation in trio matches, which was clearly not ideal.

  July 28 Live Update 1.39.0 then introduced Defensive PvP detection. If another squad initiated the fight and you were simply responding in self-defense, that defensive encounter may not be counted toward your behavioral evaluation score.

  Why Does ABMM lead to Players Needing PvE?

  ABMM was indeed very successful. Before its mechanics were made public, it brought players a lot of enjoyment because nobody knew exactly what kind of people they would encounter in the next match.

  However, as players began uncovering how the system worked and the official team openly acknowledged its existence, the experience of ARC Raiders changed significantly.

  After ABMM became public knowledge, many players began deliberately manipulating the system. Some players who preferred peaceful encounters would intentionally reduce their aggression in order to enter friendlier matches. In simple terms, players started paying attention to the system's variables rather than the players standing in front of them.

  As a result, there have been many matches where the players' main objective was simply to manipulate ABMM variables rather than genuinely enjoy the game.

  This has effectively reduced the number of true PvPvE players. These are players who generally do not attack others first, but will fight back aggressively when attacked.

  Once ABMM became public knowledge, players could no longer simply follow their first instinct and pull the trigger. Instead, they had to consider whether their actions would affect their ABMM evaluation.

  This has also made the player split increasingly obvious, which in turn has fueled growing demand within the community for a purely PvE mode.

  Some players want ABMM to function only as a weighting factor rather than a hard threshold. For example, SBMM and ABMM could be combined so that the system matches players based on both ARC Raiders items and player behavior, or aggression could decay more slowly and smoothly.

  Official Stance on PvE

  A PvE mode is a request that appears under almost every ARC Raiders video. In this interview, the official team directly addressed the demand, acknowledging that many players want to preserve the world and gameplay of ARC Raiders while simply avoiding interference from PvP.

  In November 2025, the official team stated in an interview that a pure PvE mode was possible, but no specific timeline could be provided. By May 2026, however, the team clarified that there were no pure PvE servers in the current game.

  During August 31 interview, the official position remained unchanged. Considering that around 40% of players belong to the mixed group, simply adding a pure PvE mode could instead fragment the player ecosystem and weaken the uncertainty and tension that are central to the game's experience.

  Overall, the official team currently has no plans to introduce a purely PvE mode. This conclusion is based on player data. For now, all expectations have been placed on Frozen Trail, with the hope that it will deliver enough new content to keep players engaged.

• ARC Raiders Update 1.44.0 Hidden Clues Hinting at Preparations for Frozen Trail: Focusing on Outfits and Shotgun Parts

  Following the conclusion of Gamescom 2026, ARC Raiders team returned to their regular schedule, released Update 1.44.0 this Tuesday.

  While the content of Update 1.44.0 was relatively minimal, the arrival of September signals that the launch of Frozen Trail is drawing ever closer.

  Consequently, any seemingly minor adjustment made by the development team from this point forward could well be a step toward delivering a superior Frozen Trail experience.

  To ensure you are fully prepared for the deep gameplay experience awaiting you in ARC Raiders: Frozen Trail, launching on October 8, we have analyzed the contents of Update 1.44.0 to speculate on potential changes and help you get ready in advance.

  

  The launch and temporary removal of the new set

  Update 1.44.0 was a straightforward store update; it did not include bug fixes or similar technical patches, focusing instead on the release of the new Static set.

  Awkwardly, before players could even log in to find the set in the store, the development team issued an emergency hotfix to temporarily remove both Static and Cavalier sets from the store and customization menus.

  The official explanation cited the need to tweak certain visual details. While this does not appear to be a complex technical fix, ARC Raiders team has not specified a date for their return.

  

  Static Set may herald a new era of frigid weather

  Although Static set did not launch as scheduled, images of the complete outfit are already available. Visually, it is a standard winter combat ensemble: a thick coat and trousers paired with a fully sealed helmet.

  This aesthetic inevitably brings to mind what we already know about ARC Raiders: Frozen Trail. While Frozen Trail far surpasses last year's Cold Snap in terms of map complexity and gameplay content, the two share a common theme: extreme cold.

  It is reasonable to suspect that Static set is a precursor to a wider range of sets designed for Frozen Trail, and that the recent modifications aim to better align the gear with the expansion's visual style.

  If you have played Cold Snap condition, you know that the freezing climate takes a toll on your health and defense; Frozen Trail is likely to escalate these consequences through new map conditions or other environmental elements.

  How to prepare to acquire potential new sets?

  While specific sets and their pieces aren't the primary means of surviving the freezing cold in ARC Raiders, wearing outfits suited to the environment will certainly enhance your Frozen Trail experience.

  Most ARC Raiders sets are obtained by exchanging Raider Tokens in the shop. Beyond completing specific projects and acquiring Raider Decks, you can now also earn these tokens by completing Expedition Departure missions.

  The next opportunity is Expedition 5 Departure mission, which begins on September 8 and runs for three weeks. If you deal at least 100,000 points of damage during this period, you can earn 750 Raider Tokens as a reward.

  Additionally, Phantom Targets project, launched in early August, concludes on September 6. Completing all its steps will also unlock a small amount of tokens.

  Removal of Shotgun Parts from Ermal's shop

  A second key update from the hotfix accompanying Update 1.44.0 is the removal of Shotgun Parts from Ermal's shop.

  As the game's newest vendor, Ermal allows you to trade surplus loot for ARC Raiders items you actually need, with the available inventory rotating weekly.

  Shotgun Parts, a common crafting material, would occasionally appear in Ermal's rotating stock. They are essential for crafting various high-level gear items, with the part's tier corresponding to the gear's tier.

  The removal of Shotgun Parts in Update 1.44.0 means that, for the foreseeable future, acquiring these parts, and consequently crafting the associated guns, will become slightly more difficult.

  It is reasonable to speculate that the development team made this change to encourage players to put more effort into scavenging and combat once Frozen Trail launches, ensuring they fully experience the new maps and enemies.

  

  How to deal with this removal?

  Although you can no longer obtain Shotgun Parts through trading with Ermal, other farming sources remain reliable, and lower-tier Shotgun Parts are generally easier to acquire.

  For instance, Simple Gun Parts can be found randomly while scavenging, traded for with Celeste (another ARC Raiders vendor), or obtained as drops by defeating specific ARCs.

  In other words, once you know these methods, earning extra Shotgun Parts ahead of Frozen Trail launch won't be difficult.

  It is also worth noting that, in addition to Raider Tokens, the permanent rewards for Expedition 5 launch window missions include five random blueprints.

  You can therefore prioritize using your recently acquired Shotgun Parts for the crafting recipes corresponding to these blueprints, allowing you to prepare weapons capable of handling the new content more quickly before Frozen Trail begins.

  ARC Raiders at Gamescom 2026

  Update 1.44.0 also mentioned ARC Raiders' presence at Gamescom 2026. Although the developers didn't reveal much new information beyond the functionality of Camera Gadget, they created an engaging booth and hosted entertaining offline events.

  This demonstrates that, despite the lack of major updates for nearly six months, the development team remains highly confident that Frozen Trail will bring players back to the game.

  Ultimately, while preparing for a smooth transition into Frozen Trail will require more than just the steps mentioned above, Update 1.44.0 offers a great starting point, allowing you to get a head start and approach the new content with greater confidence than others.

• ARC Raiders Shields Explained: Is a Shield Still Worth Bringing? Why Medium Shield Stands Out?

  In the current ARC Raiders, bringing a Shield into raids sometimes feels like an unnecessary expense for players.

  More and more players are choosing not to bring a Shield, especially when using inexpensive gear or joining a squad through matchmaking. This raises a simple yet highly controversial question: Is a Shield still worth bringing?

  Recent discussions in the community have clearly demonstrated the division among players on this issue. One post criticized teammates who repeatedly enter raids without a Shield, with many players stating that this was particularly frustrating during Stella Montis night raid.

  Other players, however, believe that these players simply want to loot and rely on teammates to provide sufficient protection for a successful extraction.

  

  Why Choose Not to Bring One?

  Most players choose not to bring a Shield because of cost.

  ARC Raiders is an extraction shooter; every item brought into a looting raid can be lost. If the goal is simply to complete a low-risk looting trip, then bringing expensive gear may not always be a wise move.

  Mobility is also a factor to consider. Light Shields avoid the movement penalty of heavy shields, while Medium and Heavy Shields sacrifice some mobility for greater survivability.

  This trade-off can be especially important for players who heavily rely on movement, dodging, and quick repositioning.

  Besides these objective factors, some players intentionally carry very little gear into raids, especially when farming specific loot or blueprints. This is even more pronounced in group matchmaking. They want to leverage the better gear of their teammates to achieve their goals without risking using expensive gear themselves.

  This is the main reason why this issue is so controversial. If you're a solo player, you only need to consider your own survival even without a shield, but if you're in a group, it increases the pressure on your teammates.

  Is It Still Worth It?

  For most average players, the answer is yes.

  Embark has always considered shields an important part of character customization, not just a piece of armor. More importantly, the current ARC Raiders environment still gives Raiders ample reason to prioritize survivability.

  Even if you perfectly avoid combat, you might still encounter a sudden ARC attack or an enemy player appearing unexpectedly while looting. In such situations, a Shield can provide extra buffer time, preventing you from being instantly killed and ruining your mission.

  This value is even more apparent in squad operations. If a player is immediately downed after an ambush, the remaining teammates must decide whether to continue fighting, revive them, or abandon the position. A Shield can buy the squad a few seconds to disengage, heal, or reposition.

  Of course, this doesn't mean you must use a Shield, or that not using one is a mistake. In certain terrains in ARC Raiders, using a Shield can actually create a strategic disadvantage. For example, in Hurricane condition, Debris weakens Shields and also makes players using Shields easier to spot.

  In other words, ARC Raiders isn't a game that automatically selects the strongest defensive gear in all situations; the real question is what you want to achieve during an ambush.

  Similarly, choosing the right Shield model is crucial depending on the specific match conditions and objectives.

  

  Shield Selection

  Currently, there are three main types of shields in ARC Raiders:

  • Light Shield
  • Medium Shield
  • Heavy Shield

  For players who prioritize mobility, Light Shield is the simplest choice. Heavy Shield offers stronger protection but also restricts movement, making it more suitable for players willing to sacrifice some mobility for greater survivability.

  Medium Shield occupies a middle position, and this position makes it the most frequently used shield.

  Medium Shield

  The biggest advantage of ARC Raiders Medium Shield isn't its greater protection or mobility, but rather the greater margin for error it provides.

  You have time to react if you're unexpectedly attacked while looting. You also have enough time to find cover when under attack from ARCs. Furthermore, you still have a chance to reposition yourself if you're at a disadvantage in an engagement with another raider.

  These three situations are very common in ARC Raiders, which is why Medium Shield offers excellent value for money.

  Secondly, the value of carrying a Medium Shield becomes even more apparent in squad combat.

  A teammate without a shield might survive quietly looting, but the situation changes drastically once the squad is forced into combat.

  If a teammate falls, it's not just about losing a gun; it can force other players to expose their positions, abandon supplies, retreat from objectives, or fight outnumbered in an attempt to revive them.

  However, if everyone carries sufficient protective gear for the initial engagement, the team has more options when unexpected situations arise.

  Acquisition Methods

  Currently, the most direct method in the game is crafting it using the required materials in Gear Bench 2.

  Alternatively, it can be obtained by exchanging 6,000 ARC Raiders coins from Lance, or through Scavenging in Raids.

  It's important to note that Medium Shield should be considered part of your regular gear setup, not an item to be kept indefinitely.

  Some players, fearing the loss of their shields, never use them, which may actually increase the chance of losing weapons and loot brought into dungeons while saving gear.

  Overall, the debate about shields is unlikely to end here, as no single gear setup works for all raiders.

  However, for most players seeking reliable gear, Medium Shield offers higher protection than a Light Shield without sacrificing too much mobility like a Heavy Shield.

  Its greater capacity is especially important in sustained PvE combat, while its protective capabilities give players more room for error in PvP and group battles.

  It is arguably the safest choice among all shields for ARC raiders.