ARC Raiders Frozen Trail Update: Free Weekend, New Map and Rewards
The ARC Raiders game has received one of its biggest updates yet since its launch. The Frozen Trail 2.0 update was released on October 8, 2026 and adds the new Pendola Pass map, three new ARC enemy types, two new weapons, a revamped Skill Tree, enhanced weapon upgrades, and a new Reward Pass progression system. It also features a limited-time free-play event, allowing newcomers to try the extraction shooter without first buying the full game.
The update adds more than just new views for returning Raiders. Weapon progression, quest rewards, stash size, mobility gear, and how seasonal rewards are earned have all been tweaked. A few old systems now function differently, so you may want to ensure you understand the changes before heading into a raid or you could find yourself woefully unprepared.
The free weekend ends on October 12, 2026 at 08:00 UTC. For those thinking about playing ARC Raiders for the first time, or returning to see what the Frozen Trail update adds, here is a breakdown of the new map, enemies, equipment, rewards, and bugs that are currently in the game.
The free-play period is independent of the update. Current owners of Frozen Trail can keep playing the game after the promotion ends, but new players will need to buy the game once the event finishes if they want to keep playing.
The game is also 50% off on all platforms during the promotion. See the store for your platform and region’s final price, as the price you pay depends on the platform and your local currency.
Does progress transfer over after the free weekend?
Embark’s announcement of the free-play period describes it as an opportunity to “try the full game before you buy.” Progress carryover is a significant factor for anyone considering buying the game afterward, so check the current event FAQ and your platform account details before committing to a purchase.
Now, the biggest reason to play the game is that you can experience its extraction gameplay first-hand. A trailer cannot show you whether you like managing limited inventory, knowing when to extract, and balancing fights against ARC machines with fights against other Raiders.
What makes Pendola Pass different?
One of the biggest new features is the Dynamic Loot Zone system. According to Embark this system alters the relative value of loot in particular regions from one raid to the next.
The key difference, though, is that the system does not arbitrarily change the basic loot tier for an area. For example: A residential area is still a residential area but the value of loot one can find there can differ from raid to raid.
This has real-life implications, in practice, for players who know their routes by heart. A place you know can still be of some help, but you shouldn’t automatically treat it as the best place to go to every time you spawn into the map.
The best way to go about it is to travel to the regions and see about engaging with a risk versus reward in terms of getting to them when you find that your favorite path is just not as rewarding as you’d hoped.
New map conditions: Frigate and Redirection
Frozen Trail also adds Frigate and Redirection map conditions.
Frigate is a large ARC presence involved in the events of Pendola Pass. This is an additional threat to mechanical activity in the area and gives players a reason to focus on changing encounters instead of approaching every raid as the same old scavenging run.
Another new map condition added in the update is Redirection. Players should check the map conditions before deploying, otherwise they may find that every run is not always the same.
The official patch notes also mention that rare technology can be found in the locations of the fallen Emperor and Frigate. But valuable loot doesn’t necessarily guarantee a safe extraction. You should consider your loadout, resources, and whether you can leave the map before attempting a high-risk location.
How to approach Pendola Pass if you are a novice
If it is your first time, don’t treat the map like a race to the most valuable location.
First, get a feel for the map – take note of common routes between buildings and large structures, and know where you can fallback to if a fight turns sour. Save some supplies for a surprise attack, and don’t pick up more valuable loot than you can afford to lose.
And the new map is a chance to get a feel for the extract loop itself. In ARC Raiders, it’s not just about scoring the good loot. You need to Make It Out (MIO).
The Bully is meant to be the one to pinch a Raider in their tracks. The Skulker is more about stalking and ambush contacts, and the Hydra offers a bit more of a threat for squads around major objectives.
They do define what Hey intended them to do, but are not a full set of numbers for health, damage, or exact attack timings. These are things to be found and confirmed in the game and from patch notes, not to be guessed.
Preparing for the new foes
You can start divide exploration vs aggressive curiosity with a simple and effective initial measure. For those unfamiliar with Pendola Pass, seeing how the threat is distributed and how it responds to you may teach you more than fighting every machine every one.
Keep a route to get out of the way in mind, before you commit to an encounter. Or a second Raider, for that matter, or two more ARC.
Squad players should call when a threat goes possession, or when it’s time to retreat. On the other side of the coin, when facing a foe designed to test groups, haphazard movement only serves to reinforce a tough fight.
The takeaway isn’t that any one gun or gadget has a big advantage. It’s new threats for players to learn and Frozen Trail is yet again careful positioning when precious stuff is on the line.
New Weapons: Bantam and Stiletto
Two new weapons have been added to the game: the Bantam and the Stiletto.
The Bantam replaces the uncommon hand cannon after the Anvil’s rarity was changed. The Anvil is now Blue rarity, up from Green, and its stats and progression have been tweaked.
The other new weapon added in the update is the Stiletto. The official highlights mention its addition, but players should check the in-game weapon details for up-to-date stats and how to get it.
What’s new with the Anvil?
The Anvil’s new Blue rarity is not just a cosmetic change to its item rarity. Embark explained that the weapon’s flexibility and power had made it hard to tune at its previous rarity.
It was strong against both Raiders and ARC enemies, so the developer bumped it up to a higher rarity, but kept it in the same role. The Bantam now occupies the uncommon hand cannon slot.
The Anvil Splitter has also been modified. It is no longer an available mod, but is now a better upgrade choice for the Amplified Anvil. The Anvil has had the Tech Mod slot removed. The old Anvil Splitter item is expected to still be available for some time so that players can either sell them or crush them for Amplified Fragments.
So if you have an Anvil or parts of it, visually check your inventory and the current crafting menus before you dump any of them. Things that used to have a single purpose now have two or more in the upgrade system.
Amplified Weapons and the New Outpost
Frozen Trail brings a new Outpost, as well as a weapon amplification system that can take weapons to a fifth tier with special abilities.
The Outpost is activated by doing a project. Its first phase, players will have to research Topside living conditions, including by snapping a photo of a farmhouse. The camera can be bought from Shani or crafted at the Workbench, or you can find one while out and about.
Once you’ve taken down the Outpost, it allows you to get at the Research Station and throw on add-ons like the Stash Box.
Because why the Outpost matters
The Outpost provides yet another player progression objective outside of gathering gear and doing raids. It ties exploration into long-term customisation in the form of furniture blueprints and research.
Embark has added 100 furniture designs. Some are Topside finds, others require Outpost upgrades, and a handful are connected to the Frozen Trail Pass or DLC.
It adds a good reason to explore a little more of the world. A place might give you more than just instant loot, if it sheds light on designs or materials that will help your longer-term plans.
But don’t think that all the Outpost upgrades are available to you right from the start. It’s a project-based system and you need to complete the necessary tasks or gather the items before you’ll be able to access the related services.
What’s the order of business?
If you want to try out the new progression system, start by looking at what you need for the Outpost project and let the game tell you where you’re short on materials.
Make sure you have a camera when a quest makes you take pictures. Like you may have guessed, the update also modifies a few previous quests that made you take pictures of things in the world, so a camera may be required for more than just the Outpost.
For weapon upgrades, look at the new amplification options before you spend your resources. 5th tier and special abilities introduce additional progression, but which is the optimal investment,best spent resources are decided upon the gear you use and your supply of resources is.
Skill Tree Rework – Important Information For Returning Players
The Skill Tree has been vastly reworked. They said the earlier build was not providing enough meaningful ways to customize how a Raider plays, so the patch adjusts existing skills, adds new ones, and rearranges the layout.
The most significant change is the way some branch choices work.
At the middle of a dual branch, a node offer two skills, with only one pick. You can also make that same choice by resetting your Skill Tree. Two nodes at the end of each branch in the tree provide a choice of three skills. After spending the necessary skill points, you will be able to select two out of three choices.
Is the Premium Pass required?
No. The Frozen Trail Pass has a Free track and a Premium track. The Collector Set DLC also has a Premium Reward Pass, but it is not the same as the free track.
The Collector Set DLC has the Renzo cosmetic set, Dragon’s Breath Weapon Stencil, Bob hairstyle, 2,400 Raider Tokens, and access to the Frozen Trail Premium Reward Pass.
Consider the DLC to be a paid bundle, not something you need to have to explore Pendola Pass or to experience the new gameplay systems.
Free Rewards and Twitch Drops
Frozen Trail also has methods of earning items outside of the main Reward Pass.
Twitch Drops
The official update announcement mentions two backpack attachments that you can earn through Twitch Drops:
Oxygen Respirator: You need to watch for at least 60 minutes to qualify.
Mailbox: You need to watch for at least 120 minutes to qualify.
The campaign runs from October 8 to November 4, 2026.
Make sure to check the current campaign instructions and account linking requirements before watching. Do not assume that watching any stream automatically qualifies; the viewing must fulfill the conditions of the campaign.
Weapon Stencils
Weapon Stencils let you change the look of certain weapons. Learn a pattern, then apply it using Stencil Parts collected Topside.
There are 14 stencils in total: eight found Topside, five included with the Frozen Trail Premium Pass, and one available through DLC.
Stencils don’t protect a weapon from being lost. If you’re downed and another Raider takes your gear, they can leave with both the weapon and its stencil.
Think of stencils as a visual upgrade only—they don’t reduce the risk of bringing valuable equipment on a raid.
Other Gameplay Changes Worth Knowing
Frozen Trail also includes a handful of minor tweaks and changes that impact day-to-day play.
Bigger stash size
You can upgrade the stash by another two levels. Without Expedition bonuses or extra space from the Nomadic Envoy, its max size is 328 slots.
That’s more space for players to organize the materials, equipment and other items they pick up on their raids. It does not eliminate the need to decide what to keep, sell, recycle or hold on to in the field.
Downed map access
Now, players can bring up the map whilst downed. That’s a pretty useful upgrade for if you want to look at your surroundings or gauge where you are in relation to other places when you’re in the middle of something.
The change doesn’t guarantee you will be rescued or extracted, but it does let you have access to information you previously couldn’t in that state.
Mobility and combat balance
The patch introduces the Grappling Hook and other utility items, and adjusts the current Snap Hook. Its range has been shortened from 20 metres to 18 metres, while durability consumption per use has also increased from 2% to 4%, and the power cost has jumped from 50 to 60. The idea is to separate the Snap Hook from the new mobility options, not to turn it into a universal upgrade.
Explosive damage against ARC has also been reworked. Embark says explosive weapons like the Hullcracker now do 50% more damage to armor plates, but 30% less to more vulnerable parts.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was ARC Raiders Frozen Trail released?
Frozen Trail 2.0 was released on October 8, 2026. It is available to existing owners.
When does the ARC Raiders free weekend end?
The free-play period ends on October 12, 2026 at 08:00 UTC (1:30 PM IST in India).
Is Pendola Pass free?
Pendola Pass is part of the Frozen Trail update. New players can access it instantly during the free-play event if they are teamed up with someone who has already unlocked the map. Existing owners can access the update through the game.
What new enemies were added?
The update adds the Bully, Skulker, and Hydra ARC enemies. Each has a different role, from heavy pressure to stalking and squad-focused threats.
What are the new weapons?
New weapons include the Bantam and Stiletto. The Anvil has also been re-tiered from Green to Blue rarity, and its upgrade paths have been adjusted.
Have Raider Decks been removed?
Raider Deck content has been integrated into the Legacy Pass. Players will keep any rewards they have already unlocked and can continue to progress through the Legacy Pass by making it their active pass.
Are all the Frozen Trail rewards free?
No. The update has a Free Reward Pass track, a Premium track, Twitch Drops, and paid DLC content. You should check the requirements for each reward instead of assuming every cosmetic is free.