ARC Raiders Xbox Playstation PC Gaming

[David76]

The developers over at Embark Studios are shaking things up with the upcoming Expeditions event, and it sounds like it could really change the way we play. For those who might not be familiar, Expeditions is where players can choose to reset most of their account data in exchange for skill points and buffs. It's a bold move, but they've got some interesting plans ahead.



What's New?
One of the major changes is that players will now earn rewards based on the damage they deal during the event. It's a shift that might seem minor at first, but it could lead to some intense gameplay as everyone will be vying to maximise their damage output. Imagine the thrill of competing with others in a week-long bloodbath, all while trying to secure the best rewards!

Skill Tree Overhaul
What makes this even more intriguing is that the developers are also planning "significant changes" to the skill tree. This could mean new abilities or enhancements that will complement the new rewards system. Players might find themselves experimenting with different builds as they adapt to the new dynamics of the game, which is always a fun challenge.

What Does This Mean for Us?
This shake-up could really change the landscape of Arc Raiders. The combination of a competitive environment during Expeditions and an evolving skill tree means that players will need to think strategically about their approach. It could lead to more engaging sessions as players try to optimise their builds and strategies.

So, with these changes on the horizon, it looks like Arc Raiders is set to become even more thrilling.

 

[David76]

Tomorrow, April 28th, the latest update titled Riven Tides is set to go live, marking the introduction of the first new map in over five months! Riven Tides transports players to the western coast of the Rust Belt, and from what I gather, it's packed with interesting locations to explore.



Here are a few highlights that you can look forward to:

• Unique points of interest, including a new dock area
• Fresh gameplay experiences and challenges
• Enhanced exploration opportunities in a vibrant environment

This update is a big deal since it's been a while since the last map, Stella Montis, was released. It'll be interesting to see how the new setting affects gameplay and player strategies.

 

[David76]

The developers at Embark Studios have just rolled out Title Update 1.29.0, and it's packed with some fresh content that I think you'll want to check out. Let's dive into what this update has in store for us.

New Additions
First off, we have a new Trader joining the game, named Ermal. It's always fun to see new characters pop up, and I can't wait to see what kind of deals he'll offer. Along with Ermal, there's a new weapon to get your hands on – the Rascal Grenade Launcher. Sounds like it'll add a bit of chaos to the battlefield!

Gameplay Improvements
The update isn't just about new content, though. There are also various gameplay improvements and bug fixes that aim to enhance the overall experience. It's nice to see the developers actively working on making the game smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.

Community Feedback
It's always interesting to hear how updates like these are received. Have any of you had a chance to explore the new Trader or use the Rascal Grenade Launcher yet? What do you think about the changes? It's great when developers listen to feedback and keep evolving the game, so I'm keen to hear your thoughts!

What's New?

New Trader - Nomadic Envoy
One of a group of Nomadic Envoys, Ermal, has made camp in Speranza, bringing with him a range of tempting Topside trades.

Raiders who have reached Level 25 can barter high-value ARC materials and any stockpiled rare weapons in exchange for lucrative offerings:

• Expanded Stash space (resets if you depart on an expedition)
• Expedition Vault access - Enabling Raiders to safely store up to 5 of their most prized items for retrieval post-Expedition

Ermal also offers a variety of weekly rotating trades:

• Cosmetics
• Blueprints
• Raider Tokens
• Gameplay and progression items, including items for current Raider projects

Ermal will return weekly with new offerings as he liaises with his fellow Nomads. Catch his latest deals before he departs!

Dev Note:

We'll keep a close eye on your feedback and data to ensure the balance stays fair and challenging.

For the first week, a single Stash expansion and 5 expedition vault spaces will be available to gather initial feedback and give us a chance to adjust prices before adding more space.

Offers will rotate in and out, if you missed one of the offers this week, they may appear in a future stock rotation.

New Grenade Launcher - The Rascal
Tian Wen has been tinkering in her workshop again… Meet the Rascal, the latest addition to your arsenal for tackling armoured ARC threats.

Lightweight, compact, and easy to carry, this unconventional launcher packs a punch despite its… quirks. While it's slower to reload and a bit unpredictable on the aim, the Rascal shines as a reliable sidearm for those who want anti-ARC firepower without the risk of lugging around a Hullcracker.

And:

• Mod Improvement: Extended Barrel
• End of Round Changes
• The Sandveil Set
• Facial Hair Style - Sideburns
• The Sheath Set will be available on June 2nd

Spoiler: FULL PATCH NOTES 1.29.0

Patch Highlights

• Fixed an issue where players would be teleported when standing on destroyed ARC parts.
• Reduced the power cost of Photoelectric Cloak from 10/s to 5/s.
• Weapon durability adjustments.
• Queen and Matriarch will now more often step over things than through them, reducing the amount of times players suffer unfair knockback.
• Added an option to block players after reporting.
• An Update on Security and Anti-cheat.

Balance Changes
ARC

• Increased the granularity of ARC vision through bushes and smokes, rewarding strategic positioning. Raiders near the edge of cover are now easier to spot, while those deeper in foliage or behind smoke are harder to detect.
• Improved how ARC perceives sound in open outdoor spaces, while reducing their sensitivity to sounds in indoor environments and those passing through geometry.

Firefly

• Improved how the Firefly applies fire. The effect now matches the visuals more closely, and briefly grazing the flame no longer feels as punishing, reducing the sensation of being hit around corners.

Rocketeer

• When the Rocketeer shoots several missiles at once, they are now consistently spread out over a larger area to prevent unfair situations where multiple missiles hit the same location.

Gameplay

• Reduced the power cost of Photoelectric Cloak from 10/s to 5/s.

Augment

• The Cloud of Renewal effect on the Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing) Augment has been changed to an AoE effect.
• The Cloud of Renewal healing has been increased from 20 to 45.
• The cooldown on Cloud of Renewal has been increased from 30s to 45s.
• Changed the shield capacity on Combat Mk.3 (Flanking) Augment to accept Medium Shields.
• Dev note: As mentioned in the patch notes for Patch 1.26, we continue to focus our sights on underperforming Augments. In this update, we are making the Tactical Mk.3 (Healing) Augment offer more utility in line with its place as a support-focused Augment. Now you can also heal your allies (and your enemies, if you're not careful) after being revived. We also increased the survivability potential of the Combat Mk.3 (Flanking) to make it more viable as a flanking combat Augment.

Weapons

• Bettina Base Fire Rate has been increased from 235 to 250.

Weapon Durability Adjustments
It's been clear that the durability changes in the last patch were felt too much on some weapons. For this update we're targeting the worst offenders that seem to break too quickly, increasing their lifetime to bring them in line with other weapons.



Weapon Mods

• Weapon mods can now affect aim-down-sights transition speed for scoped weapons.
• Extended Barrel:
• Bullet Velocity Bonus has been increased from 25 to 30%.
  • Increased the damage fall off distance by 15%.
  • Renamed to Extended Barrel III.
  • Added new mesh.
  • Added 2 lower-tier variants:
  • Extended Barrel I
  • Extended Barrel II

Content and Bug Fixes

ARC
General

• Fixed an issue where flying ARC could get stuck.
• Queen and Matriarch will now more often step over things than through them, reducing the amount of times players suffer unfair knockback.
• When Raiders first spawn into a session, ARC will be less perceptive of them and less likely to engage.
• Fixed some instances of ARC spawning in unexpected locations.

ARC Turbine

• Fixed ARC Turbine legs becoming invisible in odd angles.
• Improved ARC Turbine probability of finding good angles for the legs when landing.
• Improved ARC Turbine landing positioning to mitigate visual clipping issues.
• Increased the odds of Raiders getting burned by the ARC Turbine when inside of it.

Animation

• Updated cloth physics on character outfits for more natural movement.
• Fixed an issue causing some ARC weapon rotations to snap and appear laggy.
• Fixed an issue where items would clip into Field Crates when picked up while holding a gadget.

Audio

• Reduced how much sounds are lowered while taking damage.
• Added a distinct sound when Bastion and Bombardier switch targets.
• Added comb filtering to footsteps and movement sounds to achieve clearer perception of distance, elevation and movement direction.
• Improved binaural audio to make it easier to distinguish the height and elevation of sounds.

Cosmetics

• Ongoing work to unify character texture settings for better performance and more visual consistency.

Gameplay

• Players are now immune to stuns while entering a Raider Hatch, preventing interruptions when returning to Speranza.
• Fixed an issue where downed players could move out of bounds.
• Fixed an issue where pressing fire during certain actions like dodgeroll or climbing wouldn't buffer fire.

General

• Fixed an issue where players would be teleported when standing on destroyed ARC parts.
• Fixed an issue where characters could float when disconnecting in mid-air.
• Fixed an issue where the Expedition timer was not showing the correct duration.

Items

• Agave Juice now Quick Moves into available Quick Use slots instead of the Backpack, and will not be unloaded from Backpack when emptying it.
• Free loadout Augment sell price: 100 -> 660.

Maps
General

• Fixed low-res textures, odd spray paint decals, and a misaligned wall in tunnel and highway areas.
• Fixed overly dark shading on vent materials to improve visibility.

Riven Tides

• Fixed a balcony structure clipping into a hotel doorway that could block passage.
• Fixed floating objects and improved rope visuals and physics.
• Fixed a misaligned balcony in the hotel lobby and missing wall collision at Room 207.

Stella Montis

• Polished environment textures and fixed collision issues.

Social

• Added an option to block players after reporting.
• Fixed an issue where voice chat could fail when opening the console UI on PS5/Xbox.
• End of Round Changes
• Raiders will now be able to see all squad members at the end of the round whether they extracted successfully or not.
• Interacting with the squad member's name plate will display a range of social actions that can be taken, which include reporting, muting or blocking the player.
• Players will also be able to immediately leave the squad in the tunnel sequence.

Stability & Performance

• General performance and stability improvements.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the loading screen to remain stuck.

UI

• Added information to the Crash Mat tooltip to showcase the additional safe fall height gain.
• Deployable previews now show occluded portions with a striped overlay, making placement easier.
• Fixed an issue where pinging an ARC Turbine as it entered the map could cause the ping marker to behave erratically.

Utility

• Removed unintended delay after cancelling a Trigger 'Nade throw during which the grenade could not be thrown or triggered.
• Fixed an issue where throwing grenades could not be cancelled.
• Cancelling deployment of Pulse Mine or Gas Mine no longer consumes the item.
• Fixed an issue where the 'Use Zipline' prompt was missing, preventing interaction at close range.
• Fixed an issue where vaulting could trigger while moving upward or while standing on the ground with the Powered Descender active.
• Fixed an issue where the Surge Coil would not damage teammates of the player who placed it.

 

[BlackEyed Pete]

Embark Studios has announced a new matchmaking test that will let players opt into a PvE-only version of the game, with none of the usual player-versus-player combat.

According to executive producer Aleksander Grøndal, the test will run from 13th to 20th October. During that period, players will be able to choose between the new, more cooperative version of Arc Raiders and the standard, more ruthless version.

Grøndal said the studio is responding to a surprising trend in the player base: a large share of players seem more interested in working together than fighting each other. He explained that Arc Raiders began life as a raid-based co-op PvE shooter with looting mechanics before Embark shifted it into the extraction shooter it is today. Even so, many players have continued to approach it with a collaborative mindset, leading Grøndal to describe it as an "Extraction (Don't) Shooter."

He also shared some numbers from the game's player behaviour:

• Around 37 percent of raiders are friendly co-op players, and that number has grown since launch.
• Around 34 percent are PvP-focused, and that figure has stayed consistent since launch.
• The remaining 27 percent or so sit somewhere between the two.

The new PvE test will support solo, duo, and trio matchmaking. Some map conditions, including night raids and hidden bunkers, will not be included because they were designed with PvP in mind. Loot value in PvE matchmaking will also be reduced to reflect the lower risk.

Grøndal said Embark will be watching the test closely, especially because players may be able to extract relatively safe loot. The studio will keep an eye on the wider player economy as well as matchmaking times during the test.

Importantly, this does not mean a permanent PvE mode has been confirmed. Grøndal described the test as an indication that Embark is "seriously considering it," rather than a final decision.

It's a notable move for a game that became known for its unusually friendly community soon after launch. Whether this test becomes something more permanent remains to be seen, but it does suggest Embark is paying close attention to how people actually want to play Arc Raiders.