Embark Studios is giving fans an exciting glimpse into the future of ARC Raiders. In just two days, on September 23, the developers will host a special first-look event for the upcoming ARC Raiders ‘Frozen Trail’ update. This extraction shooter took the gaming world by storm in 2025. Now, the developers are preparing to release their biggest content drop yet this coming October.
Where & When to Watch the ARC Raiders ‘Frozen Trail’ First Look
Fans can catch the Frozen Trail reveal on the official ARC Raiders YouTube channel. The broadcast begins on September 23 at 10:00 PM PKT / 10:00 AM PDT / 7:00 PM CEST. Furthermore, the developers recently dropped a short teaser trailer. Specifically, this teaser highlighted the massive legs of a brand-new, towering ARC enemy.
Catch an early glimpse of ARC Raiders' biggest update yet.
The Frozen Trail First Look premieres on YouTube Sept 23 at 10am PDT (7pm CEST). pic.twitter.com/w4wPMDvVIi
— ARC Raiders (@ARCRaidersGame) September 18, 2026
What to Expect in October’s Massive Update
Embark Studios previously shifted away from monthly patches. Instead, they moved to a cycle of two major updates per year. Naturally, this caused some fan frustration. However, October’s ‘Frozen Trail’ release aims to make the long wait worthwhile.
First, the update introduces the largest map added to the game so far. Consequently, players will need to navigate extreme verticality with extra caution. Furthermore, new ARC threats will roam this map. These enemies range from small bots to an enormous threat designed to halt players in their tracks. Additionally, Embark will introduce a high-level challenge inside the ARC operation activity. Here, players must carefully balance combat, teamwork, risk, and survival to claim massive rewards.
Major Overhauls & Paused Mechanics
Beyond new content, Frozen Trail addresses major community pain points. For instance, the developers will completely revamp the progression system. Moreover, a highly anticipated skill tree overhaul will finally arrive. The current Raiders Den is also expanding into the Outpost. As a result, players will enjoy a much more customizable personal space.
Meanwhile, Embark Studios is significantly changing the core gameplay loop. Back in August, the studio officially paused the Expeditions feature until 2027. Expeditions act as an opt-in character reset system that rewards players with bonuses. Currently, the studio is actively reworking this mechanic. Ultimately, they want to fix tight departure windows, improve new player integration, and make the entire system feel much more rewarding when it returns.
