There is just nothing quite like the thrill of finding valuable loot and desperately trying to make it out alive so you can keep it. For many people, it’s just this adrenaline rush that seals the whole deal when it comes to extraction shooters like ARC Raiders. And while having the right weapons can make a huge difference, sometimes survival comes down to much simpler mechanics. For example, if an enemy spots you, and you don’t notice, then even the best gear in the world will not save you.
With that being said, on October 8, 2026, ARC Raiders received its massive Frozen Trail 2.0 update, with which it introduced new weapons, enemies, and even a map, as well as a few seemingly smaller improvements. Now players can turn off the lights on certain backpacks, and although it may not be as exciting as getting a new map, it is an amazing change for those who prefer to stay out of sight rather than to constantly pick fights. In fact, this feature could make games like Escape from Tarkov a little bit jealous.
ARC Raiders’ New Backpack Feature Makes Stealth a Little Easier
There are certainly plenty of ways to get yourself killed in an extraction shooter, but making yourself unnecessarily visible is extremely frustrating and deserves a special place in Dumb Ways to Die. Thankfully, ARC Raiders is now giving players a little bit more control over this particular problem since it introduced the so-called Emissive Toggle feature, which allows players to turn off the lights on their backpacks. Previously, these lights remained active at all times, regardless of whether players wanted to be seen or not. For example, having your backpack lit like a torch while you’re trying to carry valuable loot through a dark area is just extremely counterproductive.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Of course, Escape from Tarkov has plenty of tactical gameplay as well, and one could even argue that preparation is practically half the battle in Battlestate Games’ extraction shooter. Players need to make sure that they have chosen the right equipment and properly modified their weapons before jumping into a battle, which makes everything a tad bit more interesting than simply attacking your enemies without a strategy. Moreover, the game has its own stealth-related tools, including weapon-mounted lights that players can control.
However, the two games are quite different in the way they approach tactical freedom, as Escape from Tarkov generally puts emphasis on preparation and understanding complex systems, while ARC Raiders is all about giving players simple options that provide more immediate control over their survival. After all, having more tactical options is great, but making them easy to use is arguably just as important.
ARC Raiders 2.0 Gives Players More Control Over Their Playstyle
-
Image via Embark Studios -
Image via Embark Studios -
Image via Embark Studios
Of course, the new backpack improvement is not the only change that allows players to have more control over their experience. The Frozen Trail 2.0 update also introduced a big overhaul of the game’s skill tree system, which aims to provide more opportunities for players to develop their own playstyle. For example, the updated skill tree includes mutually exclusive abilities at certain progression milestones, so this basically means that players can’t just have everything they want all at once.
ARC Raiders is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
This new feature is very interesting when viewed alongside the new backpack lighting toggle, as the first one gives players control over their characters’ long-term development, while the latter is all about control during gameplay. This strongly suggests that Embark Studios is actually quite interested in giving players more options to decide how exactly they want to survive.
Escape From Tarkov Might Have a Reason to Be a Little Jealous
For all of its complicated systems, it’s true that Escape from Tarkov has already managed to build a dedicated audience that quite enjoys preparing for every possible disaster. Tactical depth is one of the game’s defining features, so simplifying it would probably do more harm than good, considering that its complexity is often considered one of its best aspects. However, what definitely wouldn’t hurt is introducing a few convenient quality-of-life improvements that can at least make some decisions less cumbersome. This is exactly where the strength of ARC Raiders‘ latest update lies, because it just gives players another practical option without overcomplicating everything.
Of course, this does not mean that ARC Raiders is superior when it comes to stealth, especially considering that Escape from Tarkov already has similar tools, but perhaps there is something to be said for making tactical choices more convenient. The real test, however, will be whether these changes actually influence how players behave during raids in the long term. Some players may appreciate having more control, while others might not even notice the difference. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if these smaller improvements ended up being more popular than expected.
- Released
-
October 30, 2025
- ESRB
-
Teen / Violence, Blood, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
