ARC Raiders Plans to Nerf Popular Weapon in Next Update

ARC Raiders developer Embark Studios has announced that the game’s next update, the release date of which is currently unconfirmed, will nerf the Stitcher. The popular fully-automatic submachine gun has become a fan-favorite choice among the ARC Raiders community over the last few weeks, largely because it is cheap to make and upgrade and can even outperform some of the rarer weapons in the game. Unfortunately, the fun looks to be coming to an end, as Embark has plans to nerf the weapon in a future patch.

With the new year now in full swing, fans are patiently waiting for the first update of 2026. The last patch came back in December, when Embark released the highly anticipated Cold Snap update for ARC Raiders. Alongside plenty of adjustments, bug fixes, and improvements, the 1.7.0 patch also brought with it tons of new content for players to jump into over the Christmas period. The biggest addition was the new Cold Snap map modifier, which features blistering conditions that can kill players if they stay outdoors for too long. Also included in the update were new quests, items, a fresh Raider Deck, an event, and more.

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ARC Raiders Confirms Stitcher Nerf Inbound

In a new message on the official ARC Raiders Discord, a Community Manager for Embark revealed that the studio has plans to nerf the Stitcher. “The holidays delayed things a bit, but the dev team want you to know that they are looking into balance, for example, the Stitcher, Kettle, and Trigger Nade,” Embark said. While the Trigger Nade nerf was announced a few weeks ago, as well as a fix for players exploiting macros to fire the Kettle at a faster rate than intended, this is the first time that the studio has confirmed any adjustments for the Stitcher. This nerf likely won’t come as a surprise, though, as the Stitcher, which is a common ARC Raiders weapon that can be crafted with just mettle and rubber, was shown to be outperforming epic weapons like the Bobcat in certain situations. The studio hasn’t confirmed exactly how it intends to nerf the weapon, but further details will likely be shared in the official change log.

Embark has also reiterated its plans to balance the Trigger Nade, which also won’t come as a surprise to anybody who has been playing ARC Raiders over the last few weeks. The C4-style item has been wreaking havoc in nearly every single raid due to its large damage output and huge blast radius. Whenever a fight ensues, it’s almost guaranteed that Trigger Nades will make an appearance, as just two grenades can easily take out an entire team.

Upon the release of the Cold Snap update last month, Embark confirmed that it would be adjusting its weekly updates and store rotations from Thursdays to Tuesdays. However, the studio also said that it would be going on a much-needed break over the Christmas period, but would continue to monitor critical issues with fixes planned for the new year. Fans then anticipated the first patch of 2026 to arrive this week, but that has not been the case. While Embark has yet to confirm the release date for the game’s next update, it is looking like it could arrive on January 13 with the next store rotation.

The first store rotation of 2026, unfortunately, left fans disappointed. The new ARC Raiders skin, which was included in the Marco Set, made its way to the game on January 6, but fans were quick to blast Embark for “false advertising.” The reason for this was due to the fact that the store image for the set advertised a white helmet, which isn’t an available option, despite the three different color options for the skin. Players were also disappointed by the clipping issues with the outfit, as the trousers appear to clip through the boots.