Embark Studios is giving players their best look yet at the upcoming major Frozen Trail update in ARC Raiders by announcing a special first look event. Although it’s been quite a while since ARC Raiders received a significant content update, it seems the game is getting ready to evolve once again with Frozen Trail.
ARC Raiders was one of the surprise games of 2025, launching to massive player numbers for an extraction shooter, helping this notoriously hardcore genre reach the mainstream. Despite the popularity of big monthly updates, Embark announced plans to move away from that update cycle, with ARC Raiders focusing on 2 major updates per year and supported through smaller live-service activities and patches. Naturally, the news didn’t sit well with fans, even if the previous release cycle wasn’t sustainable for Embark. However, the lengthy break is nearly at an end, with ARC Raiders preparing to launch its biggest update yet in October.
ARC Raiders Frozen Trail First Look Date and Time
- September 23 at 10am PDT (7pm CEST)
While Embark has teased some of the bigger features in ARC Raiders upcoming Frozen Trail update, fans will finally get to see it for themselves in just a few days. Embark confirmed a special first look event taking place on September 23 on the official ARC Raiders YouTube channel. Unfortunately, the announcement itself doesn’t provide any additional details, only offering players an early glimpse at the update, with the short teaser trailer seemingly focusing on the legs of what appears to be a massive new ARC enemy.
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
The tease shouldn’t be too surprising, as Embark previously confirmed that the Frozen Trail update will feature new ARC threats ranging from smaller bots to one that was referred to as “enormous” and will “halt you in your tracks.” The highlight piece to Frozen Trail will likely be the new map, which will be the biggest on added to date and feature more verticality in an area that players will need to be more careful to navigate successfully. In addition, Embark also announced a new, high-level challenge inside of ARC operation activity that will push players to balance combat, teamwork, risk, and survival. For those who can overcome the challenge, Embark has promised plenty of rewards await.
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Image via Embark -
Image via Embark -
Image via Embark
In addition to the new content, Frozen Trail will also be making adjustments to some of the remaining pain points of the game and making improvements to areas that some fans find lacking. As Embark continues to lay the foundation for Frozen Trail in ARC Raiders, the studio is looking to make bigger improvements, including a completely revamped progression system that aims to be more rewarding for players. The Raiders Den is being expanded to something called the Outpost, which will be a more customizable space, while the highly anticipated Skill Tree overhaul will also be happening in Frozen Trail as well.
Alongside the new content, ARC Raiders could also be going through some bigger changes to core gameplay mechanics as well. In August, Embark confirmed that Expeditions in ARC Raiders were being paused until 2027. Expeditions are ARC Raiders take on resetting characters. Instead of forcing it globally like some extraction shooters, players can essentially opt in to earn bonuses. The studio wants to use that time to make improvements and larger changes to the mechanics, not only making them feel more rewarding, but also address problem areas such as the tight departure windows and new player elements.
- Released
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October 30, 2025
- ESRB
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Teen / Violence, Blood, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
