Embark Studios has shared part of its plans for Arc Raiders in 2026, keeping the game fresh for veteran players. The roadmap spans the first four months of 2026, from January to April, and lists new quests, feats, trials, events, gameplay items, cosmetics, quality-of-life changes, and more. Allow me to get into it.
January – Headwinds
To start the year, Embark plans to add a new level 40+ matchmaking option, which seems to be a separate lobby for experienced players. While it is unclear whether this matchmaking will be automatically enforced for level 40 and higher players, it’s a great idea to improve novices’ first steps in Arc Raiders.
The game will also get a new minor map condition, which refers to temporary modifiers applied to the map to vary the experience without changing the fundamentals. This one seems to have something to do with birds, as shown by the roadmap logo and players noticing bird nests scattered around the maps.
The final one is player project, which is a sort of temporary event that asks you to do certain things or collect resources to progress and unlock gifts, like the Candleberry one from December.
February – Shrouded Sky
Next month, we should get a new map condition, not a minor one this time, meaning it will likely be similar to Cold Snap. There were some rumours about a toxic wasteland kind of condition, but it’s unclear if this will be it. We should also expect new Arc Threat, i.e. AI enemies, probably small robots or something map-exclusive like Stella Montis’ Shredder.
Furthermore, another player project will start, some maps will be updated, and the expedition windows will open for those who want to participate in the seasonal wipe. As a reminder, doing the expedition grants you some nice bonuses, such as extra storage slots and skill points.
March – Flashpoint
Again, the game will get a new map condition to survive through, Arc threat to combat, and a player project to accomplish. However, the most notable part here is the mention of an update to Scrappy the rooster, which could hint at some improvements to the way he collects items passively.
I hope this will be a buff since what you currently get from Scrappy is too little to care for. Allowing him to offer high-value items from time to time would be great. Otherwise, giving us the ability to choose which resources to collect would be welcome too.
April – Riven Tides
This is easily the biggest update out of the bunch, bringing a new map, which seemingly has something to do with a beach, if we believe the logo and background picture. This will be accompanied by a different map condition, perhaps a tsunami or something.
Additionally, this month will see the introduction of another large Arc, which either refers to mid-size robots like the Bastion and Bombardier or massive bosses like the Queen and Matriarch. I would prefer the latter, especially if it brings a new gameplay style. A flying boss would be great.
Lastly, those who managed to prepare for the expedition can take part, again, in the wipe, adding more bonus points on top of their previous gains. For those unaware, you can stack multiple expedition bonuses, seemingly up to three, giving you 15 extra skill points and 36 additional storage spaces, just to name a few.
Overall, a goodly amount of content, especially for April. Assuming Embark maintains the same, one map condition per month and a new map every four months, the game should remain fresh. I also hope some of the improvements I listed in my 7 ways I’d change the game for the better will be implemented at some point. In the end, keep in mind that these are just board content plans, meaning they are subject to change.
