Arc Raiders Frozen Trail: Everything You Need to Know

Ready for a whole new frozen frontier in Arc Raiders? The Frozen Trail update is coming, and it's shaping up to be the biggest content drop the game has ever seen. After a deliberate slowdown in updates, Embark Studios is packing this one to the brim with new stuff to do, fight, and explore.

The Frozen Trail 2.0 update goes live on October 8, 2026, and it's completely free. No official time yet, but past patches have typically landed around 3:00 AM PDT / 6:00 AM EDT / 11:00 AM BST, so plan your day accordingly.

The star of the show is Pendola Pass, a sprawling snowy mountain map set in the shadow of a fallen "Emperor" Arc robot. It's built for all playstyles, with tight indoor spaces, open long-range sightlines, and plenty of verticality. But watch out for Flash Freeze—sudden cold snaps that force you to take shelter indoors or in Avalanche Shelters, or suffer the consequences. Pendola Pass also introduces the Redirection minor map condition, where you can call in a Harvester payload away from the Queen, drawing both Arc robots and rival players into a chaotic fight.

Four new Arc enemies are joining the fray. The Frigate is a massive flying carrier—less an enemy, more an endgame heist you'll need to board and sabotage for loot. The Bully is a four-legged walker with a turret that charges relentlessly. The Skulker is a small, stealthy sniper that hides and takes potshots. And the Hydra is a floating weapons platform with three pairs of turrets that can each target separately, so spreading its attention is a smart tactic.

You're also getting two new weapons: the Stiletto, a light-ammo battle rifle for medium-to-long range that shines in PvE, and the Bantam, a snub-nosed revolver with a unique hip-fire animation, positioned as an alternative to the Anvil. Plus, new gadgets include a Grappling Hook for swinging, climbing, or tethering to enemies, a Tether Launcher, a Yank Grenade, and even a Camera for taking photos mid-mission. And yes, you can now jam out with a Banjo or Harmonica.

Progression is getting a shake-up too. Weapon Amplification lets you upgrade and modify weapons further, while Weapon Stencils let you customize their look without changing stats. Outposts are customizable player bases you can fill with craftable items. The Skill Tree is getting new skills, rebalances, and tweaks. There are new quests (some with optional objectives for bonus XP), Trials Season 6, and a two-track Frozen Trail battle pass—a free track with all cosmetics and a premium track with everything. A Frozen Trail Collector Set DLC also launches the same day for 2400 Raider Tokens.

That's a lot to digest, and some details—like the full Skill Tree changes—are still under wraps. But one thing's clear: October 8 is going to be a busy day for Arc Raiders fans. What are you most excited to try first? Will you be picking up the battle pass?