Arc Raiders Adds Battle Pass With Paid Tier, Devs Say Don't Panic

Worried that your favorite extraction shooter is about to nickel-and-dime you? Arc Raiders is getting a battle pass, but the devs want you to chill.

In the upcoming Frozen Trail update, launching October 8, Embark Studios is introducing what it calls a "rewards pass" with two tracks: a free pass for everyone who owns the base game, and a premium pass that costs 1,150 Raider Tokens or comes bundled with the Frozen Trail Collector Set. The pass has 60 levels of rewards, and the premium track adds 50 more goodies, including exclusive cosmetics and 1,150 extra Raider Tokens. If you grind through everything, you'll earn 1,350 tokens total across both tracks—enough to buy your next pass, assuming the price doesn't change.

So what's actually in the premium pass? According to Embark, it's all vanity items: outfit color variants, hairstyles, backpacks, and new weapon skins called "stencils." These stencils let you customize your weapon's look without affecting stats. Once you learn and consume a stencil, you can apply it permanently to any compatible weapon. The free tier still gives you access to all the basic cosmetics, so you're not missing out on outfits if you don't pay.

At a virtual preview event, executive producer Aleksander Grøndal made it crystal clear: "The premium path of the reward pass, that is purely cosmetics and things that make you look different... no kind of gameplay advantage for those players who decide to upgrade into the premium tier." So no stat boosts or pay-to-win perks—just looking cool.

Product director Gerardo Basurto described the reward pass as a "new progression mechanic" and an "evolution of Raider Decks," the existing reward track. It's a familiar model for live-service games, but Embark is trying to keep it player-friendly by letting dedicated players earn enough tokens to keep the cycle going without spending real money.

One lingering question: will the pass expire? Embark hasn't said if or when it might disappear, so that's something to keep an eye on. For now, though, it sounds like the team is aiming for a system where you can either grind or pay—but paying only gets you style, not power.

What do you think about Arc Raiders adding a battle pass? Will you be picking up the premium track, or sticking to the free one? Let us know in the comments!