ARC Raiders Update: 1.12.0 Patch Notes & The 2026 Content Roadmap
The “extraction shooter curse” is officially broken. While many competitors struggled to maintain player bases past their first month, ARC Raiders has defied the odds. With over 12.4 million copies sold globally and a concurrent player peak of 462,488 on Steam alone, Embark Studios has cemented its place in the 2026 gaming landscape.
But launch hype only lasts so long. We are now three months post-release. The community has moved past the initial discovery phase and into the gritty reality of meta-gaming, exploits, and the hunger for new content. As of January 2026, the studio has shifted gears from frantic weekly hotfixes to substantial, strategic seasonal updates.
This guide breaks down the critical ARC Raiders update version 1.12.0, decodes the new “Aggression-Based Matchmaking” logic that is secretly governing your lobbies, and analyses the “grander” maps promised in the 2026 roadmap.
ARC Raiders Patch 1.12.0: Fixing the “Rats in the Walls”
The 1.12.0 update, released on 20 January 2026, is not just a standard maintenance patch. It is a direct response to the game-breaking exploits that threatened to derail the economy over the Christmas period. If you played during the “Cold Snap” event, you know exactly what I am talking about.
Stella Montis Map Fixes & Remaining Vulnerabilities
The Stella Montis map is visually stunning, but its geometry has been a nightmare for competitive integrity. For weeks, players, colloquially known as “wall rats”, found ways to clip into the architecture near the Lobby Area. From inside these textures, they could fire out at unsuspecting Raiders extracting with high-tier loot, while remaining completely invulnerable to return fire.
According to the official patch notes from Embark Studios, version 1.12.0 has addressed the collision meshes in three key sectors:
- The North-East Ventilation Shafts.
- The rubble piles surrounding the central extraction helipad.
- The notorious “Blue Gate” underpass glitch.
Pro-Tip: While the main Lobby Area wall glitch is fixed, I strongly advise caution near the Rust Belt perimeter. I lost a full kit to a wall-piercing exploit there just yesterday. It seems the collision fix hasn’t fully propagated to the map’s outer edges yet. Treat every solid wall as suspicious until verified otherwise.
The End of Duplication: Item and Ammo Exploits Patched
Nothing destroys an extraction economy faster than infinite money. In late December, a duplication exploit involving the crafting bench and network lag switching allowed players to generate infinite high-tier ammo and “Speranza” trading tokens.
This created a hyper-inflation scenario where the Auction House prices skyrocketed. A standard “Aphelion” rifle, usually trading for 4,000 credits, was hitting 40,000.
PC Gamer (2026) reported that Embark’s decision to move away from small weekly patches allowed them to rewrite the inventory validation code entirely. With 1.12.0, the server now performs a “handshake” validation for every item moved between stash and inventory. If the server detects a mismatch, the item is deleted instantly.
- Impact: Expect market prices to crash back to normal levels over the next week.
- Strategy: If you are holding onto duplicated stacks of ammo, use them now. The next server sweep is rumoured to flag accounts holding impossible quantities of resources.
Weapon Rebalancing: Trigger ‘Nades and The Kettle Nerf
The combat meta has been oppressive recently due to “Trigger Grenades” (air-burst explosives). Players would throw them and detonate them mid-air instantly, essentially turning them into handheld rocket launchers with no counter-play.
Update 1.12.0 introduces a hard 1.5-second arming delay for all remote-detonated explosives.
- Old Meta: Throw > Detonate instantly > Kill.
- New Meta: You must predict enemy movement. If you throw a mine directly at a rusher, they have time to run past it before you can trigger it.
Additionally, the “Kettle” heavy machine gun has received a recoil increase of 15% when firing from the hip. You can no longer sprint-and-spray with heavy weapons; you must brace or aim down sights (ADS) to be effective.
The 2026 ARC Raiders Roadmap: What’s Topside Next?
With the technical fires of 1.12.0 largely extinguished, the conversation has shifted to the future. Embark Studios has released a comprehensive ARC Raiders roadmap for 2026, confirming that the game will expand significantly beyond its current boundaries.
“Grander than Spaceport”: New Map Spectrum Explained
The current map rotation, Spaceport, Stella Montis, and Rust Belt, offers a good mix of long-range and close-quarters combat. However, players have mastered these layouts.
In an interview with TechRadar (January 2026), Design Lead Virgil Watkins teased the next phase of map design. The team is working on environments that are “grander” in scale than anything seen so far.
We are looking at two distinct types of new zones:
- Tactical Micro-Zones: Smaller, high-density maps designed for quick 10-minute raids. Think pure PvP chaos with high loot density but extremely difficult extraction.
- Macro-Expeditions: Massive maps requiring vehicles to traverse effectively. These will likely introduce the “Deep Raid” mechanic, where you must refuel and repair your extraction vehicle mid-match.
[Official Embark Studios Dev Blog – January 2026 Update]
Upcoming Seasonal Events: Life After “Cold Snap”
The “Cold Snap” winter event concluded on 13 January 2026. It introduced a frostbite mechanic that forced players to seek heat sources, altering the pacing of the game.
The roadmap suggests the next major event will focus on environmental toxicity. Leaks point to a “Acid Rain” event for the Spring quarter, where specific armor platings will be required to survive in open areas. This changes the economy significantly, start hoarding materials for “Hazmat Weave” crafting now.
The Gilded Pickaxe and Milestone Rewards for Q1
Progression is vital for retention. For Q1 2026, the chase item is the Gilded Pickaxe. This is not just a cosmetic; it offers a slightly faster mining speed for resource nodes (approximately 5% faster).
To unlock it, you must complete the “Raider’s Gauntlet” challenge set before March 31:
- Extract 50 times from Stella Montis.
- Defeat 10 ARC Titans.
- Trade 500,000 credits worth of goods at the Speranza hub.
Decoding Aggression-Based Matchmaking (The “Hidden” System)
Perhaps the most controversial and misunderstood feature of the recent ARC Raiders update is the confirmation of “Aggression-Based Matchmaking.”
For months, players suspected that killing other players put them into harder lobbies. Esports Insider (Jan 2026) finally confirmed this theory after an analysis of the game’s patent filings and developer comments.
How Your “Hostility Level” Dictates Your Lobby Type
The game assigns every player a hidden “Hostility Score.”
- Peaceful Actions: Reviving non-squad members, using the “Don’t Shoot” emote, extracting without killing other players. Result: Low Hostility Score.
- Aggressive Actions: Initiating combat, killing players who haven’t fired at you, stealing loot from downed players. Result: High Hostility Score.
This creates two distinct worlds within the same game:
- The Scavenger Queue: If you play passively, you are matched with other scavengers. These lobbies focus on PvE (Player vs Environment), fighting the ARC machines, and looting. PvP happens, but it is rare.
- The Predator Queue: If you hunt players, the game matches you with other hunters. These lobbies are absolute warzones. You will barely see an ARC machine because everyone is too busy fighting each other.
Pro-Tip: How to Reset Your Aggression Score
I tested this personally. After a week of heavy PvP, my lobbies became unplayable, sweaty, high-skill deathmatches where I couldn’t extract a single bolt.
To fix this, I spent two days doing “Pacifist Runs.”
- Drop into a map solo.
- Avoid all players.
- Loot low-value items.
- Extract immediately.
After about 15-20 peaceful runs, I noticed the lobbies shifted back. I started seeing players who hesitated to shoot. If you are struggling to progress, you might be stuck in the Predator Queue. Stop shooting on sight for a few days to reset your standing.
ARC Raiders Player Count 2026: Is the Community Growing?
A major concern for any live-service game is the population. Is the game dying?
The data says no. In fact, it is stabilising at a very healthy level.
Steam and Console Statistics (January Update)
According to Alinea Analytics, the game has retained a daily active user (DAU) base of approximately 850,000 across all platforms as of late January 2026.
- PC (Steam/Epic): Dominates the player base with 60% of the population.
- PlayStation 5: 25% share.
- Xbox Series X|S: 15% share.
The ARC Raiders player count 2026 outlook is positive. The drop-off from launch was expected (no game holds 3 million concurrent players forever), but the retention rate is higher than The Finals experienced in its first year. This suggests the extraction loop is stickier than the arena shooter loop.
Post-Dupe Crafting: Surviving the Resource Scarcity
With the 1.12.0 patch closing the duplication loopholes, the economy of ARC Raiders has shifted overnight from abundance to scarcity. Crafting materials are suddenly valuable again. You can no longer afford to waste resources on sub-par gear.
Based on the current patch state and the upcoming roadmap, here is where you should focus your crafting workbench priorities.
Essential Ammo Prioritisation (Stop Wasting Mats)
The days of infinite “Apex” tier ammunition are over. The crafting cost for high-penetration rounds has subtly increased.
- Strategy: Do not craft high-tier ammo for your secondary weapon or for farming ARC machines in low-aggression lobbies. Save your rarest materials (like Refined Vivite) exclusively for crafting ammo for your primary PvP weapon (e.g., the Aphelion or Breaker). For everything else, use scavenged standard-issue rounds.
Preparing for “Acid Rain”: Hoarding Synti-Mesh
As mentioned in the roadmap section, the Spring season is heavily implied to feature environmental toxicity events. To survive these “Acid Rain” zones, you will need specialized Hazmat-grade armor.
- Pro-Tip: Stop selling or trading away Synti-Mesh and Chem-Glass. These are currently mid-value items, but their value will skyrocket when the new crafting blueprints drop next month. Start hoarding them now so you are ready on day one of the event.
The New Gold Standard: Crafting High-Tier Stims
With the confirmation of aggression-based matchmaking, if you are a PvP player, your fights just got significantly harder. You cannot rely on basic green-tier health injectors in a “Predator Queue” lobby.
- Focus: Prioritize crafting purple-tier Adrenaline Stims and Coagulant Injectors. They require rare biological samples found mostly in high-danger zones like Stella Montis, but the instant health boost and bleed-stop capability are now essential requirements for surviving competitive gunfights.
Current Meta: Best Loadouts for Patch 1.12.0
With the “Trigger ‘Nade” nerf, the meta has shifted towards gunplay and positioning.
The Rise of the Aphelion Legendary Rifle
The Aphelion has emerged as the king of mid-range engagements.
- Why it works: It has zero damage drop-off until 150 meters. In maps like Spaceport, this is crucial.
- Build: Pair it with a 4x scope and the “Stabilised Grip” to turn it into a laser beam.
Countering High-Tier Gear in Aggressive Lobbies
If you are stuck in a “Predator Queue” and are out-geared, do not try to fight fair.
- Use Gas Grenades: High-tier armour protects against bullets, not gas. A well-placed gas grenade forces even the most geared player to move or choke.
- The “Rat” Shotgun: The Breaker shotgun is cheap and devastating at point-blank range. Camp corners. It is not honourable, but it gets you the loot.
Summary
ARC Raiders has successfully navigated its launch window. The ARC Raiders update 1.12.0 provides the technical stability the game desperately needed, fixing the economy-breaking duplication glitches and map exploits.
The 2026 roadmap promises a year of expansion, but the real game-changer is the aggression-based matchmaking. Understanding that your behaviour dictates your difficulty is the key to mastering the game this year. Whether you choose to be a ruthless hunter or a wealthy scavenger, the game now has a place for you, just don’t expect the two worlds to mix often.
The community is leaning into cooperation more than we expected, don’t be afraid to use the “Don’t Shoot” emote in low-aggression lobbies; it actually works in 2026. Good luck topside, Raider.
FAQs
When is the next ARC Raiders content update?
Based on the current seasonal cadence, the next major content drop is expected in late February 2026. This will likely include the first of the new “Tactical Micro-Zone” maps.
Is ARC Raiders free to play in 2026?
No. Despite early rumours during development, ARC Raiders remains a premium title. It is priced at £32.00 / $39.99. There are currently no plans announced to switch to a free-to-play model.
How does aggression-based matchmaking work?
The system tracks your “Hostility Score” based on your interactions with other players. Killing unprovoked raises your score, placing you in lobbies with other aggressive players. Passive play lowers your score, matching you with other PvE-focused scavengers.
Has the Stella Montis wall glitch been fixed?
Yes, largely. Patch 1.12.0 fixed the collision meshes in the Lobby Area, Ventilation Shafts, and Blue Gate. However, players should still be cautious around the extreme edges of the map, as minor exploits may still exist.
What is the max player count for ARC Raiders in 2026?
The game reached an all-time concurrent peak of 462,488 players on Steam shortly after launch. As of January 2026, it maintains a healthy daily active user base of around 850,000 across PC and consoles.
Can I play ARC Raiders solo?
Yes. While the game is designed for squads, the new aggression-based matchmaking makes solo play more viable. If you play passively, you will encounter fewer “kill squads,” making it easier to extract alone.
Is there cross-progression in ARC Raiders?
Yes. Your account is tied to your Embark ID. You can play on PC, move to PlayStation 5, and then to Xbox Series X|S, and your loot, level, and battle pass progression will carry over seamlessly.
What are the system requirements for the 2026 updates?
The 1.12.0 update did not increase system requirements. However, for the upcoming “Macro-Expedition” maps, Embark recommends having at least 32GB of RAM and an SSD to handle the larger asset streaming without stuttering.
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