ARC Raiders Frozen Trail Update: Everything Coming October 8

The ARC Raiders Frozen Trail update lands on Thursday, October 8, 2026, free on every platform. It adds the Pendola Pass map, a flying Frigate you can board, three new ARC (Bully, Skulker, Hydra), the Outpost home base with a Research Workstation, Amplified Weapons (a fifth quality tier for 15 guns), the Stiletto and Bantam, a Grappling Hook, tethers, a camera, a Reward Pass and a reworked Skill Tree.

Embark showed all of this in the Frozen Trail First Look on September 23, and the post below is built from that official preview plus the August 12 announcement. Where Embark has not published a number yet, this guide says so rather than guessing. If you are still working through the current maps, our ARC Raiders key locations and blueprint locations guides cover the current maps.

ARC Raiders Frozen Trail release date and platforms

The update is free on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam and Epic Games Store) and GeForce NOW. Embark has not published a release hour or a patch size. Embark’s 5th Expedition post also says Trials is “on pause for two weeks until October 8,” so Trials resumes the same day and the first week on the new map will overlap with a fresh ladder. Our Trials guide has the Season 5 results and the October 8 return date; the next season’s rewards have not been announced.

One deadline matters more than the rest: in the Live Update 1.45.0 notes Embark says any Cred left on your account “will expire with the Frozen Trail update,” so spend it with Shani or on remaining Raider Deck rewards before October 8. Rewards already claimed at the time of the update are kept.

Pendola Pass: the new ARC Raiders map

Pendola Pass is an old Italian village and Exodus transport hub beyond the peaks that ring the Rust Belt. Embark describes a supermarket, a lifeless town square, an observatory and a buried train depot, and says the whole valley is preserved by icy air. The reason anyone goes there is that one of the Emperors has fallen and rare technology is inside it.

Two things make it play differently from the existing maps. First, flash freezes cut through the valley, which Embark calls brutal; the exact damage and timing have not been published, but the August post already framed the map around threats “both above and below ground.” Second, the map has more verticality than the current ones, which is why the Grappling Hook ships in the same update. Embark also lists a new Map Condition without naming it yet.

The Frigate and the three new ARC

The Frigate is one of ARC’s largest vessels, sent to patrol the fallen Emperor. Embark pitches it as content for highly skilled Raiders: you find a way on board, navigate internal passageways, unlock paths and fight ARC “new and old” in close quarters hundreds of feet in the air, while other Raiders on board can either cooperate or cut through you. This is the “large-scale ARC Operation” the August post promised for experienced players.

• Bully — a machine-learned ground enemy that “cedes no ground,” gallops onto your position and fights with several lethal attacks. Embark’s advice is cover, timing and hitting your shots.
• Skulker — the opposite temperament. It waits at the edge of your vision, lands a flurry of blows, and retreats out of sight the moment you are distracted.
• Hydra — a turret split into three stacked, independent sections, found on the Frigate. Embark says it can handle entire squads, so the intended answer is one Raider drawing fire while the others reach cover and attack in the gap.

PCGamesN’s coverage of the stream reported that only the Frigate appears on other maps at launch; Embark’s own post does not state where each enemy spawns beyond the Hydra being on the Frigate, so treat that as Not confirmed until the patch notes.

The Outpost and the Research Workstation

The Outpost is a second home base between the Rust Belt and the mountains. You customise it with modules and furniture, and it holds a Research Workstation that unlocks “higher levels of weapon customization and modding.” Embark calls it “the first step to reclaiming parts of the surface” and says it is the start of a feature they plan to develop much further.

What has not been said: how much the Outpost costs to expand, what materials the Research Workstation eats, or whether it replaces any existing Raider Den station. The August post did say Raider Decks are being made “more engaging and rewarding,” which is now the Reward Pass described further down.

ARC Raiders Workbench UpgradesWorkbench upgrades for your current Raider Den stations; how the new Research Workstation relates to them has not been published.From $26.99View offer

Amplified Weapons: a fifth quality tier for 15 guns

This is a major progression change in Frozen Trail. With a fully upgraded Research Workstation, a range of guns gain a fifth quality level with a branching path of abilities. Embark’s own examples are a fully-automatic Burletta, a Renegade with a scope, and a Rattler with incendiary bullets and a 64-round magazine. The feature rolls out to 15 weapons at launch, with more planned.

The stated goal is to get late-game Raiders off their one favourite gun. Embark has not published the list of 15 weapons, the material costs, or whether an amplified weapon keeps its upgrades when someone loots it off your body.

New weapons and gadgets in Frozen Trail

PCGamesN described the Grappling Hook as stamina-based with unlimited uses. Embark’s post does not give those details, so file that under Not confirmed.

Reward Pass, Skill Tree rework and what carries over

The Reward Pass replaces Raider Decks as the progression track and comes in three parts, per Embark:

• Free Pass — XP-based rewards including 200 Raider Tokens, five new outfits, new gameplay items and 20 cosmetics (Scrappy outfits, furniture, charms, attachments, emotes).
• Premium Pass — premium toggles for every outfit, exclusive colourways, weapon stencils, hairstyles and 1,150 Raider Tokens. The official post does not list a price for the Premium Pass.
• Legacy Pass — free, and it bundles every existing Raider Deck so no current progress is lost.

A Collector Set DLC includes both Reward Pass tracks, the Renzo cosmetic set, the Dragon’s Breath stencil, the Bob hairstyle and 2,400 Raider Tokens. No price was published.

On progression: the August post said the Skill Tree is being adjusted to give “more agency over the kind of Raider you want to become,” and the September post confirms a Skill Tree rework “including new and improved skills.” Whether skill points are refunded on October 8 has not been stated. Our Expedition 5 guide covers what the current Expedition keeps and resets (sign-up closes September 29). For Frozen Trail itself, neither Frozen Trail post announces a reset of stash, blueprints or levels. What is confirmed: the September post says Raider Deck progress carries over through the Legacy Pass, and the Live Update 1.45.0 notes say claimed rewards are kept while unspent Cred expires.

ARC Raiders services for the Frozen Trail launch

Frozen Trail reworks the Skill Tree, adds a new base with its own research, and drops a batch of new gear into your stash. If you would rather have the skill points, level and stash room sorted before October 8 than grind them during launch week, these are the ARC Raiders services we run.

ARC Raiders Skill Tree BoostEmbark says the Skill Tree is being reworked with new and improved skills on October 8; whether points are refunded has not been stated.From $139.99View offer ARC Raiders Level BoostAccount levelling done by our team on your account, so launch week goes on the new map instead of on the level grind.From $74.53View offer ARC Raiders Stash ExpansionFrozen Trail adds two new weapons, new gadgets and Amplified upgrades for 15 weapons.From $6.29View offer

Frequently asked questions

When does ARC Raiders Frozen Trail come out?
Thursday, October 8, 2026, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam, Epic) and GeForce NOW. Embark has not published a release hour.

Is Frozen Trail free?
Yes. The update, the Free Pass and the Legacy Pass are free. The Premium Pass and the Collector Set DLC are paid; prices have not been published by Embark.

Does Frozen Trail wipe progress?
The Embark posts cited here announce no reset of stash, blueprints or levels. What is confirmed: Raider Deck progress carries over through the Legacy Pass, claimed rewards are kept, and unspent Cred expires on October 8.

What is the new map called?
Pendola Pass, an Italian village and Exodus transport hub beyond the Rust Belt with a fallen Emperor at its centre.

Which weapons get Amplified?
Fifteen at launch. Embark named the Burletta, Renegade and Rattler as examples but has not published the full list.

Does Trials come back with the update?
Yes. Embark said Trials pauses from September 22 and resumes October 8. The next season’s rewards and cutoff have not been announced.

Sources and update history

• Embark Studios, Frozen Trail First Look: Content highlights from October 8, September 23, 2026
• Embark Studios, Frozen Trail is coming October 8!, August 12, 2026
• Embark Studios, Store Update 1.47.0, September 22, 2026 (First Look time, Expedition 5 sign-up deadline)
• Embark Studios, Live Update 1.45.0, September 8, 2026 (Cred expiry, claimed rewards kept)
• Embark Studios, The 5th Expedition, August 21, 2026 (Trials paused September 22 to October 8)
• PCGamesN, Arc Raiders’ Frozen Trail update finally adds a grappling hook, September 23, 2026 (stream coverage; used only for details flagged as Not confirmed)

Update history: Published September 24, 2026. Facts last checked September 24, 2026 against the sources above.