Expedition April 17, 2026

Third Expedition — A Triumphant Exit: Damage Challenge, Rewards & Departure Dates

The Third Expedition overhauls how Skill Points are earned — deal damage with any weapon or gadget instead of grinding stash value. Departure window April 28–May 4, 2026. Rewards include the Patchwork Outfit (Evolved) with new toggles and color variants, the Scrappy Turban, +12 stash space (316 total), up to 5 Skill Points, and max 91 total Skill Points with catch-up. Consecutive buffs reach 15% XP, 18% Scrappy Materials, 80% Repair Value.

Damage ChallengeApril 28–May 4 WindowPatchwork EvolvedScrappy Turban91 Skill Points Max
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Patch Notes April 14, 2026

Patch 1.24.0 — Nascosto Set, FSR Blur Fix & Pre-Riven Tides Polish

Patch 1.24.0 adds the Nascosto Set and Scrappy Speckled Set to the shop and cleans up several quality-of-life issues before the Riven Tides update. Crash fixes, AMD FSR Frame Generation blurriness resolved, Vanguard Set model stretching corrected for other players, Stella Montis audio levels fixed, bandage auto-fire timing bug patched, and an edge case with ziplines on carriables at ledge edges is closed. Confirmed last patch before Riven Tides drops end of April.

Nascosto SetScrappy Speckled SetFSR Blur FixCrash FixesLast Patch Before Riven Tides
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Patch Notes April 8, 2026

Patch 1.23.0 — Vanguard Set, Close Scrutiny Fixes & Full Changelog

Patch 1.23.0 adds the Vanguard Set cosmetic and delivers a focused Close Scrutiny event cleanup: Vaporizer stuck near Assessor, platform visibility for reconnected players, Assessor orbital return breaks from rapid Breach & Search, ARC idle despawn, and overlapping Assessor/Probe landing spots in Buried City. Gameplay fixes cover Trigger 'Nades damage calculation, the anvil splitter dispersion exploit, barricades on ziplines, weapon switch timing, and shoulder swap camera. Stella Montis and Buried City map bugs resolved.

Vanguard SetVaporizer FixAnvil Splitter ExploitTrigger 'Nades FixClose Scrutiny Bugs
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Major Update March 31, 2026

Flashpoint Update — Vaporizer, ARC Assessor & All New Content

The Flashpoint update is Arc Raiders' biggest content drop of March 2026. New ARC Assessor operation (Close Scrutiny), new flying Vaporizer enemy with laser attacks, Canto SMG, Dolabra Legendary energy shotgun, Surge Coil deployable, Shredders expanding to all maps, the High Gain Antenna community project, Scrappy Feeding system, and the Wasp Hunter Bundle with 2,400 Raider Tokens.

ARC Assessor OperationVaporizer EnemyCanto + DolabraSurge CoilWasp Hunter Bundle
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Major Patch March 31, 2026

Patch 1.22.0 — Flashpoint Content Drop, Balance & Full Changelog

The Flashpoint patch brings Rocketeer collision nerfs, significantly reduced Firefly spawn rates, locked room loot scaling by key rarity, Baron Husk loot increases, Blue Gate security code overhaul (codes only from printers, expire on extraction), 11 audio fixes, 7 gameplay bug fixes, animation polish, dam Sentinel spawns, Spaceport elevator fixes, Intel XeSS 2.1.1 / AMD FSR 2.1.0 upgrades, and 12 known outstanding issues.

Rocketeer NerfFirefly Spawn NerfLocked Room Loot BuffBlue Gate Code Overhaul11 Audio Fixes
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Small Patch March 24, 2026

Patch 1.21.0 — New Raider Tool, Backpack Set & Bug Fixes

A small QoL patch adding a new Raider Tool and Backpack cosmetic set. Three bugs fixed: DirectX 11 crash, players getting stuck inside the Harvester, and a wall-walk exploit via Fuel Cell/Field Crate pickup. Embark teased the Flashpoint update arriving next week as the major end-of-month content drop.

New Raider ToolNew Backpack SetDX11 Crash FixedWall Exploit PatchedFlashpoint Teased
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Balance Patch March 17, 2026

Patch 1.20.0 — Il Toro Nerf, Rawhide Outfit & Bug Fixes

The Il Toro shotgun is nerfed across the board — pellet damage reduced from 7.5 to 7, fire rate cut from 43 to 38, dispersion widened, and total reload time increased from 4.3s to 5.7s. Embark wants positioning and timing to matter more. New Rawhide outfit and two haircuts added. Three bug fixes (Comet/Fireball audio, Dam CAZ wall push, Spaceport collision) and Energy Clips sell price slashed from 1,000 to 200 coins.

Il Toro NerfedFire Rate 43→38Reload 4.3s→5.7sRawhide OutfitEnergy Clips 1000→200
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Seasonal Event March 3, 2026

Trials Season 3 — Ranks, Star Thresholds & The Torque Outfit

Trials Season 3 runs March 3 to April 29, 2026. Compete in weekly pools of 100 Raiders across three ranks: Rookie II, Daredevil, and Hotshot. Earn The Torque exclusive outfit by reaching 1,000, 2,500, or 4,000 stars. All progress is lost on death — extraction is everything.

Season 3 ActiveMar 3 — Apr 29Rookie II / Daredevil / HotshotThe Torque Outfit100 Raiders Per Pool
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Hotfix March 3, 2026

Patch 1.18.0 — Bug Fixes & Hurricane Cache Rebalance

Six bug fixes: Safekeeper Augment exploit, Snaphook safe pocket, Dam CAZ, ARC performance drops, Worth Your Salt quest completion conflict, and a Player Proximity menu crash. Hurricane First Wave Caches rebalanced — blueprint rates lowered, high-tier material rates raised.

Safekeeper Exploit FixedDam CAZ HotfixARC Perf FixHurricane Cache RebalanceWorth Your Salt Fix
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Enemy Guide February 25, 2026

Firefly & Comet — New ARC Enemy Tips and Tricks

Meet the two new ARC machines added in Patch 1.17.0 Shrouded Sky. The Firefly is a tenacious flying unit that hunts Raiders into corners with flame attacks — target its yellow gas tank. The Comet is a heavily armored rolling sphere of explosives — use high fire rate weapons to force its armor open and hit the exposed machinery.

Firefly — AerialComet — GroundGas Tank Weak PointHigh Fire Rate vs CometLure Grenade Counter
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New Patch February 24, 2026

Patch 1.17.0 - Shrouded Sky: Hurricane Weather, New ARCs & Weapon Nerfs

Hurricane map condition, two new ARC enemy types, and a weather monitoring system headline this update. Stitcher headshot nerfed 2.5→1.75, Kettle damage 10→8.5, Venator damage 9→8, Aphelion reload cut from 4.5s to 3.5s, Jupiter ADS up to 2.2x. Volare & Surgeon cosmetic sets, Expedition Window, Dam Battlegrounds update, and stricter anti-cheat enforcement.

Hurricane Map Condition2 New ARC TypesStitcher 2.5→1.75 HSAphelion Reload 4.5→3.5sVolare & Surgeon Sets
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Patch Notes February 10, 2026

Patch 1.15.0 - Shared Watch Event, Cold Snap & Trailblazer Changes

The Shared Watch collaborative event runs through February 24 - earn merits by destroying ARC machines. Cold Snap returns with frostbite and increased loot. Trailblazer Grenade rebalanced, new Vulpine & Slugger cosmetics, and bug fixes.

Shared Watch EventCold Snap ReturnsTrailblazer NerfVulpine & Slugger SetsEnds Feb 24
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Expedition February 2026

Second Expedition - Rewards, Requirements & Departure Dates

Adjusted stash requirements, catch-up mechanic for missed Skill Points, new Patchwork cosmetics, doubled stash space, and increased consecutive expedition buffs. Sign-ups open February 25th.

Catch-Up Skill Points24 Stash SlotsPatchwork Outfit10% XP BoostMarch 1 Departure
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Major Update January 2026

Patch 1.13.0 - Solo vs Squads, Bird City & Trophy Display

Solo vs Squads matchmaking, Trophy Display Project, Bird City map condition, new augments, party system improvements, and extensive bug fixes.

Solo vs Squads modeTrophy Display ProjectBird City condition2 new Epic Augments7 new quests
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