The Arc Raiders free weekend is over, but the players it pulled in are still exploring Frozen Trail, the biggest content drop Embark Studios has released since the game launched in October 2025. The free-to-play window ran from Oct. 8 at 5 a.m. ET to Oct. 12 at 4 a.m. ET on Steam, Xbox and PlayStation, and Embark confirmed that progress earned during the trial carries over for anyone who buys the game.
Frozen Trail adds so many new systems that Embark itself bills it as Arc Raiders’ 2.0 update. For anyone jumping in cold, here’s what’s new and where to focus first.
What Changed In The Frozen Trail Update
The update launched Oct. 8 and centers on Pendola Pass, a frozen former Italian village past the mountains that ring the Rust Belt, where a giant Emperor Arc walker lies dead against the mountainside. Sudden flash freezes sweep the valley, and GamesRadar+ reported the map mixes enclosed spaces for close-quarters fighting with open areas for long-range engagements and plenty of verticality, so it rewards different playstyles rather than forcing one approach.
Pendola Pass also introduces a minor map condition called Redirection. Using a Transmitter, raiders can pull Harvester Payloads away from the Collector and toward their own position, but the signal draws attention from both Arc robots and rival raiders.
Combat content got a refresh too. Frozen Trail adds three new Arc enemies, the Bully, the Skulker and the Hydra, plus two new guns: the Stiletto battle rifle and the Bantam revolver. PC Gamer’s hands-on preview focused on the new grappling hook, which lets players climb, swing and rappel into spots the ground route never reaches. The gadget lineup also includes the Tether Launcher, which wires two points together to pin enemies in place, and the Yank Grenade, which can drag flying Arc down to the ground.
Embark moved to a twice-yearly schedule for major updates in May, which helps explain why this update carries so much at once: the Frigate, a massive airborne Arc carrier that experienced raiders can board; new quests; a working in-game camera; and weapon stencils, a reusable skin system.
New Progression Systems: Outposts And Weapon Amplification
Two systems aim to give players more to chase after missions. Outposts give each raider a personal base outside Speranza that they can build up with furniture, decor and upgrade benches.
Weapon Amplification is the late-game half of that pairing. After building a Research Station at the Outpost and upgrading to Gunsmith IV, players socket an Amplification Module into one of 15 supported weapons to unlock a fifth quality tier with branching upgrades. Examples include burst or full-auto fire for the Burletta pistol, slug rounds for the Il Toro shotgun and explosive X-Rounds for the Anvil hand cannon. Amplification is permanent, so choose a gun you actually use.
Frozen Trail also replaces Raider Decks with a new Reward Pass: 60 levels split between a free track for everyone who owns the game and a premium track.
How To Start: Skill Tree Basics For Newcomers
Frozen Trail reworked the skill tree, which still caps at 76 base skill points at level 75 across three branches: Conditioning, Mobility and Survival. Completing Expeditions can add bonus points on top of that. What’s new is the structure. Each branch has a mid-tree choice node that opens after 10 points, and picking one option closes off the other, so leveling up means making real trade-offs rather than picking up every bonus eventually.
For a newcomer, the practical takeaway is to treat early skill points as decisions, not just unlocks. Think about whether you lean toward a stamina-heavy Mobility build, a tougher Conditioning build or a Survival build focused on looting and recovery before spending points rather than spreading them thin. A respec is available from the skill tree menu, but it resets the entire tree and costs in-game coins.
What Happened With The PvE Matchmaking Test
Embark ran a PvE matchmaking test from Oct. 13 to Oct. 20, starting the day after the free weekend ended. The toggle let players choose sessions with no player-to-player damage, leaving the Arc as the only threat. The test has now closed, and Embark has said there’s no guarantee a PvE option becomes permanent. For anyone wary of the game’s usual PvPvE stakes, what Embark decides next is worth watching. Total Apex Entertainment covered the test in more detail in its report on Arc Raiders’ new PvE beta.
Early Priorities For New Raiders
With this much added at once, time management matters. Start by exploring Pendola Pass to get a feel for its mix of close and open combat zones before diving into harder encounters like the Frigate. Work toward the grappling hook early. Its blueprint unlocks at level 12 on the free Reward Pass track, and hooks also turn up from traders and as quest supply items. PC Gamer’s preview made a strong case that it changes how players move around the map.
Treat Weapon Amplification as a long-term goal rather than a first-week project. Figure out which of the 15 compatible guns you already favor, then work toward the Outpost and Gunsmith upgrades that unlock the system. Finally, keep an eye on the Reward Pass so early progress feeds into long-term goals.
Arc Raiders’ concurrent player count fell sharply from its launch peak, but Frozen Trail and the free weekend pushed its Steam peak to nearly 186,000 players, its highest since March, according to GamingBolt. Whether those lapsed and new players stick around is the next test. Those interested in where the broader extraction shooter genre and Arc Raiders are headed can read about the film and TV adaptations in development with Chernin Entertainment or compare notes with Total Apex Entertainment’s beginner guide for Marathon, another extraction-focused shooter.
Missed the free weekend? Arc Raiders is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store, and Frozen Trail is a free update for everyone who owns the game.
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