Embark Studios is giving Arc Raiders’ de facto leader Celeste a new face, marking the first in a series of visual reworks that aim to integrate authentic human performances throughout its survival game. The overhaul arrives ahead of the October 6 release of the Frozen Trail update, as the studio undertakes what it describes as monumental spring cleaning before a major title update.
Diana Gardner has voiced Celeste since Arc Raiders’ early days, but according to Stefan Strandberg, Embark’s chief creative officer, the character has never fully captured the depth of her performance. The team says that limited expressive capabilities held the character back and broke immersion for players, failing to communicate “the stakes and stories we want to tell.” With Frozen Trail approaching, Gardner now becomes Celeste’s new on-screen face.
A New Face for Speranza’s Leader
The rework introduces full motion capture for the first time in Arc Raiders, including a more detailed and accurate facial model that allows expressions and emotions to be mapped with greater precision. Strandberg explained that high-fidelity, dynamic facial expressions are sometimes essential to anchor the gravity of a story, noting this had “constrained us up to this point.” Gardner’s performance now comes through the screen in ways previously impossible.
This is the first time we have used full motion capture, including a more detailed and accurate face, that allows us to map expressions and emotion in more detail. This means that more of Diana’s performance and identity comes through the screen.
Stefan Strandberg, Chief Creative Officer at Embark Studios
The change will be visible when Frozen Trail releases on October 6, but the studio insists players are simply watching “the authentic performance of an incredibly talented actor, the real Celeste on screen for the first time.” The redesign reflects a deliberate effort to make Speranza’s residents feel like genuine people rather than mere quest-giving machines.
A Broader Wave of Visual Reworks
Celeste is only the beginning. Embark plans to extend this approach to other characters in future updates, bringing them more closely into line with their real-world counterparts. Strandberg said that beyond producing more faithful representations of actors, the shift will be “felt by players themselves” as interactions become more convincing.
Arc Raiders has long boasted one of the most exceptional worlds to explore, but its characters have fallen short in comparison. While designs are generally considered cool-looking, residents have often functioned as mechanical quest providers rather than believable citizens of the game’s world. This weakness was compounded by earlier reliance on limited facial animation technology.
In future updates, we plan to bring more characters in line with their real-world actors. Not only will this mean more faithful representations of actors, it’ll be felt by players themselves.
Stefan Strandberg, Chief Creative Officer at Embark Studios
The studio says the ultimate goal is “finding more ways to integrate real human performances into every interaction,” arguing that this approach is essential for telling a successful and convincing story. The Celeste rework represents an early step in what could become a sweeping transformation of how Arc Raiders’ cast communicates with players.
Looking Ahead
The most immediate change lands on October 6, when Frozen Trail releases with the redesigned Celeste already in place. Beyond that update, Embark has signaled further character reworks across subsequent patches, though no specific timeline has been provided for which characters will receive treatment next.
For players tracking these developments, Arc Raiders guide resources remain a useful entry point into the game’s systems. The broader Arc Raiders roadmap outlines how new and improved content continues to arrive over time, while guides covering Arc Raiders best skills, Arc Raiders best weapons, and Arc Raiders Expeditions help players survive the surface and retire their Raider in style. Additional support is available through Arc Raiders quests for those looking to tackle every mission.
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