Arc Raiders’ Frozen Trail Update Brings Paid Battle Pass, New Map, and Major Overhaul

When Embark Studios’ survival shooter Arc Raiders launches its next major update, “Frozen Trail,” on October 8, players can expect a sweeping overhaul of the game—complete with a brand-new paid battle pass system that marks a notable shift from the title’s previous free-to-all progression model. While the update itself will remain free across all platforms, the accompanying “Reward Pass” introduces a premium track that costs 1,150 Raider Tokens, roughly $10 USD, signaling a new era for the game’s monetization. Crucially, Embark has designed the paid tier to offer only cosmetic rewards, ensuring that gameplay-altering items like new weapons and gear remain exclusive to the free track and keeping the game firmly out of pay-to-win territory.

For context, Arc Raiders has shipped three battle pass–style “Raider Decks” since launch, each letting players complete dailies to earn Creds and unlock cosmetics and in-game items. The new Reward Pass mirrors that familiar structure but layers on a paid premium track. Embark is reportedly taking the opportunity to handle rewards responsibly, with the premium tier restricted to cosmetic-only content. This deliberate design choice avoids the pay-to-win pitfalls that have plagued other live-service titles, including Fortnite, which recently removed its paid cosmetic advantages.

A Player-Friendly Exchange Rate

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the newly priced Reward Pass is its built-in value proposition. Players who purchase access to the Premium Pass will earn back more than they spend, pocketing 1,350 Raider Tokens for completing the pass—200 of which are distributed through the free track alone. While time is never truly free, the exchange rate represents a genuinely player-friendly approach to monetization that has drawn praise from the community.

It’s a smart way to handle the monetization without making players feel punished for not spending money, and the fact that the premium track is purely cosmetic means everyone stays on equal footing in the field.

Embark Studios

The update also brings a host of new content to the table. The frosty Pendola Pass map expands both the game’s world and its lore, introducing raiders to several new Arc threats: the Bully, Skulker, and Hydra. The Frigate stands out as a new airborne carrier and raid-like event, designed to challenge several players through a combination of combat and puzzles. Aboard the Frigate, the Hydra awaits—a formidable foe capable of downing multiple players at once and even respawning after being defeated.

On the customization front, weapon amplification gives players new ways to tailor their loadouts, disrupting the meta and encouraging experimentation, while stencils function like weapon skins, offering fresh cosmetic changes to guns. Gameplay items round out the additions with the banjo and harmonica instruments, a camera, and a grappling hook—items that are sure to become community favorites.

Looking Ahead

Beyond the immediate content, Frozen Trail also expands the game’s progression systems. The update adds more quests with optional objectives for bonus rewards, overhauls skill trees to introduce new abilities and modify existing ones, and adds Outposts—new customizable areas where raiders can establish their own bases. As for deeper exploration of the Speranza world, Embark’s Aleksander Grondal noted that the team is still weighing the idea, though no such addition will be available at launch.

There is a need for a place to socialize and hang out between the raids, and we see that as something we want to try in the future. But we really haven’t settled on exactly how we want to execute against that need yet—it’s at the top of our list when we think about where to take Arc Raiders next.

Aleksander Grondal, Embark Studios

Grondal also confirmed that the team is still working toward the goal of delivering major updates roughly every six months, though the next big update following Frozen Trail doesn’t have a set date yet. Reflecting on the shift from monthly updates to larger, more ambitious releases, he described the experience as both exciting and nerve-wracking.

It’s scary every time we do a big update. To me, the best way to describe it is that it almost feels like we’re shipping the game again, because I get flashbacks to last year when we were in this very same position trying to make the game complete.

Aleksander Grondal, Embark Studios

When Frozen Trail goes live on October 8, the new Frozen Trail Collector Set shop bundle will include a new outfit, weapon stencil, hairstyle, and 2,400 Raider Tokens, plus instant access to the Premium Pass. The update arrives free on all platforms, marking another milestone in Arc Raiders’ ongoing evolution.