ARC Raiders: Frozen Trail is the game's biggest expansion yet, bringing a new snowy map, customizable Outpost housing, tougher ARC enemies, and a major Raider Deck rework. The update arrives October 8, 2026, and changes how players approach raids, progression, and long-term goals.
The Frozen Trail map sits on the mountain edge of the Rust Belt and is built around vertical gameplay. Players will move through abandoned villages, factories, underground research areas, mountain ridges, and a high-altitude observatory.
Alongside the new map, the updated Raider Decks system gives players a lot more control over how they build their characters. Instead of relying mainly on small passive bonuses, you can now build a setup around a specific playstyle — mobility, stealth, or anti-ARC combat. Here's everything you need to know.
The Frozen Trail update makes Raider Decks far more useful when planning a full build. Choose a direction, then pick the skills and equipment that support it.
The three main build ideas highlighted for the update are mobility, stealth, and anti-ARC damage, and how you lean into each depends on whether you're playing solo or with a squad.
A solo player might benefit from a stealth-focused setup that helps avoid unnecessary fights and reach extraction safely. A trio, on the other hand, might lean into combat-focused builds to control key locations and handle ARC patrols.
That's really the core idea here: pick how you want to play first, then build the rest of your setup around that decision.
Frozen Trail is built very differently from a flat combat area — it uses multiple levels, which opens up more ways to approach the same location.
Abandoned villages, factories, bunkers, and mountain ridges create varied combat routes across the map. The high-altitude observatory offers strong sightlines, but leaves you fairly exposed while you're up there.
Snow and low visibility also make long-range fights less reliable, so it's worth using versatile weapons that hold up in both tight interiors and open mountain terrain.
When putting together a loadout, match your equipment to your playstyle and the terrain.
The loadout system works best when your gear actually supports your Raider Deck and your goal for that raid.
The Deck Builder helps you put together a focused character setup. Start by choosing your main role — stealth, mobility, or ARC combat — then select skills and equipment that support it.
Mobility builds, for example, should lean on lightweight gear, while combat builds need stronger weapons and useful utility. Keep your deck, skills, and equipment all pointed at the same playstyle rather than mixing unrelated bonuses together — the Deck Builder works best when every choice has a clear purpose.
Frozen Trail adds Outpost housing as a new piece of long-term progression. It replaces the older Raider Den and gives players a permanent space to customize between raids.
You can decorate the Outpost, review recovered intel, and learn more about ARC and the game's story there. It also connects to the updated skill system, giving players goals that extend beyond any single raid.
Gear presets speed up raid preparation by letting you save different setups for different situations.
A solo preset can focus on stealth, mobility, and quick extraction, while a combat preset can lean on stronger weapons for heavy ARC encounters. Squad presets can also assign different roles, like damage, support, or utility.
Having a few presets on hand lets you switch builds quickly and adjust your equipment without rebuilding your setup before every raid.
Frozen Trail introduces new ARC enemy variants with different attack patterns, so you can't rely on the same strategy for every encounter.
Before heading into the new zone, take time to learn how the different ARC units behave, and adjust your deck and equipment accordingly. Some situations reward keeping your distance, while others call for fast movement or close-range combat.
This also raises the value of team coordination. Squads can divide responsibilities and run different builds to cover each other's weaknesses, rather than everyone using one fixed build for the entire expansion — swapping setups based on enemies, location, and objectives is the better approach.
Completing the main operation moves the story forward and reveals more about ARC's origins. The update also introduces a Level 25 Nomadic Tribe Trader, an endgame vendor that exchanges high-value loot and rare items for unique gear, items, and cosmetics.
Reaching the trader also unlocks useful account upgrades, including extra stash space and an Expedition Vault that can hold up to five items or blueprints between expeditions.
Before entering Frozen Trail, it's worth practicing vertical movement and learning routes through elevated areas, buildings, underground paths, and mountain terrain. Solo players should prioritize safe extraction routes, while trios can make good use of strong positions around the observatory and factories.
Treat the updated Raider Decks system as part of a larger build rather than a standalone feature. Players who know their preferred role can put together sharper, more focused setups — whether that's for solo raids, squad fights, exploration, or ARC hunting.
If you're preparing before launch, the approach is simple: learn the vertical map, prepare a few different gear setups, and build your deck around how you actually play. Choose a role, match your skills and equipment to it, and adjust when the raid demands something different.
Between the new map, Outpost progression, ARC threats, and expanded rewards, Frozen Trail gives both new and experienced Raiders a lot more to work with when the October 8 update arrives.
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