Arc Raiders Frozen Trail Update Brings Pendola Pass, New Arc Threats and Weapon Upgrades

Arc Raiders is preparing for a substantial new phase with the Frozen Trail 2.0 update, a free content patch planned for October 8, 2026. The update is set to introduce a snowbound region called Pendola Pass, new hostile Arc machines, additional weapons and gadgets, a player-home system, further weapon progression, quests, Trials content, and a new reward track.

Frozen Trail follows a longer gap between major Arc Raiders additions. That slower cadence was an intentional choice, but the scale of this patch suggests the time has been used to assemble a broad expansion of the robot-fighting extraction experience rather than a narrowly focused balance update. Several systems are arriving at once, and Pendola Pass appears to be the center of that push, offering new environmental pressures alongside opportunities for PvE combat, player conflict, scavenging, and traversal experimentation.

An exact launch time has not been announced. Previous Arc Raiders patches have generally gone live at roughly 3:00 AM PDT, 6:00 AM EDT, and 11:00 AM BST, though those times should be treated as historical guidance rather than confirmation for Frozen Trail.

Pendola Pass introduces a frozen new battlefield

The headline addition is Pendola Pass, a large mountain map built around the remains of an enormous fallen Emperor Arc walker. Its snowy setting is more than a visual change. The map is intended to support varied approaches through a mixture of enclosed areas suited to close-range clashes, open ground that favors long-range engagements, and vertical spaces that should reward players able to move efficiently through the terrain.

For useful background on this topic, read Arc Raiders' Frozen Trail Update Marks a Major 2.0 Reset for Embark.

The location also has a dedicated weather hazard called Flash Freeze. These unpredictable cold snaps can force Raiders to get indoors or find an Avalanche Shelter. Remaining exposed during a Flash Freeze carries negative consequences, creating a new survival concern that can disrupt looting routes, firefights, and extraction plans. The mechanic could be especially important in encounters where players are already managing Arc pressure and the threat posed by rival squads.

Pendola Pass is also the exclusive home of a new minor map condition, Redirection. During this condition, players can use the Collector to call a Harvester payload away from the Queen. The choice is designed to create its own high-risk opportunity: the redirected Harvester can become a magnet for both Arc forces and other players. That makes it a potential source of valuable rewards, but also a public signal that conflict may be about to erupt.

Four Arc additions include the Frigate endgame event

Frozen Trail is adding four new Arc threats: the Frigate, Bully, Skulker, and Hydra. Their roles are notably different, ranging from an enormous event-like objective to smaller enemies built around aggression, stealth, and multi-target firepower.

The Frigate is the standout. Described as a pirate ship-like flying carrier, it is not a conventional enemy that can simply be destroyed. Instead, players will need to board it, navigate the hazards present on and around the craft, and sabotage it to access its loot. This is positioned as a major endgame challenge, meaning success will likely demand awareness of more than raw damage output. The Frigate itself cannot be killed, so the goal is to survive its encounter structure and capitalize on the rewards it carries.

The Bully is a squat, four-legged walker comparable in size to a Leaper, but with a turret mounted above it. It is built to keep pressure on players, charging forward in a persistent, close-quarters assault. Where some Arc enemies can be managed at range or avoided through careful movement, the Bully sounds designed to make that difficult by constantly forcing engagement.

By contrast, the Skulker is an opportunist. This small machine relies on stealth, hiding from players, firing a few shots from distance, then repositioning and disappearing again. Its speed and sniper-like behavior mean that audio awareness may be as important as visual tracking. Players who hear something but cannot immediately see its source may have a Skulker nearby.

The Hydra is a floating weapons platform visually similar to a Shredder. Its defining trait is a set of three pairs of gun turrets, with the ability to target different enemies independently. Groups may be able to exploit that targeting behavior by splitting its attention, but the Hydra also has the potential to become especially dangerous when a team is poorly positioned or unable to coordinate.

Stiletto and Bantam expand the arsenal

Two weapons are joining the game with Frozen Trail. The Stiletto is a battle rifle that uses light ammunition and is tuned for medium-to-long-range fighting. It is described as being particularly effective for PvE, giving players another option for dealing with Arc machines while maintaining distance.

The Bantam is a snub-nosed revolver with a distinct hip-fire animation. It is intended as an alternative to the Anvil, a weapon that has become a popular choice among players. Its compact form and revolver design suggest a different handling identity, though detailed numbers, attachments, and broader balance implications have not been specified.

These weapons will arrive alongside Weapon Stencils, a cosmetic customization feature that changes a weapon's visual presentation without changing its statistics. Stencils offer an appearance-focused option separate from performance systems, allowing players to personalize gear without sacrificing a preferred build.

New tools focus on movement and forced repositioning

Frozen Trail adds several new tools and gadgets, including the handheld Camera. The biggest additions appear aimed at movement, vertical play, and disrupting enemy or player positioning.

• Grappling Hook: A hand-thrown rope and hook that can be used for rappelling, swinging, climbing, or tethering to enemies and being pulled along behind them. It serves as an alternative to the Snap Hook.
• Tether Launcher: Fires two tether points connected by a wire. Once both are placed, they pull together, enabling players to drag enemies or other players.
• Yank Grenade: A throwable version of the tether concept. After detonation, it fires a wire at the nearest character and pulls that target toward the grenade. It can be used to move Arc enemies into danger or pull opposing players away from cover.
• Camera: A handheld gadget that can be carried into missions for taking photographs.

The Grappling Hook could have particular value in Pendola Pass given the map's emphasis on height and uneven mountain terrain. Meanwhile, the Tether Launcher and Yank Grenade introduce more direct ways to alter the flow of a fight. A player pinned behind cover, an Arc machine standing near a hazard, or an opponent holding a key route may all become targets for forced movement.

Outposts add a customizable home and crafting goal

Outposts are another major feature arriving with Frozen Trail. Players will receive a base that can be customized and developed into a personal home space. Items found during missions can be used to craft furniture and cosmetic pieces for display.

That gives scavenged materials an additional long-term purpose outside the immediate extraction, equipment, and combat loops. It also creates a more personal form of progression, allowing an Outpost to reflect a player's activity and collection efforts over time rather than functioning only as a menu backdrop.

Weapon Amplification brings deeper specialization

Frozen Trail will also introduce Weapon Amplification, a new progression system for guns. Players can use a new workbench at their base to research upgrades for eligible weapons, then build those upgrades with materials recovered during missions.

Amplification is not presented as a simple replacement for weapon mods or ordinary weapon leveling. Instead, it is meant to encourage specialization. Examples include converting a weapon to fully automatic fire or giving it incendiary rounds. Those are more transformative choices than universal stat boosts, potentially allowing players to shape a weapon toward a particular combat role.

Not every weapon will support Amplification immediately. At launch, only 15 weapons will be compatible with the system. Further details about the full compatible list and the specific upgrade paths have not yet been outlined.

Quests, Trials and reward tracks round out the update

New quests are part of Frozen Trail, including objectives with optional tasks that award bonus XP. This should give players a reason to take on extra risk or explore beyond a mission's most direct route. Trials Season 6 will begin alongside the update as well, adding a new seasonal chapter for players focused on challenge-driven progression.

The update's Frozen Trail reward pass will have two tracks. The free track includes all cosmetics, while the Premium Pass includes everything in the pass. A separate Frozen Trail Collector Set cosmetic DLC bundle is also planned for the same day, priced at 2,400 Raider Tokens.

Some specifics remain to be revealed, particularly the planned Skill Tree changes. New skills are being added, while existing ones will be modified or rebalanced, but the full breakdown has not been detailed. Even with those remaining questions, Frozen Trail 2.0 is positioned as a wide-ranging update: it expands where Raiders go, what they fight, how they move, how they develop equipment, and how they express themselves between runs.

For Arc Raiders players, October 8 is shaping up to be a significant date. Pendola Pass and its Flash Freeze conditions may be the immediate draw, but the update's lasting impact could come from the combination of Outposts, Weapon Amplification, new tools, refreshed objectives, and the pressure created by new Arc encounters such as the Frigate.