ARC Raiders update 2.2.0 brings more than a store refresh. Alongside the Rex cosmetic set, it addresses dangerous Frigate cargo interactions, Emperor traversal problems, grappling hook movement, enemy targeting, and round stability. It also marks the end of the PvE matchmaking toggle test, returning players to the usual mixed PvP and PvE experience.

Here are the changes that matter most before heading Topside, including which fixes affect survival and which are primarily visual polish. Restart the game to download the update before attempting to join a session.

The PvE Matchmaking Toggle Test Has Ended

The temporary PvE test has wrapped up, and its matchmaking toggle has been removed. Players should once again plan around encounters with both ARC and other Raiders rather than assuming they can select a separate PvE experience.

That distinction matters when preparing a loadout. A setup designed purely around machine encounters may leave fewer options for unexpected player pressure, especially while crossing exposed routes or approaching extraction.

Feedback remains part of the testing process. The requested feedback covers the PvE experience itself, how it compares with regular matchmaking, potential improvements, and how the standard mixed experience felt while the alternative queue was available. Surveys are also planned following the test.

The test ending is not confirmation of a permanent PvE mode. There is no confirmed return schedule in this update, so future availability should not be assumed.

Frigate Cargo Fixes Address Several Ways to Lose a Run

Some of the most consequential changes concern riding the Frigate cargo drop. Several separate problems could punish players during descent, even after they had successfully reached the cargo.

• Players should no longer be unexpectedly ejected from the falling cargo.
• An issue that could instantly knock out Raiders riding the side of the cargo drop has been fixed.
• Raiders should no longer suffer unintended burning during descent; thruster heat now affects areas near landing.

These fixes target distinct failure cases rather than introducing a blanket guarantee of safety. Cargo positioning and the landing area still deserve attention, particularly when other threats are nearby.

For players carrying valuable ARC Raiders materials, reducing unintended losses during this transition is especially meaningful. The practical benefit is greater reliability at a point where movement errors and technical problems can otherwise look very similar.

Emperor Platforms, Boundaries and Hazard Coverage

Moving platforms inside the Emperor receive a synchronization fix intended to make riding and crossing them more reliable. Traversal should be less vulnerable to platforms becoming out of sync during a crossing.

The update also adjusts boundaries near the Emperor to prevent players from clipping outside the intended play area. Separately, it fixes coverage issues involving the interior compaction kill boxes.

These are important hazard-related changes, but they should not be interpreted as the removal of the Emperor's intended lethal mechanics. Continue treating moving structures and compaction areas cautiously rather than assuming every previously dangerous position is now safe.

For route planning, the main takeaway is improved consistency: platform movement, playable boundaries, and lethal areas should better match their intended behavior.

The grappling hook receives functional movement improvements as well as visual fixes. These changes focus on transitions: reaching the ground, approaching a ledge, and beginning a climb from uneven terrain.

• Rappelling to the ground has been improved.
• Automatic vaulting from the grappling hook has been improved.
• Wall detection is more reliable, including on steep slopes.
• Climbing continues briefly when initiated from the ground.
• Velocity toward the rope is preserved, allowing a jump to carry into a climb.
• Attaching to a rope on a steep slope now enters a wall-climbing state.

Together, these adjustments aim to reduce awkward interruptions between jumping, attaching, climbing, and vaulting. They do not establish a new movement speed or guarantee that every surface becomes climbable.

Wall Jumps Require a More Deliberate Input

Jumping away from a wall during a climb now requires holding backward. The purpose is to reduce accidental wall jumps, making it easier to remain attached when that is the intended action.

Interactions are also enabled while wall climbing, allowing transitions into ladders and ziplines. These connections are worth testing before relying on them while under fire or carrying an expensive loadout.

ARC Targeting and Gondola Interactions Change

Certain ARC could be more accurate than intended against sliding Raiders. Their targeting now correctly accounts for sliding targets. This is a correction to enemy aim behavior, not a promise that sliding will reliably avoid incoming attacks.

The Hydra also receives a target-distribution fix. Its weapons were not spreading attacks across different targets as often as intended. When several valid targets are present, its behavior should better reflect that intended distribution; individual Raiders should still be prepared to take concentrated fire.

ARC now react when Gondola transceivers are used. Calling the Gondola therefore deserves the same preparation as other interactions that can draw machine attention: check nearby threats, identify cover, and avoid starting the interaction while already committed to another fight.

Take a look at: what PvE and PvPvE need to succeed

Turbine Spawns and Map Readability

ARC turbine spawn consistency has been increased across several maps, including Buried City, Blue Gate, and Spaceport. More consistent spawning can help players plan resource searches, but the change does not provide a guaranteed location or a published drop rate.

Dam Battlegrounds moves in the opposite direction. Turbine spawns have been removed from standard sessions and most minor map conditions. Players seeking these encounters should reconsider routes that depended on finding them there.

For those collecting resources associated with amplification, the sensible adjustment is to prioritize maps with improved consistency rather than repeatedly searching conditions where spawns have been removed.

Other map work includes collision and navigation fixes, adjustments around the Gondola and communication structures, and corrections to environmental clipping. Stella Montis receives lighting and reflection improvements intended to make visual presentation clearer and more consistent across different times of day.

Repairs and Blueprint Unlocks

The Tether Launcher can now be repaired during a round when the relevant skill allows it. This corrects an interaction with an existing repair capability rather than granting unrestricted field repairs.

A separate fix addresses the Geometric Fabric Chair Design blueprint failing to grant its unlock after consumption. For players organizing ARC Raiders blueprints, this is an unlock-reliability correction, not a change to blueprint availability or drop rates.

The quests To the Sky and Belly of the Beast also receive fixes. The update does not establish a broader change to quest rewards, so the main takeaway is progression reliability.

Audio Should Better Match Distance and Actions

Audio work covers container searches, Frigate engines and cannons, blunt impacts, debris, and missing looting sounds. Bombardier mortar firing audio has also been adjusted to reduce effects that sounded excessively close and loud at long range.

These changes matter because sound helps players judge threats and activity. They should improve presentation without being treated as evidence that an enemy's attack range or damage has changed.

Memory and Interface Improvements

Loot spawning systems use less memory, and the Frigate entry sequence has been optimized. Additional interior memory fixes target crashes associated with moving through the Frigate.

The update also includes interface corrections spanning quests, the reward pass, outposts, the skill tree, and weapon amplification, alongside animation and visual-effects polish. These are primarily usability and reliability improvements rather than a new progression system.

Take a look at: Emperor solo routes and loot priorities

The store addition is the Rex set, with steel, black, white, and blue color options. Its customization controls include toggles for arm tech, bag, helmet, lower armor, mask, radio, and shoulder pad.

The accompanying cosmetics include a Scrappy helmet and a backpack charm. The charm is not a Raider Tool, an important distinction when checking what the set contains.

These are appearance options, not combat upgrades. Keep cosmetic spending separate from the resources reserved for replacement weapons, consumables, and workbench progression, and check the displayed store price before making a purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the PvE matchmaking toggle still available?

No. The test has ended and the toggle has been removed. The update does not confirm when or whether it will return.

Does the Frigate cargo drop still require caution?

Yes. Several unintended ejection, knockout, and burning problems have been fixed, but landing hazards and nearby threats still matter.

No. The update corrects excessive accuracy against sliding targets for certain ARC. Sliding is not guaranteed protection.

Where should players reconsider turbine farming?

Dam Battlegrounds is the key change: standard sessions and most minor conditions have lost turbine spawns. Several other maps receive improved spawn consistency.

Does the Rex set improve combat performance?

The set provides cosmetic customization. It should not be treated as a substitute for weapons, equipment, or practical loadout upgrades.