ARC Raiders brings changes to Emperor rewards, weapon blueprint availability and defensive equipment alongside a new offering project. Learn which adjustments affect raid planning, what the Heavy Shield buff actually changes, and which exploit fixes should not be mistaken for a complete solution to contested loot.

The update also adds Noxious cosmetics, improves Frigate puzzle feedback and addresses movement, collision and interface problems. For players managing resources and replacement gear, the most important changes are the ones that influence what is worth carrying—and how far into an encounter it pays to push.

Emperor Loot Moves Deeper Inside

The Emperor's reward distribution now puts greater emphasis on progressing through its interior. Containers near the entrance yield lower-tier rewards, while areas farther inside have a higher chance of providing higher-tier loot.

This changes the value of a quick entrance sweep. Raiders looking for better rewards have more reason to commit to the encounter rather than treating the first accessible containers as the main objective. It does not guarantee valuable loot in every deeper container; the adjustment concerns distribution and reward chances.

Exploit prevention and collision fixes

The update expands the exploit-prevention feature used in locked rooms to improve fairness inside the Emperor. It also blocks barricade-kit placement where kits would intersect solid boundaries or occupy spaces that are too tight.

Several related fixes address traversal hazards:

• Kill boxes near the top of the compactor have been adjusted to reduce unfair deaths.
• Collision problems around the Fallen Emperor and Pendala Pass have been corrected to reduce players getting stuck.
• Missing ceiling collision that allowed players to leave the Emperor's playable space has been fixed.
• The cargo gate has been updated.

These changes do not explicitly confirm that every late-entry loot tactic has been eliminated. Expanded exploit prevention is not the same as a stated rule preventing other Raiders from entering once an encounter reaches its final stage. Continue to account for other players when committing equipment and planning your exit.

More Weapon Blueprints Across Major Map Conditions

A significant progression change makes the Dolabra, Bobcat, Equalizer, Jupiter, Tempest and Volcano blueprints available across any major map condition. That broadens the opportunities to find these recipes without tying each search to one particular condition.

For players collecting ARC Raiders blueprints, the practical benefit is flexibility. Conditions such as Hurricane, Storm, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate and Night Raids can support a wider range of recipe searches. Availability should not be confused with a guaranteed reward, however: the update does not provide drop percentages.

The Emperor Key blueprint has a reduced drop chance from Redirection Pods. To compensate, those pods gain a small chance of providing ARC parts and high-tech loot.

These are separate changes with different consequences. Broader weapon-recipe availability does not mean the Emperor Key recipe is easier to obtain. Players targeting that specific blueprint should account for the reduced chance rather than assuming all blueprint farming received a universal improvement.

Furniture design drops also receive a correction to previously inverted rarity rates. Rare designs now drop less frequently, bringing the distribution back into line with their intended rarity.

Heavy Shield Base Charge Increases

The Heavy Shield's base charge rises from 80 to 90. The stated goal is a modest survivability improvement against most weapons without creating too large a gap between Heavy and Medium Shields.

This follows earlier adjustments to the Heavy Shield, including durability-drain changes. Despite those improvements, its usage remained relatively low, prompting another increase to its defensive capacity.

The change makes the shield more attractive to Raiders who already favor heavier protection, but it does not establish that every loadout should switch. Consider the complete equipment setup and the cost of replacing it. When budgeting ARC Raiders coins, a small defensive improvement is most useful when the rest of the kit remains affordable enough to use consistently.

Fire Tools and Adrenaline Shots Get Practical Changes

Take a look at: Emperor quest objectives and exploit risks

Flame Spray and Firefly Burner

Flame Spray receives increased damage and a 50% reduction in durability drain. A separate fix prevents its flames from passing through a wall.

The Firefly Burner changes more noticeably in use. When thrown, it now activates on impact, travels while leaving a trail of fire, and explodes after roughly three seconds. Previously, it needed to be shot to vent fire.

Removing that extra activation step makes its behavior more direct. Raiders should still account for its movement and delayed explosion rather than treating it as an instant detonation.

Adrenaline Shots can now be used at maximum stamina. Their effects no longer stack; using another shot refreshes the duration instead.

This distinction matters when managing consumables. Repeated use should be planned around extending the effect, not building several simultaneous bonuses. Avoid spending extra shots simply because the game now allows activation with a full stamina bar.

Frigate Puzzle Feedback Becomes Clearer

The Frigate receives visual and audio improvements designed to make encounter progress easier to read. New hatch visuals help indicate how far the puzzle has advanced, while clearer sounds communicate progression, completion and destruction states around power-core vents and hatches.

Pings on or near the Frigate now mark the precise location rather than simply labeling the entire machine. The trigger can also be pinged, improving communication when teammates need to identify a specific interaction.

Missing collision that allowed players to hide inside geometry has been fixed, alongside problems that could leave players stuck on the wings. Together, these changes improve both navigation and the information available during the encounter without replacing the need to understand its mechanics.

The Offering Project Adds a New Collection Goal

The new player project centers on honoring fallen Raiders through a series of offerings. Its stages ask players to collect newly added trinkets, giving regular scavenging another progression objective.

Rewards shown across the project include a backpack, a Stiletto, a Volcano and an offering display table. The final stage asks players to set off a firework on the rooftop of the Santa Maria houses to honor the fallen.

Check the active project requirements before sorting or disposing of unfamiliar trinkets. Keeping useful ARC Raiders items for the next stage is more efficient than having to search for them again after selling them.

The project should be treated as a collection objective, not evidence of an additional combat system. Its offering display table is a listed reward, but that alone does not establish exactly how it can be placed or displayed in the outpost.

Movement, Outpost and Menu Improvements

Several smaller fixes address situations that could disrupt otherwise successful raids. Heavy landings now trigger correctly during dodge rolls, including cases where rolling could negate fall damage. Downed Raiders should no longer continue losing health after entering the Bliss gondola.

Other adjustments include more reliable ARC movement near map borders, stabilized Vaporizer debris and fixes for mines floating after being placed on dismantled barricades. The Grappling Hook also receives fixes and can now be used inside the Matriarch shield.

Outpost improvements include furniture placement and crafting audio, fixes for Scrappy's visibility and rotation, and workshop navigation reordered to match the tile layout. Weapon displays more accurately show attached mods and applied stencils.

Amplification branch tooltips now identify the specific amplifications a choice will block instead of showing only a generic exclusivity message. That clearer information is useful before committing resources to a weapon upgrade.

Take a look at: Frigate mechanics and cargo recovery

The Noxious outfit arrives with multiple color options and customization choices, including headgear variations, a gauntlet and an emissive chest effect. The cosmetic additions also include the Lone Survivor backpack and a circular-saw backpack attachment.

Following the run of weekly fixes after Frozen Trails, the announced schedule returns to fixes every three weeks, with store updates continuing weekly.

The Expedition Vault is disabled, with compensation provided in statuettes. This change does not establish that the feature is permanently removed or confirm what a future Expedition will contain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the better Emperor loot after the update?

Higher-tier rewards are weighted toward deeper areas. Entrance containers now provide lower-tier rewards, making progression through the interior more important.

Have all Emperor late-entry exploits been fixed?

The update expands exploit prevention and fixes several collision problems, but it does not explicitly confirm that every late-entry tactic has been removed.

Dolabra, Bobcat, Equalizer, Jupiter, Tempest and Volcano blueprints are included in the expanded availability. Their drops remain chance-based.

How much stronger is the Heavy Shield?

Its base charge increases from 80 to 90. The intended result is a modest survivability increase rather than a large separation from Medium Shields.

Do Adrenaline Shots stack?

No. Another shot refreshes the effect's duration, and shots can now be used even when stamina is already full.