Arc Raiders 2026 roadmap revealed: exclusive matchmaking for lvl 40+ players, "new large Arc," beach map teased with new map conditions, 2 Expedition windows, and more

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Arc Raiders 2026 roadmap revealed: exclusive matchmaking for lvl 40+ players, "new large Arc," beach map teased with new map conditions, 2 Expedition windows, and more News By Austin Wood published 23 January 2026

As well as a Scrappy update, player projects, and a Raider Deck

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Arc Raiders 2026 roadmap details have been released by developer Embark Studios, outlining the next three months of content for the hit extraction shooter and revealing a January update due in just a few days.

Embark has dubbed January through April 2026 the "Escalation" phase of Arc Raiders. In addition to the usual smattering of new quests, feats, trials, events, "gameplay items" (hopefully including some new guns), cosmetics, and quality-of-life updates, each month will see several more significant additions and changes.

Here's what's coming in each month of Arc Raiders Escalation, with exact timing still to be determined.

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• January 2026 update – Headwinds: A new matchmaking option exclusive to level 40+ accounts, a new "minor" map condition (at the time of writing, believed to be the Arc Raiders toxic swamp event), and a fresh player project to presumably dump a bunch of resources into.
• February 2026 update – Shrouded Sky: Expect a more significant new map condition (represented by a wind symbol), a new Arc "threat," another player project, a new Raider Deck full of cosmetics and miscellaneous goodies, an unspecified "map update," and details on the latest Expedition window. Once again, we don't currently know the final requirements for this Expedition.
• March 2026 update – Flashpoint: Brings another more significant map condition (marked by a lightning bolt), another new Arc threat, a player project, and a mysterious "Scrappy update" which will hopefully increase or expand the range of resources our bird buddy can acquire.
• April 2026 update – Riven Tides: The big one. Brings a new map entirely (seemingly a beachy one based on the sandy, seagull-strewn background art for this tides update, not to mention the beach umbrella symbol for the map), a new "large" Arc likely on the level of the Queen and Matriarch, another new map condition (marked by a storm cloud), and the next Expedition window.

(Image credit: Embark Studios)

This early 2026 roadmap will get us through the first third of the year, giving Arc Raiders players some immediate changes to play with – that level 40+ matchmaking option could be a game-changer to weed out cheaters and skew toward players with higher-value loadouts – while teasing some larger additions to come.

I suspect all eyes will be on April; a new map would significantly alter the day-to-day experience, a beach locale could be quite lovely, and a third large Arc to hunt would expand the current endgame loop by 50%. I can only kill so many Queens and Matriarchs.

We've heard the maps coming this year will run a range of sizes, with the top end potentially being "even grander than what we've got now." That said, April is a ways away, and it does sound like some significant stuff is coming in the meantime. The scope of the February "map update," in particular, could have a major impact in its own right, to say nothing of potential quality-of-life tweaks targeting common pain points. If Embark can meet demand for time-saving loadouts, it'll have mountains of good will in the bank.

An ongoing point will be how Expeditions are handled. Players complained about delayed information and steep coin requirements around the first Expedition, and, well, we still don't know all that much about the February window. We recently heard from design lead Virgil Watkins that Embark is actively discussing how to balance and meter out Expeditions, but potential changes to requirements – most notably a $5 million coin value threshold for maximum bonus skill points – are still unclear.

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It will also be interesting to see how Embark balances entirely new Arc enemies with proposed "variants" that radically shake up existing enemies by messing with their behavior and capabilities. Embark is working on ways to "escalate" PvE as players get accustomed to the current Arc, after all.

Arc Raiders devs have discussed special raids like high-value rounds where you have to bring in good gear, but "don't want to segment the player base too much."

CATEGORIES PS5 Xbox Series X PC Gaming Platforms PlayStation Xbox Austin WoodSocial Links NavigationSenior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

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