ARC Raiders Frozen Trail: Everything New in Pendola Pass
ARC Raiders' Frozen Trail update arrives on October 8, 2026, and it's free for everyone. According to Embark Studios' official announcement, it lands on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and NVIDIA GeForce NOW "at no additional cost to all players." Here's everything Embark has confirmed so far.
Release date and platforms
- Release date: October 8, 2026
- Platforms: PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, GeForce NOW
- Price: free update. An optional Collector Set DLC launches the same day (details below).
New map: Pendola Pass
Pendola Pass sits at the northern edge of the Rust Belt. In the Frozen Trail First Look, Embark describes it as an old Italian village and Exodus transport hub, with a supermarket, a lifeless town square, an observatory and a buried train depot. The big draw is that one of the Emperors has fallen there, with rare technology inside for anyone who can find a way in.
Embark calls it the game's "most ambitious map to date". It has more verticality, dense interiors and complex terrain. It also adds three new mechanics:
- Flash Freeze: dynamic weather that can sweep across the map at any time and force you to find shelter.
- Avalanche Shelters: these activate as a freeze approaches. They offer protection and loot, but they can also attract other Raiders.
- Ballistic Gondola: a new extraction method. You have to call it in and board quickly, and there's room for only three Raiders.
The Frigate and new ARC enemies
The fallen Emperor brings a response from ARC. They send one of their largest vessels, which Raiders call the Frigate. You can board it, navigate its internal passageways and fight ARC inside, with other Raiders competing for the same prize.
Three new enemies are confirmed:
- Bully: an aggressive enemy that gallops toward your position and has a host of lethal attacks.
- Skulker: an opportunist that lurks at the edge of your vision and strikes when you're distracted.
- Hydra: a stationary turret split into three stacked, autonomous sections. It's found on the Frigate.
Outpost and Amplified Weapons
The Outpost is a new extension of your Raider Den that you can customize with modules and furniture. Its Research Workstation unlocks higher levels of weapon customization.
Once the Workstation is fully upgraded, you can reach a fifth quality level on certain guns. Embark calls these Amplified Weapons. They unlock branching abilities that can change how a weapon behaves. Embark's own examples are a fully automatic Burletta, a scoped Renegade and a Rattler with incendiary rounds and a 64-round magazine. Amplification covers 15 weapons at launch.
New weapons and gadgets
- Stiletto: a light-ammo battle rifle, positioned as an early-game alternative to the Renegade.
- Bantam: a heavy-ammo snub-nosed revolver with a unique hip-fire capability.
- Grappling Hook: climb, abseil and swing across gaps.
- Tether Launcher and Yank Grenade: new gadgets that root or pull targets.
- Camera: a full photo gadget with zoom, aperture, focus control and a selfie mode. Pictures save to your Codex.
- Harmonica and Banjo: new instruments. The Banjo blueprint comes in the Collector Set DLC.
- Weapon Stencils: new weapon skins.
Reward Pass, Skill Tree and more
Frozen Trail replaces Raider Decks with a new Reward Pass system. You can read our full breakdown in ARC Raiders Reward Pass explained. Embark also lists new questlines, a Skill Tree rework with new and improved skills, and a new Map Condition.
Collector Set DLC
A paid Collector Set DLC launches alongside the update. It includes the Renzo outfit, the Dragon's Breath Weapon Stencil, the Bob hair style and 2,400 Raider Tokens. It also unlocks the Premium track of the Frozen Trail Reward Pass.
We'll update this guide with map routes and shelter locations once the update is live.
