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ARC Raiders is heading for a major reset: what Update 1.45 changes before Frozen Trail lands
ARC Raiders technically reached version 1.46 in September, but the real gameplay story is still Update 1.45 and what it is preparing. Embark is clearing out Cred, pausing Expeditions and pointing players north before Frozen Trail reshapes progression, adds a new map and introduces the Outpost.
By Maëlle ARC Raiders 
The version number can be slightly misleading. Store Update 1.46.0 arrived on September 15, but its changes are relatively small: new Boonie Set color variants, continued progress on Ascending the Mountain and the final week of Trials Season 5.
September 8's Live Update 1.45.0 is the latest substantial game update.
The road north has already started
Update 1.45 introduced Ascending the Mountain, a Raider Project built around strange ARC signals coming from beyond the mountains. Apollo's experimental transport project provides the in-world bridge toward the new territory arriving with Frozen Trail.
It also opened Expedition 5. Players starting an Expedition no longer have their quest progress reset automatically; keeping or resetting those quests is now a choice.
The larger change comes after this window closes. Expedition 5 runs until September 29 and Embark says Expeditions will then pause until early 2027 while the system receives more substantial changes to its rewards, accessibility and restrictive departure windows.
Spend your Cred before October 8
Cred is being retired entirely when Frozen Trail launches. Remaining Cred will expire on October 8, although previously claimed rewards are not being removed.
Embark says a broader reward system will take its place. Raider Decks are being reconsidered alongside that change, making this less of a currency cleanup and more of an overhaul to one of the game's recurring progression loops.
There is a surprisingly large engine change in 1.45
ARC Raiders also moved from Unreal Engine 5.3 to Unreal Engine 5.7.
The patch fixes a PS5 crash, another crash triggered by rapid key inputs and a squad-state problem that could prevent matchmaking after a player disconnected and returned. Aphelion sway has been reduced, quick-item cycling can be rebound independently and Matriarch should no longer stomp players through tall cover.
There are still known issues. Embark was tracking Xbox Series S stability problems, PC crashes connected to Windows Update KB5121003 and keyboard input failures affecting some Epic users.
Frozen Trail is the first test of Embark's new update strategy
ARC Raiders originally aimed for monthly content updates. Embark changed that plan in May after deciding the cadence left too little development time for larger systemic changes.
Major updates are now planned twice per year, while the live-service team continues to handle balance changes, fixes, events and smaller live updates between them.
Frozen Trail arrives on October 8 and is being described by Embark as the biggest ARC Raiders update since launch.
A frozen map built around vertical exploration
The centerpiece is a new region beyond the mountains: an abandoned frozen settlement containing villages, factories, research sites and an observatory.
Embark says its level designers have put more emphasis on verticality and exploration, with threats and routes extending both above and below ground. The studio was still iterating on the map after user-experience testing when it detailed the update in August.
A new endgame-scale ARC Operation
Experienced Raiders are getting a new high-level ARC Operation. Embark has not revealed its exact rules yet, but describes an activity built around dynamic encounters, cooperation, survival and decisions about when a risk is worth taking.
New ARC enemies are coming with it, ranging from a small agile nuisance to a machine large enough that Embark describes it as something capable of stopping players in their tracks.
The Outpost may matter more than the map
Frozen Trail also adds a new personal space called the Outpost. Raiders will be able to inhabit and decorate it, conduct research and use it as part of a deeper long-term progression system.
The Skill Tree is being revised to give players more control over their builds. Raider Decks are being reworked, Cred is being replaced and new weapons, weapon customization options, gadgets, instruments and cosmetics are also planned.
That combination suggests Frozen Trail is aimed at the part of the audience that has already exhausted the current Raider Den and Skill Point progression rather than simply giving everyone another map to loot.
What comes next is less specific
Trials Season 5 ends on September 22 and Trials then pause until October 8. Expedition 5 closes on September 29, followed by the longer Expedition break that is expected to last into early 2027.
October 8 is therefore the clear milestone on the current roadmap: Frozen Trail, the new map, the ARC Operation, additional enemies, Outposts, revised progression and continued work on matchmaking, anti-cheat, stability and quality-of-life improvements.
Embark has not publicly dated the next major update after Frozen Trail. Under the new twice-yearly strategy, October has to carry considerably more weight than the old monthly schedule ever asked from a single patch.