Embark Studios has rolled out a major update for ARC Raiders, the cooperative third-person shooter that continues to grow its player base across consoles and PC. The new 1.3.0 patch focuses on refining balance and improving gameplay stability rather than introducing new content. Key adjustments include a significant reduction in the power of the Venator weapon, increased costs for crafting and purchasing the Deadline mine, and a range of technical and performance fixes.
Following the recent addition of the Stella Montis map and the introduction of formidable new enemies, this update shifts attention toward long-term game balance. Embark has fine-tuned several mechanics and introduced small quality-of-life improvements, including subtle touches that acknowledge its active community. The update reflects the studio’s ongoing effort to maintain fair, consistent gameplay while keeping the experience engaging for both new and veteran Raiders.
ARC Raiders Update 1.3.0 Patch Notes for November 20
Gameplay Adjustments
Update 1.3.0 introduces major rebalancing aimed at refining match pacing and reducing weapon dominance. The tuning focuses on economic adjustments, item crafting, and tuning of high-performing tools.
The Venator sidearm now delivers a slower but more deliberate rate of fire. Fully upgraded versions now provide fire-rate improvements of 13%, 26%, and 40% instead of the previous 22%, 44%, and 60%. The weapon’s weight rises from 2 to 5 units, aligning it with other pistols.
Explosive mechanics now behave more consistently against various enemy types. Damage calculations have been reworked to prevent multi-part hit anomalies. Smaller enemies experience little to no change, but large units now resist blasts more effectively, requiring more targeted hits.
A developer note explains that the changes aim to reduce the overperformance of rapid-fire tactics and restore balance between precision and aggression.
Items
Adjustments to trade values, crafting materials, and stock availability aim to stabilize the in-raid economy and encourage diverse item use.
| Item | Change Type | Old Value | New Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline – Buy | Price Increase | 8,100 Coins | 15,000 Coins |
| Deadline – Sell | Value Increase | 3,000 Coins | 5,000 Coins |
| Power Cell – Sell | Value Decrease | 640 Coins | 270 Coins |
| Launcher Ammo – Buy | Pack Ratio/Price | 10 for 6,000 Coins | 6 for 4,500 Coins |
| Launcher Ammo – Sell | Value Increase | 200 Coins | 250 Coins |
Crafting Updates
Deadline now requires 3 Explosive Compound and 2 ARC Circuitry instead of 2 Explosive Compound and 1 Synthesized Fuel.
Launcher Ammo now uses 1 ARC Motion Core and 2 Crude Explosives to craft 6 rounds, replacing the older recipe that included Metal Parts. Players can craft launcher ammo directly at the Workbench without needing a blueprint.
Trader Stock
Deadline’s trader availability drops from 3 units to 1, increasing its rarity and market significance.
Content and Bug Fixes
The update contains extensive corrections addressing stability, progression, and environmental consistency.
General bug resolutions focus on collision fixes, map clipping prevention, and improved integration of item and enemy behavior.
Stability improvements reduce chance-based crashes across all platforms, and the UI more accurately displays weekly rank data following leaderboard resets.
Players visiting their Raider Den will also notice new decorative details introduced with this update.
ARC Behavior
Enemy types tied to ARC now respond more logically within missions. ARC can no longer summon reinforcements in invalid terrain areas outside functional maps.
Shredder Adjustments
The Shredder AI now identifies and approaches Lure Grenades more efficiently. Its movement has been tuned with slightly reduced turning speed, firmer suspension, more accurate braking, and steadier impact responses. Navigation enhancements help it avoid obstacles and prevent getting stuck while tracking players.
Audio Enhancements
Sound clarity received improvement through revised volume reduction settings. Specifically, the tinnitus and concussion effects from explosions now fade less aggressively, preserving environmental feedback while reducing auditory fatigue.
These tweaks enhance situational awareness during chaotic firefights and lessen the need for manual volume adjustment while under sustained bombardment.
Maps
Terrain and structure fixes span several battlegrounds to eliminate unfair exploits and visual inconsistencies.
General Map Fixes
- Barricades can no longer be placed overlapping a character model, blocking pathing or creating access to restricted zones.
- Multiple collision issues around lifts, staircases, and doorways have been corrected.
The Dam Battlegrounds
- Fixed player entrapment in the Control Tower elevator shaft.
Spaceport
- Added accurate collision mapping to staircase walls and ceilings in the Hidden Bunker.
- Patched areas near the Launch Tower where wall entry was previously possible.
- Prevented unauthorized entry into the locked Control Tower room.
Blue Gate
- Bullet-blocking railings have been adjusted—shots now pass as intended.
Stella Montis
- Terrain beneath the Train Station now provides reliable footing.
- Corrected player spawn points located too close to ARC reinforcements.
- Fixed invisible collision in walls of the Business Center area.
- Removed two spawn zones that conflicted with ARC positioning.
System and Stability
Under the miscellaneous set of upgrades, the update eliminates crashes triggered by communication tools and reconnections.
- Fixed crash related to Raider Voice Chat on PCs lacking AVX2 processor support.
- Fixed rare crash when surrendering after session reconnection.
- Addressed hidden collision left after scavenging Shredder parts.
- Corrected inaccurate Trials rank display after weekly rollover.
- Adopted AMD driver 25.11.1 as the recommended version for reduced GPU instability.
- Added a lighthearted addition to player quarters that introduces a “ducked” theme.
Mobility Behavior
Movement logic for AI-controlled enemies has been refined. Their grounding detection better interprets angled and uneven surfaces, reducing slipping or erratic jumps when traversing slopes.
This adjustment results in smoother pursuit patterns and fewer instances of enemies floating or misaligning with terrain contours during combat engagement.
Firearms and Equipment
Two weapons received directed fixes to visual and functional inconsistencies.
Aphelion
- Brightness of tracer rounds now matches proper visibility scaling across distance. Excessive glare has been reduced for opponents being shot at.
- Blueprint drop rates increased to encourage use and experimentation.
Stitcher
- Reload time statistics now reflect correct progression across upgrade levels. Players will see accurate performance scaling in their weapon details.
These combined improvements aim to stabilize the combat experience, equalize item economies, and create clearer combat feedback across the field without introducing new locations or modes this cycle.
