Frozen Trail: First Look | ARC Raiders

Storyline (Frozen Trail / Ice Trail)

• Celeste sends raiders north of the Rust Belt after picking up signals from a downed walker, rumored to be an “Emperor”-type threat.
• A rescue operation follows: ARC Raiders dispatches a major ship—a frigate—to retrieve or interact with whatever is inside/aboard the downed walker.
• In parallel, raiders begin establishing outposts near the Ice Trail (near “the Dawn”), expanding activity and creating a new “home base” progression layer.

Gameplay / Key Highlights

1) New large map: Pandala Pass

Set in the northern Rust Belt region (a first raid region for players), featuring:

• Verticality (multi-level traversal and positioning)
• A mix of open spaces, narrow spaces, and close-quarters combat
• Options for different playstyles, including strategic play or more aggressive close-combat/PvP approaches

Harsh survival pressure:

• Players must constantly watch for sudden freezes
• When freezes occur, quickly escape and seek shelter indoors or in map shelters

2) Walker rescue operation: the Frigate challenge

• Presented as boarding a pirate ship
• Players are not intended to simply destroy the frigate/walker; the focus is sabotage, not outright demolition (“you can’t just blow it up”).

For experienced players, the route emphasizes:

• Climbing
• Solving puzzles
• Overcoming obstacles
• Then getting loot

3) New enemy roster (dynamic encounter design)

• “The Bully” (large ground enemy)

  • Relentless, always at-close-range pressure
  • Pursues relentlessly without pausing
  • Designed to create chaotic, dynamic moments (falls/trips/crashes that knock players down)

• “Skradun” (small opportunist)

  • Ranged shooter that changes positions
  • Hides behind rocks, maneuvers, then strikes by surprise
  • Stays in shadows until it attacks, then disappears again
  • Very fast—players may repeatedly lose track of it during combat

• Hydra

  • Equipped with three pairs of cannons
  • Can target multiple squads at once
  • Players can use tactics like distracting it to disrupt/disperse its fire patterns

Strategies / Key Tips Mentioned

• For Pandala Pass

  • Prioritize awareness of freeze timing; don’t “push through” during a freeze—rotate to shelter fast
  • Use the map’s vertical/narrow areas to control engagements (especially for close-combat or PvP)

• Combat vs new enemies

  • Against Skradun: listen for cues and track positioning—expect it to re-appear from unexpected angles
  • Against Hydra: use distraction to influence how its multi-squad targeting fires
  • Against The Bully: plan around its nonstop pursuit; expect disruptive knockdown-type chaos

New Outpost & Progression Systems

Raider outposts

• Outposts expand the Raider’s Lair into a customizable “home” area:
  • Build via furniture and thematic modules
  • Designed to evolve over time (future growth and new ways to express identity)
• Progression tie-in:
  • Unlocks and supports a new research station to upgrade weapons

Weapon buffs (research + branching upgrades)

• Requires a research bench at the outpost before upgrading.

• Process:

  1. Research upgrades
  2. Gather rare materials
  3. Apply them to weapons for enhanced versions

• Enhanced weapons function like quality level ~5, but with branching development paths:

  • You choose modules that change weapon behavior (not just flat stat upgrades)

Examples of branching results mentioned:

• Turn Beretta into an automatic pistol
• Add a scope to Renegade
• Add incendiary bullets to Rattler
• Example preference: drum magazine for the Rattler (with satisfying sustained fire, including “double reload”)

New Weapons & How to Use Them

Weapon 1: Stiletto (light-caliber combat rifle)

• Early-game alternative to Renegade
• Ammo/light-caliber advantage:
  • More effective vs shields (and also works well vs raiders)

Usage guidance:

• Prefer medium to long range
• Use pause between shots and take cover
• Fire quickly if needed, but faster shots reduce accuracy—use it when enemies get too close

Weapon 2: Bantam (short-barreled revolver)

• Positioned as an alternative “opposite” to Anvil
• Includes a special hip-shooting animation for a more “cowboy” feel

New Gadgets / Tools / Movement

Grappling hook (major mobility gadget)

• Throws a rope attached to surfaces
• Lets you:
  • Climb down building walls into windows
  • Swing over chasms and make jumps
  • Cling to AI

Cable system additions

• Cable launcher: connects two points together
• Rope grenade:
  • Clings to nearby surfaces/objects
  • Pulls with strong force
  • Can pull players out of cover or smash drones into the ground

Comedic/creative tools

• New instruments mentioned: banjo and harmonica (for community/creative flair)

Camera & Creator Progression

In-game camera (creative control)

• Designed for player creativity:
  • Scaling
  • Aperture presets
  • Auto-focus and manual focus
  • Selfie mode with special emotions (for “crazy selfies”)

Reward Passes (evolution of creator decks)

• Free tier:
  • Access to basic cosmetics, including all outfits
• Premium track unlocks:
  • Premium outfit options, color variations, hairstyles, backpacks, and other cosmetics
  • Unique legendary weapon skins

Gamers / Sources Featured (as mentioned in the subtitles)

• Tyr Tanish (Creative Director of Arc Raiders)
• David (enemy intentions/weapons/abilities lead as stated)
• Klaus (enemy AI/enemy behavior coaching as stated)
• Celeste
• Shani
• Melody (game programmer, combat system/gameplay team)
• Simon (weapons and shooting designer)
• Gerardo (Director of Product for creators)
• Embark Studios (studio mentioned)