New 60-Level Reward Passes
ARC Raiders Replaces Raider Decks With Permanent 60-Level Reward Passes
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Unlike time-limited battle passes, ARC Raiders’ Reward Passes will not expire, according to Embark Studios.
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Embark is also moving away from monthly patches toward fewer, larger updates twice a year, citing player burnout and the speed at which players were clearing content.
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The Premium Pass adds exclusive legendary weapon stencils and hairstyles, but does not include gameplay-benefiting items, according to the report.
ARC Raiders is replacing its Cred-based Raider Decks with 60-level Reward Passes starting October 8, according to Eurogamer. The new system lets players progress through passes by completing Feats instead of instantly unlocking decks with saved currency. Embark Studios says the old system weakened rewards because players could finish new decks immediately.
The Frozen Trail update introduces free and premium pass tracks, a new Pendola Pass map with shifting loot values, and a temporary PvE matchmaking beta, Keen Gamer reports. Unlike typical battle passes, these Reward Passes never expire. Embark is also slowing its update pace to twice yearly to reduce player burnout.
Free and Premium Pass Tracks Launch Together
The free Reward Pass includes outfits, cosmetics, gear, and up to 200 Raider Tokens at no cost. The premium track costs 1,150 tokens and focuses on exclusive cosmetics, legendary weapon stencils, and hairstyles. Players who complete the premium pass get its full token cost back, Open Critic confirms.
Importantly, the premium pass contains no gameplay-benefiting items. Both tracks progress through the same 60 levels as players complete daily and weekly Feats. A Legacy Pass will also return rewards from earlier Raider Decks that players may have missed.
Why Embark Ditched the Old Deck System
Players were saving Cred currency and finishing new Raider Decks instantly when they dropped. This killed the grinding motivation. Embark wanted passes to take longer to complete, keeping players engaged over time instead of hitting a ceiling immediately.
The new level-based progression forces players to come back repeatedly for Feats. This extends playtime per season and creates steady engagement rather than the old all-or-nothing rush.
Pendola Map Adds Dynamic Loot and PvE Testing
The Frozen Trail update introduces Pendola Pass, a new map where loot values at points of interest shift between sessions. Real Hacker News reports that a temporary PvE matchmaking beta will also launch, letting players test extraction gameplay against AI instead of rival teams.
Embark is moving from monthly patches to larger updates twice yearly. Game GPU notes the free-to-play trial runs October 8–12 across Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation, giving new players a chance to experience the overhauled system.
Slower Updates Aim to Ease Player Burnout
Embark cited player burnout as the reason for cutting patch frequency from monthly to twice yearly. Players were burning through content too fast. Bigger, more substantial updates every six months should give the team more time to polish features.
This mirrors similar moves by other live-service games struggling with content velocity. The studio is betting that quality over quantity will keep the extraction shooter's player base engaged long-term.
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