Arc Raiders' latest Riven Tides teaser hints that the terrifying UFO we've been seeing is actually the next mega-boss enemy

arc raiders UFO
(Image credit: Bewarden on Reddit via Embark Studios)

Over the past week or so, Arc Raiders has been teasing its biggest update yet on the roadmap, Riven Tides (coming April 28), by emailing players transcripts of a scout's report. Where is the scout, you ask? On the new map, which has long been rumoured as a beachfront and/or shipping yard.

From these emails and a new lore-based blog with more of the scout's findings, the new map coming next week does indeed appear to be a seaside paradise. And we've got a good glimpse of what I assume will be all of its major locations:

Arc Raiders Riven Tides: Polaroid-style images of the Exodus Hotel area of the new beachfront map.

Panorama Azzuro

An abandoned hotel with a rooftop bar, which I'm sure will have lots of Residential-type loot. There's a tennis court nearby, though I doubt that it'll be a fruitful place to scavenge.

Arc Raiders Riven Tides: Polaroid-style images of the Pool and Beachbar areas of the new beachfront map.

Pool/Beachfront

A waterpark with a slide to rival Dam Battleground's dam wall. It looks to be a very open area, and I can't imagine there being too many loot containers here.

Arc Raiders Riven Tides: Polaroid-style images of the Customs House and Stacking Yard areas of the new beachfront map.

Customs House/Stacking Yard

The Customs House is a large building near the harbour, likely crawling with Arc. Meanwhile, the Stacking Yard is a vertical area thanks to stacks of shipping containers. It was once an Exodus port according to the scout, so expect lots of Exodus loot and likely some Mechanical parts too.

Absent in the blog post but included in the third scout report email is a note that the scout has heard "Something overhead", so is "Finding cover" which seems to be hinting at Riven Tides' second most exciting addition: A new large Arc. This will be similar in scale and challenge to the Queen or Matriarch. From the sounds of it, it's not a land or sea-based Sharc, unfortunately, but likely another flying enemy. Most likely, it's the UFO players have reported seeing in the clouds since the Shrouded Sky update. If that's the case, then it's truly terrifying.

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What in tarnation is that? from r/ArcRaiders

The existing large Arcs are both spider-like land enemies, so if it is a flying boss, that'll be a nice change for endgame PvE. However, there's no shortage of flying enemies in Arc Raiders—the recent Flashpoint update added the terrifying Vaporizers, for example. I think Embark should've gone with Sharcs to fit the theme, no?

Potentially, whatever this looming large Arc enemy ends up being will have something to do with the new map condition, which will no doubt be exclusive to the beach. Maybe it's a storm or flooding event that changes the surroundings and draws out tougher machines.

While this major update is hot on the horizon, Arc Raiders has just won the Best Multiplayer award at the BAFTA Games Awards. Embark's done a great job with its social-sim-like extraction shooter so far, and it's not slowing down with Riven Tides.

Arc Raiders roadmapArc Raiders best skillsArc Raiders best weaponsArc Raiders ExpeditionsArc Raiders questsArc Raiders Weather Monitor ProjectArc Raiders Trophy Display Project

Arc Raiders roadmap: New and improved
Arc Raiders best skills: Survive the surface
Arc Raiders best weapons: Just don't lose them
Arc Raiders Expeditions: Retire your Raider
Arc Raiders quests: All the missions and how to beat 'em
Arc Raiders Weather Monitor Project: Beat the wind
Arc Raiders Trophy Display Project: Big game hunter

Rory Norris
Guides Writer

Rory has made the fatal error of playing way too many live service games at once, and somehow still finding time for everything in between. Sure, he’s an expert at Destiny 2, Call of Duty, and more, but at what cost? He’s even sunk 1,000 hours into The Elder Scrolls Online over the years. At least he put all those hours spent grinding challenges to good use over the years as a freelancer and guides editor. In his spare time, he’s also an avid video creator, often breaking down the environmental design of his favourite games. If you can’t track him down, he’s probably lost in a cave with a bunch of dwarves shouting “rock and stone” to no end.

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