Embark reveals Arc Raiders' next four major monthly updates, which it calls the 'Escalation' phase, teasing new matchmaking, machines, and more, but our second new map is months away

Arc Raiders: An upper-body shot of a character wearing warm clothes as they fiddle with something out of shot in a snowy environment. — (Image credit: Embark Studios)

Arc Raiders has already come a long way in the roughly three months since launch, adding a new map, deadly machines, the festive Cold Snap event, and more. With the previous Arc Raiders roadmap running dry at the start of January, however, we've been eagerly anticipating what Embark has planned for 2026, especially given how successful its extraction shooter has been.

Enter Escalation, four themed monthly updates from January to April 2026, which will see everything from new map conditions, projects, and Expeditions, to a brand-new map, small and large Arcs, and an update to our dearest Scrappy. We'll also get new quests, events, items, and other additions throughout the year. You can see the new early 2026 Arc Raiders roadmap below:

Arc Raiders roadmap: The early 2026 Escalation roadmap for Arc Raiders, showing details on the Headwinds, Shrouded Sky, Flashpoint, and Riven Tides updates. — (Image credit: Embark Studios)

January's Headwinds update might look on the slim side, but it kicks things off with a welcome addition: level 40+ matchmaking. This should help give new players an easier time as they get to grips with all the horrors Topside. Other than that, we'll get a new minor map condition and a fresh project to complete, likely requiring a bit of scavenging.

February welcomes Shrouded Sky, which is much more substantial. The most exciting part of this step is the 'map update', which sounds like it will tweak areas of existing maps to make them feel fresh again, almost to make up for not having a completely new map until April. If I had to guess, these updated locations could have something to do with either the new Arc enemy or the seemingly stormy map condition coming alongside it.

Move forward to March, and we'll see the somewhat smaller Flashpoint update. There's yet another new map condition and an Arc enemy to contend with, so that's a good start. What I'm most intrigued about is the Scrappy update. We're given nothing more than that, but it could be a simple refresh of what materials he'd like or an expansion of his offerings.

Embark caps off this updated roadmap with the Riven Tides update in April, potentially the biggest step of the Escalation phase. That's because we're finally getting a brand-new map, roughly five months after the release of Stella Montis back in November 2025. This new map is the first of "multiple maps coming this year", and judging by the icon, image, and patch name, it'll be a coastal environment. Seaside holiday, anyone?

The map condition coming alongside the map also looks to be storm-themed, similar to both Shrouded Sky and Flashpoint's weather events, which might put a damper on those holiday plans.

Likely calling this new battleground home is an undoubtedly terrifying large Arc—maybe a hulking crab instead of a spider this time, perhaps? Nevertheless, if it's anything like the previous large Arcs in the Queen and Matriarch, it could also herald a unique legendary weapon akin to the Aphelion.

Again, throughout all of these major updates, Embark will also be adding new quests, gear, and more. It's also only the first four months of 2026, and with all four updates themed around 'escalation', I wonder what we're building up to?

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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