Marathon‘s arrival in March hasn’t made much of an impact on Arc Raiders‘ player numbers, but the player sentiment, at least on Steam, isn’t exactly where it was a few months ago. That hasn’t substantially altered Embark Studios’ early 2026 roadmap, however, which culminates with today’s Riven Tides update.
After detailing changes to how Expeditions work and teasing skill tree reworks, Embark is going big with Riven Tides (introduced by the trailer below), which takes players to the western coast of the Rust Belt.
Yesterday’s full rundown, as shared on the game’s official site, is more substantial and highlights the key new features being introduced. Of course, a coastal new map full of history that shares its name with the update is the star. “From the fading resort to the towering dockyard, stake your claim and discover what treasures lie within,” the article teases. We’ll even be able to loot a fancy (but abandoned) hotel, the Panorama Azzurro, clean.
Unsurprisingly, a new location means new threats, with the Arc Turbine drifting into action. It looks like a giant, calm piece of machinery that’s just floating around… until raiders come near it. “You best be ready for a totally unique fight,” the developers say about the machine’s defensive capabilities.
A new “minor” map condition is also coming: Beachcombing. If you come across a detector item, you can use it to find buried loot beneath the sandy surface. The problem? “The richest hunting grounds are out in the open.” Good luck. And if you like looking for specific items, the ‘Last Resort’ event (set to run through 25th May) will have everyone hunting down miniature ship models.
Crash mat and powered descender items are being added to mitigate fall damage, so that will be fun to see in action. Last but not least, new cosmetics and the ‘Avian Alarm’ project are part of the update too. It’s a lot to chew through, and you might want to read through the full Steam patch notes if you’re an Arc Raiders diehard.
Finally, PS5 Pro players can also look forward to better PSSR support in this update, which will reduce ghosting and make the overall image quality more stable. That’s always welcome when playing competitive shooters.
