Arc Raiders Frozen Trail update adds paid battle pass that pays for itself

Arc Raiders' Frozen Trail update lands October 8, and it's bringing a significant overhaul to the game's progression system — including a new Reward Pass that introduces a paid premium tier for the first time.

Until now, Arc Raiders used Raider Decks, a free battle pass-style system where players completed dailies to earn Creds and unlock cosmetics and in-game items. Frozen Trail replaces that with the new Reward Pass, which keeps a Free Pass for all owners but adds a Premium Pass priced at 1,150 Raider Tokens, roughly $10 USD. Embark Studios kept the split clean: gameplay items like weapons and gear are exclusive to the Free Pass, while the Premium track is cosmetics only — no pay-to-win angle. Better still, completing the Premium Pass earns you back 1,350 Raider Tokens (200 of those come through the Free Pass), meaning the pass effectively pays for itself if you put in the time.

Frozen Trail is a hefty content drop beyond the pass changes. The new Pendola Pass map brings a frosty biome with fresh lore and three new enemy types — the Bully, Skulker, and Hydra. The Frigate is a new airborne carrier functioning as a raid-like event that takes a full squad most of a round to clear through combat and puzzles; the Hydra waits aboard and can respawn after being killed. Weapon amplification adds new customization depth to loadouts, while stencils bring cosmetic skins to guns. New gameplay items include a grappling hook, a camera, and banjo and harmonica instruments. Skill trees are getting an overhaul, quests now feature optional objectives for bonus rewards, and Outposts give players their own customizable spaces in the world.

On the question of a social hub or explorable Speranza, Embark's Aleksander Grondal said during a roundtable that it's something the team has discussed but hasn't committed to yet — though he floated the idea of inviting friends into Outposts as a possible future direction. Frozen Trail goes live October 8.