ARC Raiders Updates Patch 2.2 and Reviews PvE Test Data

Embark Studios is assessing the future of player-versus-environment (PvE) matchmaking in ARC Raiders after its limited-time test concluded on October 20, 2026, while a major update introduced gameplay fixes and technical improvements. The developer reported more than 30 million PvE rounds during testing and expects to share further information about its findings in November. According to the official ARC Raiders announcement, the studio needs additional time to evaluate player activity and feedback before deciding how to proceed.

The experiment attracted divided reactions, making community responses and gameplay data important factors in the review. The developer is collecting feedback through its PvE-test-feedback channel on Discord and plans to send a survey to a representative sample of players beginning October 22. Embark Studios said its eventual decision would prioritize the game's overall health and enjoyment.

The matchmaking experiment allowed players to experience PvE separately from the game's usual player-versus-player and player-versus-environment format. The studio has not announced whether the option will become a permanent feature.

Meanwhile, ARC Raiders version 2.2.0, distributed on October 20, delivers a broad set of fixes covering animations, audio, movement, maps, quests, performance, and stability. According to patch details published by IGN and MP1st, console players receive the update as version 1.000.065. The patch improves Grappling Hook behavior, including rope climbing, swinging, rappelling, and automatic vaulting. It also addresses animation problems involving weapon changes, jumping, and emotes, alongside audio issues affecting vehicles, loot containers, and character interactions.

Several adjustments target encounters with the game's robotic enemies. The update corrects aiming behavior against sliding players, changes how Hydra weapons distribute attacks among targets, increases the Hydra's base damage to compensate for the targeting adjustment, and makes ARC enemies react to interactions with Gondola Transceivers. Map and environmental fixes include more consistent ARC Turbine spawns in Buried City, Riven Tides, Blue Gate, and Spaceport. On Dam Battlegrounds, the developers removed Turbine spawns from standard sessions and most minor map conditions, concentrating their availability in the remaining conditions.

The update also improves lighting and reflections, resolves collision problems that could trap players inside the Fallen Emperor, and fixes locations where players could fall through terrain. Performance changes reduce memory use by loot-spawning systems and address a memory issue associated with rare crashes inside Frigate interiors. Quest adjustments allow players to complete To the Skies on any map, provided they finish the installation in one location.

The patch also corrects the optional objective for Belly of the Beast so that it requires the item specified in the objective text. The update follows the Frozen Trail release on October 8, which coincided with a substantial increase in player activity. According to Instant Gaming News, ARC Raiders reached more than 185,000 concurrent players on Steam on October 11, its highest reported peak since March 2026.

Tech Insider reported a more precise October peak of 185,425 concurrent Steam players, attributing the surge to the Frozen Trail update, a free-play weekend running from October 8 through October 12, and the PvE matchmaking test held from October 13 through October 20. The figures describe simultaneous activity on Steam rather than the game's total player base across all platforms.

Frozen Trail introduced the Pendola Pass region and a new progression track, according to Tech Insider. The update and free-play period brought renewed attention to the extraction shooter, in which players collect equipment, confront hostile ARC machines, and compete or cooperate with other human-controlled Raiders while attempting to extract. Embark Studios has not yet disclosed the outcome of its PvE matchmaking analysis. Its next expected update on the experiment is scheduled for November, following the planned player survey beginning October 22.