Embark Studios is about to release its next major update for ARC Raiders, with this one called the Flashpoint Update. It adds a new ARC enemy to the game, two new weapons, a new kind of map condition called ARC Operations, and it all goes live tomorrow, March 31, 2026.
ARC Operations are new map conditions, and the first one, Close Scrutiny, seems meant to encourage more PvP action. When Close Scrutiny is live in a map, there's less loot available in that zone, but somewhere lies a new kind of machine called an Assessor. It doesn't seem to be hostile directly, but it's protected by a small fleet of ARCs, each determined to defend it and the riches the Assessor's contain, as best they can.
Defeat the ARC surrounding it, and any potential enemy Raiders, and you'll be heading back to Speranza with a bag of high-tier loot. The fact that there is specifically less loot to go around for Raiders just trying to grab some stuff and head back to Speranza, and the increased presence of ARC defending the Assessors, seem to imply Close Scrutiny is meant to create more chaotic and intense gameplay scenarios.
It'll be interesting to see if that's the impact it has, or if players continue to band together against the ARCs, and just run maps with Close Scrutiny as many times as they can to get all the best loot from Assessors.
One element the new update adds that is definitely going to get players banning against the ARCs is the introduction of a new ARC enemy called the Vaporizer. As its name suggests, this new flying monstrosity is armed with laser attacks that can, and will, vaporize you if you are unfortunate enough to get caught in its crosshairs.
To combat Vaporizers and the rest of the ARC enemies that are both annoying and deadly to deal with, Embark is adding two new weapons and a new item to the game. The new weapons are the Canto, a submachine gun that runs on medium ammunition and is best in close-quarter conflicts, and the Dolabra, a new energy shotgun that can really put ARCs in the ground, especially at close range.
In a blog post on the ARC Raiders website, Embark specifically notes that if you want to find the blueprint for the Dolabra, you should "head to the Close Scrutiny ARC Operation for the best chance of finding this blueprint."
Lastly, the new item is a Surge Coil, which is essentially an electric mine you can place that will give unsuspecting enemy Raiders and ARC alike quite the 'shock' if they happen to walk within its midst.
Other changes in the update include Shredders starting to appear outside of Stella Montis, so be wary of finding them on other maps. There's also a new project to work towards, the High Gain Antenna project, which asks you to collect resources to build these antennas, so Shani and Celeste can have a better view of what's going on with ARC Topside.
Your loyal rooster, Scrappy, is also able to bring back new kinds of loot for you, and crafting a loadout has been streamlined with new crafting changes to help you replace missing parts of your loadout without having to jump through as many menus.
There's also, of course, new cosmetics to purchase, and the full patch notes with every minor change will appear tomorrow, alongside the update.
For more on ARC Raiders, check out our complete walkthrough and guides hub for help with your runs Topside.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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