Embark Studios has just revealed the next update and map condition coming to ARC Raiders, with hurricanes arriving next week on February 24, 2026, in the game's new Shrouded Sky update.
The short teaser doesn't show any gameplay, but it does make it clear how disruptive and dangerous the hurricanes will be for raiders who choose to brave the weather while the condition is in effect. A blog post on the ARC Raiders' official website digs further into what raiders will have to deal with, and it's a little more than some high-speed winds.
"The climate is damaged and unpredictable, causing violent weather events across the surface," the post reads. "You've already experienced some of them, but southern Italy is about to kick up another challenge to Raiders who dare to brave the surface."
Trying to run against the winds, as you might imagine, will slow you down and quickly drain your stamina. You'll also have to be aware of the wind when trying to toss grenades or other throwables, since they can be swept away into the wind if you don't properly plan your throw. You also won't be able to rely on gas grenades and smoke grenades in the same way, as a turn of the wind will impact them as well.
You'll also have to be aware of flying debris, whether that's flying bits of dirt or something much larger that could do some huge damage if you're not careful. Whatever it is, though, your shield will take damage from flying debris and make you more visible to other raiders. That said, if you choose to risk going Topside without a shield, that'll provide another layer of camouflage, since you won't be spotted by the constant flash of your shield.
Speaking of visibility, that's also going to be far more limited during the hurricanes, meaning you'll have to be even more vigilant to make sure you're not caught off guard by other raiders or ARC. With all of this downside and struggles involved in heading Topside while hurricanes are raging the surface, you're probably wondering why it's worth the risk.
That upside comes in the form of valuable Raider caches that aren't just your average caches, but caches from the First Wave, which ARC Raiders lore-heads will recognize as caches from a bygone era, surely to be filled with valuable loot. We'll see what that loot looks like when the new map condition arrives this coming Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
For more on ARC Raiders, check out all our coverage of the game in our dedicated hub page.
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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