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ARC Raiders Update 2.3: Heavy Shield Buff, Flame Spray Damage Up, Emperor Loot Reshuffled

By MetaPatchAI Gaming · Published · Updated

Oct 30, 2026: Embark Studios released ARC Raiders Live Update 2.3.0 on Tuesday, Oct. 27. It adds the Noxious Set, a new community "player project," and a long list of balance changes and fixes. It also resets the patch cadence: after weekly fix updates since Frozen Trail, Embark says it is going back to fixes every three weeks and store updates every week.

The changes that affect your loadout

From Embark's official notes:

  • Heavy Shield: base charge raised from 80 to 90. Embark says usage was still low after small 2.0 buffs, and this should slightly improve survivability against most weapons without opening too big a gap over the Medium Shield.
  • Flame Spray: damage raised to 13/s (from 10/s), and durability drain cut by 50%.
  • Firefly Burner: now activates on impact when thrown, leaves a trail of fire, and explodes after about 3 seconds. Before, you had to shoot it to vent fire.
  • Adrenaline Shot: usable even at max stamina. It no longer stacks; a second shot refreshes the duration instead.

Loot and blueprints

  • The Emperor: containers near the entrance now give lower-tier rewards, with higher-tier loot placed deeper inside. Exploit prevention in locked rooms was also expanded.
  • Blueprints: Dolabra, Bobcat, Equalizer, Jupiter, Tempest and Vulcano blueprints can now drop under any major map condition, with the overall drop chance of that pool slightly lowered to compensate.
  • Emperor Key blueprint: less likely from Redirection pods, which now have a small chance at ARC parts and high-tier ARC loot instead.
  • Furniture Designs: drop rates were inverted. Rarer items now correctly drop less often.

Notable fixes

  • Downed Raiders no longer keep losing health after entering the Ballistic Gondola.
  • Grappling Hook: no more extreme-speed launches when the line snags; it reattaches to debris when its target breaks; it now works inside the Matriarch's shield.
  • Magazines now eject during reloads on the Bettina, Bobcat and Kettle.
  • Frigate: missing collision fixed, clearer progress hatches and audio cues, and pings now mark exact locations.
  • Barricade kits can no longer be placed inside walls or too-tight spaces, and mines can't be placed on dismantling barricades.

New player project: Souls Offering

Embark's notes describe a new player project, Souls Offering, framed in-game as a way for Raiders to honor fallen comrades. The notes don't spell out rewards in the section we read.

What it means for players

The Flame Spray and Firefly Burner changes make close-range fire tools much more viable, and the Heavy Shield bump is worth a look if you've been running Mediums. Emperor runs now reward pushing deeper rather than looting the entrance and leaving.

What about a PvE mode?

Embark ran a PvE Toggle beta test from Oct. 13 to 20, per its own Steam announcement. Russian outlet PlayGround.ru, citing an interview executive producer Aleksander Grøndal gave to MP1st, reports the test drew more than 30 million matches and that Embark is still weighing whether to make PvE permanent. Embark has announced no decision.

What's confirmed / not confirmed

Confirmed (Embark Studios, official notes, Oct. 27, 2026): every number and change listed above, the new patch cadence and the PvE beta dates.

Not confirmed: the 30-million-match figure and Embark's PvE plans (secondhand interview report); the full contents and price of the Noxious Set.

Sources

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