ARC Raiders Shrouded Sky Update Goes Live With New ARC Threats, Dam Map Overhaul, Weapon Rebalancing, and a Full Hurricane Condition
Embark Studios has rolled out the Shrouded Sky update for ARC Raiders, and while it is not being framed as a full expansion, the scope lands closer to a major seasonal shake up than a routine patch. This update touches nearly every layer of the game loop, from PvP weapon balance and progression cleanup, to new enemy threats that can third party your fights, to meaningful map changes and a new environmental condition that can reshape an entire expedition.
The headline feature is the new Hurricane map condition. When it triggers, Topside becomes a high pressure run where visibility, traversal, and fight stability all shift under heavy winds and debris. The risk reward angle is clear: braving a hurricane expedition is meant to create a higher intensity route for players willing to push deeper and adapt their movement and engagement choices in unstable conditions.
Embark also introduced 2 new ARC threats, both designed to add chaos to fights and punish players who tunnel vision.
The first is the Comet, a larger, more dangerous version of the Pop. Once it spots you, it charges and attempts to explode at your feet. Its key threat is that it roams outside, meaning it can appear at the worst possible time and third party you while you are dealing with other Raiders or other ARCs. Pops tend to be more area bound, but the Comet is described as something that can track and follow you if you do not manage distance and line of sight cleanly.
The second is the Firefly, an aerial ARC Embark describes as a floating nightmare. It is effectively a flying Fireball that circles you like a hornet, except instead of using a machine gun or a stun shot, it brings a flamethrower that can melt you fast if you do not disrupt it. It is armored, so the typical approach of targeting thrusters still applies, but this one pushes you harder toward bringing heavy firepower to end the fight quickly instead of trying to chip it down.
On the map side, Dam Battlegrounds has been updated with a new high security area featuring high value loot called the Controlled Access Zone. This is the kind of map change that tends to reshape routing and PvP hotspots immediately, because any clearly labeled premium loot location becomes a natural magnet for conflict.
There is also a new Project where Shani asks Raiders to collect resources to build a Weather Monitoring System. Like other Projects, it is tiered and rewards you as you progress, and it also ties neatly into the hurricane feature by making the new weather layer feel like part of the game world instead of a random modifier.
Shrouded Sky also brings a direct balance pass on multiple weapons.
Nerfs:
Stitcher damage reduced, including headshot damage reduction
Kettle base damage reduced
Venator base damage reduced, including headshot damage reduction
Buffs and handling improvements:
Jupiter swap to secondary is faster
Aphelion reload time reduced, time between shots reduced, recoil reduced, ADS time improved
Net result: several popular PvP damage options are being pulled down, while a couple of underused or more situational options get usability upgrades that should make them feel better without turning them into raw damage monsters.
Beyond combat and content, the update includes item value rebalancing and a notable crafting change: Energy Clips can now be crafted at the Workbench by default. There is also a strong list of bug fixes, including addressing a frustrating issue where earning a skill point after a match could fail to register properly unless players restarted the game.
Cosmetics are part of the package too. The free Surgeon Raider Deck expands character customization with facial hair, and Embark is also rolling out new bundles including the Volare Set now, with the Devotee Set planned for later.
Overall, Shrouded Sky is a high velocity patch designed to refresh the core expedition feel. The hurricane pushes moment to moment variability, the new ARCs increase ambient threat and third party risk, the Controlled Access Zone creates a fresh PvP gravity well, and the weapon changes aim to tighten the skill gap without letting a few guns dominate the meta. For a game that lives or dies on replayable tension, this is the kind of update that can materially reset how players route, fight, and gear up.
Are you more excited for the hurricane runs and the new Controlled Access Zone loot route, or do the new Comet and Firefly threats sound like the kind of chaos that will make you play safer and slower?
