ARC Raiders keeps raising the stakes with every major drop, and the Flashpoint Update is no exception. This is the third major content update in the Escalation expansion, and it brings more disruption to the Rust Belt than anything before it. New weapons, a laser-armed flying threat, escaped Shredders, and a crafting overhaul all land at once. Here is every important confirmed detail, broken down clearly before you head topside.

When Did the ARC Raiders Flashpoint Update Go Live?

The Flashpoint Update launched on March 31, 2026, as part of the game’s ongoing Escalation expansion roadmap. Servers went offline for maintenance approximately two hours before each regional rollout. Embark Studios did not announce a specific maintenance window in advance, but the rollout aligned with the studio’s usual schedule.

Here is when the update went live across major time zones:

Region	Time
North America (West Coast)	1:30 a.m. PST
North America (East Coast)	4:30 a.m. EST
Brazil	6:30 a.m. BRT
United Kingdom	9:30 a.m. GMT
Western Europe	10:30 a.m. CET
Japan	6:30 p.m. JST
Australia (East Coast)	8:30 p.m. AEDT

What Platforms Is ARC Raiders Available On?

ARC Raiders is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The Flashpoint Update rolled out across all platforms simultaneously on March 31, 2026.

What Does the ARC Raiders Flashpoint Update Add?

Here is a full rundown of every confirmed addition in Patch 1.22.0:

• New major map condition: ARC Operation: Close Scrutiny
• New ARC enemy: The Vaporizer
• Two new weapons: Rare Medium Ammo SMG — Canto, and Legendary Energy Shotgun — Dolabra
• New deployable: Surge Coil
• New player project: High Gain Antenna
• Shredders now appear on all maps
• Scrappy Feeding Boost mechanic
• Crafting system overhaul
• New cosmetic bundles: Wasp Hunter Set, Brigade Set, Vanguard Set, and Nascosto Set

New Map Condition: ARC Operation: Close Scrutiny

The Close Scrutiny ARC Operation is an entirely new type of major map condition, separate from anything Embark has introduced before. When it activates, general loot across the map drops significantly. However, a large stationary machine called the ARC Assessor lands on the map and carries rare, high-value components inside its hull.

Key points to know before engaging:

• The Assessor is heavily guarded by elevated ARC patrols and the new Vaporizer enemy
• The Dolabra Energy Shotgun blueprint drops primarily from this operation, making it a must-run for players chasing the new gear
• Unlike the Harvester event, there is no Queen unit patrolling nearby, however the reduced map loot means every squad on the server will converge on the same spot
• Approaching the Assessor early, before other squads draw ARC attention, is a riskier approach. Arriving slightly after the opening engagement often results in a cleaner run

Worth noting: The Close Scrutiny operation is confirmed to be harder than the Hurricane map condition, according to Embark Studios. Bringing an under-geared loadout is a reliable way to lose good kit.

New ARC Enemy: The Vaporizer

The Vaporizer is a new flying ARC unit that uses a sustained laser attack and travels in groups. Embark Studios describes it as having “idiosyncratic attack patterns,” which means it does not telegraph strikes the way grounded enemies do.

What makes the Vaporizer dangerous:

• It uses a sustained laser beam rather than burst fire, so repositioning mid-fight matters far more than it does against standard ARC
• It spawns as part of the Close Scrutiny condition, guarding the Assessor in the most contested zone on the map
• Based on available footage, it appears similar in size to other small flyers

How to fight the Vaporizer:

Situation	Recommended Action
Laser starts tracking you	Break line of sight immediately
Engaging in open ground	Avoid sustained exposure, use cover aggressively
Approaching the Assessor	Clear Vaporizers before engaging the Assessor itself
Loadout choice	Energy Ammo weapons like the Dolabra are the intended counter

New Weapons: Canto SMG and Dolabra Energy Shotgun

This is the first time in a while that ARC Raiders has added new guns, and both weapons fill genuine gaps in the current meta.

Canto SMG

The Canto is a Rare Medium Ammo SMG, which makes it genuinely unusual for its weapon class. Every other SMG in the game, including the Bobcat and Stitcher, runs on Light Ammo. The medium ammo pool is shared with several established anti-ARC weapons, so the Canto slots naturally into an anti-ARC loadout without forcing you to carry two separate ammo types.

• Ammo type: Medium
• Rarity: Rare
• Range: Close to medium
• Best use: Anti-ARC encounters, mixed PvPvE engagements
• Drop location: General world drop across all Rust Belt maps

Dolabra Energy Shotgun

The Dolabra is a Legendary Energy Shotgun with a variable focus mechanic. You can switch between a wide electric burst for crowd control and a focused electrical funnel for penetration against heavy ARC armor. It competes with the strongest shotguns in PvP at extreme close range.

• Ammo type: Energy
• Rarity: Legendary
• Special mechanic: Variable focus (wide electric burst or focused funnel for heavy armor penetration)
• Drop location: Primarily via the Close Scrutiny ARC Operation

Weapon	Ammo Type	Rarity	Best Against	How to Unlock
Canto	Medium	Rare	ARC and Raiders	World drop
Dolabra	Energy	Legendary	Heavy ARC armor	Close Scrutiny operation

For most returning players: Start by farming the Canto on normal runs, then progress to the Dolabra once you understand the Close Scrutiny operation and the Vaporizer’s behavior.

New Deployable: Surge Coil

The Surge Coil is a new Rare deployable that periodically electrifies the area around it, shocking any enemy or Raider that steps into the zone. It works as a wide, repeating area-denial tool rather than a single-trigger device like a Jolt Mine.

Best uses for the Surge Coil:

• Holding a room during an Assessor extraction
• Covering a flank while looting
• Blocking a chokepoint while healing after a fight

Shredders Are Now on Every Map

Previously confined to Stella Montis, the tanky shotgun-burst enemies known as Shredders have escaped containment and now appear across Blue Gate, Buried City, Spaceport, and Dam Battlegrounds. On Dam Battlegrounds specifically, their presence is tied to certain map conditions rather than being a constant.

Shredders were recently named the deadliest ARC type in the game by the official ARC Raiders account. They take two Hullcracker hits to drop, so plan your loadout accordingly if you are heading to any of the newly affected maps.

Scrappy Feeding Boost

Scrappy, Speranza’s loyal rooster companion, now has a feeding mechanic. Giving him specific food items — including Apricots, Lemons, and Mushrooms among others — increases the quality and variety of loot he gathers for you. However, the effect is not permanent. You need to keep feeding him consistently to maintain the bonus.

Quick summary:

• Feed Scrappy specific food items to unlock better loot drops
• The feeding effect is ongoing, not a one-time upgrade
• Scrappy will also drop higher-value items as a direct result of being fed regularly

Crafting System Improvements

This is the quality-of-life change that will make the biggest practical difference across sessions. The old crafting system required jumping between multiple menus whenever you were short on a component. The new streamlined menu resolves that entirely.

What changed:

• Missing materials now display a direct list of available sources
• You can recycle, refine, or purchase missing components from a single window
• No more jumping between tabs mid-craft

This matters more than it sounds. In extraction games, the downtime between raids is where players decide whether to keep playing or log off. Reducing that friction shortens kit rebuilding after a wipe and keeps the session loop moving.

New Cosmetic Bundles

The Wasp Hunter Set launched alongside the update and is available now on all platforms. Three additional sets will roll out at unspecified points throughout April.

Bundle	Contents	Theme	Availability
Wasp Hunter Set	Outfit with 4 colorways (Navy Blue, Hornet Yellow, Orange, Light Blue), Oxygen Tank Backpack (White), Scrappy Helmet, Thruster Hammer Raider Tool, 2400 Raider Tokens	Mechanistic harvester aesthetic	Available now
Brigade Set	Bomber jacket, kerchief, blue irises	Roman centurion influence brought into the present day	Rolling out in April
Vanguard Set	Riot-ready full outfit	Built for facing swarms and unwelcome Raiders	Rolling out in April
Nascosto Set	Ghillie-style hood and shoulder pads	Stealth operative (“shoot, then shoot off”)	Rolling out in April

Key Balance Changes in Patch 1.22.0

Embark Studios also shipped several balance adjustments alongside the new content. These affect how patrols behave, especially around the Assessor.

• Rocketeers now take less crash damage and will no longer instantly die when stunned
• Firefly multi-spawns are less frequent
• ARC enemy detection at close range is faster for targets directly in front of them
• Free Augments can now be recycled into 6 plastic and 6 rubber parts
• Locked room loot values increased across all maps, scaling with key rarity
• Players who build custom loadouts are more likely to join fresh servers
• ARC target switching is more fluid, allowing enemies to shift focus between players more freely
• Players who join late in a session will no longer have ARC enemies spawn directly on them

Audio, Performance, and Quality-of-Life Improvements

Beyond the headline content, Patch 1.22.0 ships a range of fixes that improve session flow in meaningful ways, particularly in high-contest zones like the Assessor fight.

Audio fixes worth knowing:

• Directional audio for flying ARC has been improved, which helps enormously with positioning against the Vaporizer and similar aerial threats
• Indoor wind reaction sounds have been removed to prevent confusion with player-generated sounds like looting and footsteps
• Proximity voice chat stability has improved
• Missing secondary-use audio for the ARC Power Core has been restored, along with the repair sound when fixing another player’s armour
• Opening and closing doors can now be heard from a greater distance
• Long-range bullet impact sounds now include distant variations, improving hit feedback clarity

Performance and rendering:

• CPU performance has received general optimisation
• Texture streaming improvements reduce stalls on lower-spec systems
• Shadow and vegetation popping has been reduced
• Intel XeSS updated to SDK version 2.1.1 and AMD FSR to SDK version 2.1.0

Console-specific additions:

• Hide HUD on Console is now available in Gameplay Options for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, matching the PC option (F10). Options include: Visible, Crosshair and Interactions Only, Crosshair Only, and Hidden

UI improvements:

• All party members can now see active map conditions while in Speranza and can ping destinations to the group
• The inventory screen now shows stash value
• The store tab now shows a new items marker when the rotation changes
• The purchase preview dialog shows a full bundle contents breakdown
• Matchmaking timer now appears at the bottom of all screens next to the selected destination

What Comes After Flashpoint?

The Flashpoint Update is the third of four Escalation updates. The fourth and final update, Riven Tides, is due in April. Embark has confirmed it will include a brand new map, a new large ARC unit described as even bigger than the Matriarch, a new map condition, and an expedition window.

Early details suggest the Riven Tides map will be the first to feature significant water elements, with ruined cities, broken bridges, ships, dynamic ocean storms, and changing water levels as part of the environment. The High Gain Antenna project introduced in Flashpoint is clearly building the narrative setup for this final update, with Celeste and Shani tracking aerial threats that point directly toward the new location.