Arc Raiders' Battle Pass Gets Premium Tier, But Tokens Earned Should Cover the Cost

Arc Raiders is moving to a paid battle pass model with the arrival of Frozen Trail, the game's next major update launching October 8. Embark Studios is retiring the Raider Deck system that has been in place since the game's release and replacing it with a new Reward Pass structure split into two tiers.

The Free Pass will remain available to all players at no cost, offering rewards unlocked through in-game tasks and earned digital credits. The Premium Pass will cost 1,150 Raider Tokens, approximately $10 USD. Embark has structured the passes so that cosmetic items are exclusive to the Premium Pass, while gameplay-altering rewards like new weapons and gear are available only through the Free Pass, avoiding pay-to-win concerns.

The Premium Pass includes a notable financial incentive. Players who complete the pass will earn 1,350 Raider Tokens, with 200 of those coming from the Free Pass tier. This means the Premium Pass effectively pays for itself and nets players a profit of 200 tokens if they finish the full progression. A Legacy Pass will also be available for players who want to unlock rewards from previous Raider Decks.

Frozen Trail itself is a substantial content update introducing the new Pendola Pass map, described as the game's most challenging to date. The update adds three new Arc enemy types: the Bully, Skulker, and Hydra. A new airborne event called the Frigate features the Hydra boss, which can down multiple players and respawn after defeat. Players will also gain access to new weapons, a grappling hook, instruments, a camera, and customizable Outposts that serve as personal raid bases.

Embark Studios is also overhauling skill trees, introducing weapon amplification customization, and adding optional quest objectives for additional rewards. The update releases free across all platforms on October 8.

Regarding future social features, creative director Aleksander Grondal said the team is exploring the possibility of inviting friends into Outposts but has not finalized how to implement that functionality. He confirmed the studio is aiming for major updates roughly every six months going forward, though the next update after Frozen Trail does not yet have a release date.