ARC Raiders Names Tahir Tanis as New Creative Director

Embark Studios has made a leadership change on ARC Raiders, promoting Tahir Tanis to Creative Director. The shift was revealed when Tanis introduced himself in that role during a video presentation of the upcoming Frozen Trail update, marking the first public acknowledgment of the role change.

Tanis, who has been at Embark Studios for more than seven years, previously served as World Art Director on ARC Raiders, responsible for developing the game's multiple biomes and environments. According to LinkedIn records, he stepped into the Creative Director position in August 2026, after spending a year in the World Art Director role.

Stefan Strandberg held the Creative Director position before Tanis. Strandberg, also an Embark veteran of over seven years, continues as the studio's Chief Creative Officer. Early concept art posts on ArtStation by Tanis confirmed Strandberg's previous role as Creative Director before the transition occurred.

The leadership adjustment coincides with ARC Raiders' preparations for Frozen Trail, scheduled to launch on October 8. The update represents the extraction shooter's largest content release to date and is being positioned as a significant turning point for the game, which has struggled with a lack of meaningful updates in recent months.

Tanis' social media profiles still reflect his previous World Art Director title, indicating how recent the promotion has been. The role change occurred without significant public announcement, remaining largely unnoticed until his appearance in the Frozen Trail reveal video.