What to know
- Shrouded Sky launches February 24, 2026, bringing a hurricane map condition with wind, debris, and low visibility challenges.
- New hooded Raider skin unlocks via merits or Raider Deck, alongside teases for beards and animal-themed cosmetics.
- Expect a new ground-based ARC enemy, player project, map updates, and an Expedition window for prestige resets.
- Hurricane mechanics demand adaptive strategies like timing jumps with tailwinds and ditching shields in debris zones.
Embark Studios is ramping up ARC Raiders with Shrouded Sky. This update transforms raids with violent weather while layering in customization and new dangers. Raiders face intensified survival tests amid gales and machines.
Hurricane map condition shakes up raids
Hurricanes hit maps like Buried City and possibly Dam Battlegrounds, altering movement and combat entirely. Winds push you faster with tailwinds for nimble sprints and jumps, but headwinds sap speed and stamina rapidly. Throwables arc unpredictably, smokes disperse oddly, and grenades veer off course.
Debris storms erode shields outdoors, sparking glitches that drain durability and light you up for enemies. Ditch the shield in open areas to avoid constant chip damage, but risk exposure. Low clouds slash visibility, muffling ARC screeches in the howl—rely on audio cues and use the fog to ghost rivals shield-free.
First Wave caches unearth from winds, hiding epic loot worth braving the chaos. Hunt them amid ARC and player swarms for high-reward relics.
New skins (and beards) to refresh your look
The Shrouded Sky skin is another nice addition, likely available via the new Raider Deck. It fits the stormy theme perfectly with a rugged silhouette that blends into chaos. Variants include customizable grenades and knee pads for that personal touch.
Beards appear in promos for the first time, hinting at expanded customization soon—switch to male characters if this lands. Animal-themed masks and store bundles like Slugger outfits rotate in, priced around 800 Raider Tokens with recolors and sprays.
Raider Deck progresses via Creds, letting you prioritize gadgets, tokens, or cosmetics over XP grind. Free tracks shine here, unlike paid store options.
| Skin Type | Unlock Method | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Hooded Shrouded | Merits/Raider Deck | Storm-ready hood, variants for grenades/kneepads |
| Slugger Outfit | Event/Store | Baseline + colors, Ver sprays, healing blueprint |
| Animal Masks | Weekly Rotation | Themed add-ons for backpacks/charms |
Mysterious new ARC emerges
Spot a potential new ground ARC in trailers via its yellow-to-red scanning light, distinct from flyers or known types like Shredder.
From the looks of it, it patrols hurricane zones, punishing exposed positions with ambushes in low visibility.
This fits the roadmap’s new ARC slot, dropping blueprints on takedowns. Expect agile attacks synced to winds, shifting metas toward close-range mobility over sniping.
How to master hurricane raids
Adapt loadouts and paths to thrive in gales.
Step 1: Gear for wind and debris
Pack stamina meds, light armor sans shield for open runs, and wind-friendly throwables like low-arc frags. Dual shields let you swap post-debris exposure.
Step 2: Navigate with tailwinds
Scout wind direction via debris flow or HUD—hug tailwinds for boosted jumps over obstacles. Avoid headwind climbs; they exhaust you fast.
Step 3: Hunt caches stealthily
Ear for unearthed First Wave spots amid howls; zipline in low-vis for ambushes. Clear ARC first, then loot before rival packs swarm.
Step 4: PvP in the chaos
Flank shieldless foes in fog; use wind to curve shots or evade. Ditch long-range for SMGs—visibility kills scopes.
Step 5: Extract smart
Time pulls during peak storm for cover, but watch stamina drain. Solo vs squads toggle amps XP if you dare 1v3 in this mess.
Shrouded Sky slots as February’s pillar in the January-April Escalation phase. Follows Headwinds’ Bird City and solo queues, precedes March’s Scrappy tweaks and April’s Riven Tides map. Expedition window reopens for cosmetic resets via progress dump.
Shrouded Sky elevates ARC Raiders’ tension with weather that rewards adaptation over brute force. Master the hurricane, snag those skins, and dismantle the new ARC to dominate raids ahead.
