What to know
- Update 1.11.0 is live as of January 13, 2026, with balance tweaks and exploit fixes
- Trigger ’Nade and Kettle rifle received targeted nerfs
- A free Golden Raider Tool is available as a celebration reward
- Cheating and competitive integrity remain active community concerns
The January 13 update for ARC Raiders focuses on tightening combat balance and improving fairness without shaking up the core loop. If you play regularly, you’ll notice changes most clearly in PvP-heavy encounters and high-skill loadouts.
This patch also arrives alongside a major sales milestone, which explains the limited-time cosmetic reward tied to logging in.
Quick overview of ARC Raiders update 1.11.0
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Patch version | 1.11.0 (console build 1.000.017) |
| Release date | January 13, 2026 |
| Main focus | Weapon balance, exploit fixes, fair play |
| Free reward | Golden Raider Tool (login-based) |
| Affected modes | PvP encounters, Trials, Expeditions |
Weapon balance adjustments you should adapt to
The update makes small but meaningful changes aimed at reducing dominant strategies rather than redefining the meta entirely.
Trigger ’Nade behavior after the patch
The Trigger ’Nade is now less effective as an improvised airborne detonator. Its design leans more clearly toward sticky mine-style usage, with adjusted damage falloff that rewards deliberate placement instead of quick throws during vertical movement.
If you relied on it for aggressive mid-air kills, you’ll need to slow down and think more about positioning.
Kettle rifle rate-of-fire reduction
The Kettle rifle’s fire rate has been lowered to curb macro-assisted rapid firing. In normal play, the weapon still performs reliably, but extreme burst setups are less effective. Precision and timing matter more than raw input speed now.
Exploits and fairness fixes in this build
Patch 1.11.0 closes several loopholes that had started to affect competitive integrity.
- Console command access not meant for players has been fully disabled
- A keycard exploit that allowed reuse after unlocking restricted rooms has been fixed
- Backend monitoring has been updated to support faster enforcement actions
These changes are subtle moment to moment, but they reduce unfair advantages that had crept into higher-level play.
Free Golden Raider Tool celebration reward
To mark the game surpassing 12 million copies sold, Embark Studios is offering a cosmetic Raider Tool reward - The Gilded Pickaxe! The tool does not alter stats or combat effectiveness, but it’s a visible marker of participation during this milestone period.
Map lighting tweaks affecting PvP encounters
On certain high-conflict expedition zones, including Stella Montis, lighting has been slightly reduced in specific areas. This change increases the importance of audio cues and movement discipline.
If you rush familiar routes without checking sightlines, you may feel the difference immediately.
Seasonal Trials and progression status
Season 2 Week 4 Trials remain active alongside the patch. These challenges continue to feed leaderboard progression and reward 3-star completions, with no structural changes introduced in this update.
You can complete them using existing routes and strategies, though weapon balance tweaks may influence optimal loadouts.
Community concerns and current ecosystem state
Cheating and exploit abuse remain the most discussed issues among experienced players and content creators. While Embark Studios continues rolling out detection updates and bans, frustration hasn’t fully subsided—especially in high-skill PvP brackets.
At the same time, steady patch cadence and transparent balance changes suggest a long-term stabilization effort rather than reactive fixes.
TL;DR ARC Raiders patch 1.11.0
The Kettle rifle and Trigger ’Nade nerfs in Patch 1.11.0 clearly rein in overperforming loadouts, but the impact feels softened by the timing of the Gilded Pickaxe reward. While the balance changes push you toward more deliberate gunplay and utility usage, the free celebratory tool helps keep the update from feeling purely restrictive.
Taken together, the nerfs reinforce fairer combat pacing, and the milestone reward adds a positive note—signaling that Embark Studios is willing to tighten balance while still giving the community something to enjoy.
Full Patch Notes
Hey, Raiders!
Update 1.11.0 is rolling out on all platforms and it brings the highly anticipated Abyss cosmetic set along with some fixes and balancing changes to the Trigger ‘Nade and Kettle. Restart your client to download.
We are also celebrating a huge milestone - 12 million ARC Raiders copies sold! We prepared a gift for reaching 10 million players, but you blew right past it over the holidays... we're not complaining! Everyone who has logged in since launch until Jan 13 11:59pm CET/Jan 13 3pm PST/Jan 13 6pm EST can pick up the Gilded Pickaxe Raider Tool!
- Kettle
- Dev note: Reduced fire rate from 600 to 450. The previous fire rate was only realistically reachable by players using macros, which creates an unfair dynamic that favours using 3rd party software.
- Trigger ‘Nade
- Dev note: Trigger ‘Nade currently dominates PVP encounters, and players favour picking it over all our other grenades. This nerf aims to make it less usable as a “trigger-in-air” grenade, whilst keeping its usefulness as a sticky bomb. Damage falloff has been rebalanced to concentrate the damage closer to the center of the explosion, and deal less damage further away. The delay between triggering the grenade and it detonating, has been increased from 0.7s to 1.5s, giving players more time to react, and making it harder to time the detonation in air.
- Fixed a key card exploit that allowed players to keep room keys after using them.
- Lighting has been lowered in some areas on Stella Montis Night Raid making flashlights and listening more relevant.
See you Topside,
//Ossen
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