What to know
- Wolfpack crafting recipe was changed on February 24 (Patch 1.17.0)
- Rocketeer Driver is now required, increasing farming difficulty
- Sell value increased from 5,000 to 6,000 credits
- The change directly impacts how you farm bosses and manage explosive resources
The Wolfpack has long been one of the most powerful quick-use explosives in ARC Raiders. Known for its homing micro-missile behavior and high burst damage, it became a staple in boss fights and high-tier farming routes. With the latest balance update, however, its crafting requirements have changed significantly, altering how you approach resource farming and late-game combat efficiency.
What changed in Patch 1.17.0
Wolfpack remains one of the highest burst explosive tools in the game. The damage output has not changed. What changed is how accessible it is.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Item Type | Quick Use – Epic Grenade |
| Function | Scatters into multiple homing missiles |
| Damage | 166 x 12 (total 1,992 potential damage) |
| Radius | 100m |
| Crafting Station | Explosives Station 3 |
| Blueprint Required | Yes |
| Sell Value | 6,000 credits |
| Primary Use Case | ARC swarms, Rocketeers, Queen Matriarch |
The most impactful update to Wolfpack arrived in Patch 1.17.0 on February 24. The balance adjustment focused specifically on crafting requirements and economy scaling.
Crafting recipe before the update
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Explosive Compound | 3x |
| ARC Motion Core | 2x |
| Rocketeer Driver | Not required |
This recipe made Wolfpack extremely easy to mass produce, especially for players farming ARC Motion Cores through mid-to-late game activities. Because neither component required specialized enemy farming, players could stack large quantities of Wolfpacks.
Crafting recipe after the update
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Explosive Compound | 1x |
| ARC Motion Core | 2x |
| Rocketeer Driver | 1x (new requirement) |
While the explosive compound requirement dropped from three to one, the addition of Rocketeer Driver drastically changed accessibility.
The crafting station requirement remains Explosives Station 3, and the Wolfpack Blueprint is still mandatory.
Economic adjustment
| Patch | Sell Value |
|---|---|
| Before 1.17.0 | 5,000 credits |
| After 1.17.0 | 6,000 credits |
The 1,000 credit increase slightly compensates for the higher crafting difficulty and reinforces Wolfpack’s identity as a premium explosive tool rather than a spam option.
Why adding Rocketeer Driver is a major nerf
Rocketeer Drivers drop specifically from Rocketeer enemies. These enemies are more dangerous, mobile, and often positioned in high-threat zones. Farming them requires deliberate engagement rather than passive scavenging.
Previously, Wolfpacks were effectively a resource conversion item. You could turn surplus ARC Motion Cores into boss-killing explosives without targeting specific enemies. Now, crafting Wolfpacks requires you to actively farm Rocketeers, increasing time investment and combat risk.
This changes the meta in several ways.
First, Wolfpack stacking becomes inefficient. You can no longer mass-craft dozens without deliberate Rocketeer farming runs. That reduces explosive burst spam in boss fights.
Second, Rocketeers themselves become higher priority targets. Instead of being optional threats, they now gate one of the strongest explosives in the game.
Third, this creates an indirect difficulty increase in fights like the Queen Matriarch, where players previously relied on stacked Wolfpacks for burst phases.
Combat impact: how this affects you
Wolfpack’s performance in combat remains unchanged. It still fires multiple homing micro-missiles that seek ARC targets and deal explosive damage on impact. The total theoretical output remains extremely high at nearly 2,000 damage if all missiles connect.
However, the update affects you in several practical ways.
You now need to decide whether to use Wolfpack in regular encounters or reserve it strictly for boss-level threats. Before the patch, it was common to use Wolfpacks aggressively for crowd clearing. That behavior is now economically inefficient.
Boss efficiency changes too. Previously, stacking multiple Wolfpacks allowed burst strategies against high-health enemies. Now, because Rocketeer Drivers are required, your explosive inventory is naturally capped by farming availability.
This pushes you toward more balanced loadouts instead of explosive-heavy builds.
Resource loop implications
The crafting change alters the game’s resource loop structure.
Before the update, the Wolfpack loop looked like this:
Scavenge materials → Craft Wolfpacks → Farm bosses faster → Earn more loot → Repeat.
Now the loop looks different:
Farm Rocketeers → Obtain Drivers → Craft Wolfpacks → Use strategically → Repeat farming cycle.
This introduces a combat gating system. Instead of pure material gathering, you must engage a specific enemy archetype to maintain your explosive supply.
That increases overall combat exposure and slightly raises progression pacing.
Recycling and salvage values
Wolfpack still provides the following material returns when recycled or salvaged.
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Recycling | 1x ARC Motion Core + 1x Explosive Compound |
| Salvaging | 2x Explosive Compound |
This is important because recycling does not return the Rocketeer Driver. That means the driver requirement is a one-way resource sink. Once crafted, you cannot reclaim that driver.
This further reinforces the nerf. You must continuously farm Rocketeers if you want to sustain production.
Was this nerf necessary?
From a balance perspective, Wolfpack had become too efficient relative to its crafting cost. Its homing functionality, high burst output, and wide radius made it superior to many other explosives.
By introducing Rocketeer Drivers, the developers effectively tied its power to combat engagement difficulty.
The change reduces explosive spam without touching damage numbers. Instead of lowering power directly, they increased the opportunity cost.
If you relied heavily on Wolfpack stacking, you will feel this nerf immediately. If you used it sparingly for high-threat encounters, the impact may feel manageable.
Strategic adjustments you should consider
Your best approach now is to treat Wolfpack as a boss-tier explosive rather than a general-purpose grenade. Farming Rocketeers deliberately during runs can help maintain a controlled stockpile.
You may also want to diversify your explosive loadout to avoid overdependence on a single high-cost tool.
Because sell value increased to 6,000 credits, Wolfpacks now also function as stronger economic items if you choose not to use them. That introduces a new decision point: use for combat or sell for credits.
Wolfpack after the nerf: still worth it?
Yes, but selectively.
Its damage profile remains extremely strong. The homing missiles provide consistent ARC-targeting reliability. The radius and burst potential are unchanged.
What changed is accessibility.
Wolfpack has shifted from a mass-craftable explosive into a gated high-tier utility item. That makes it more strategic, more deliberate, and arguably healthier for long-term game balance.
If you adapt your farming routes and resource management, it remains one of the most powerful tools in ARC Raiders.
