ARC Raiders has officially kicked off 2026 with its first major update, Headwinds, and it is a chunky one. Patch 1.13.0 is now live, bringing new high risk matchmaking, long term progression projects, fresh map twists in Buried City, and a wide range of fixes and improvements across the board.
Alongside the update, the developers have also shared a clear roadmap for the next four months, teasing even bigger changes on the way with Shrouded Sky, Flashpoint, and Riven Tides.
Here is everything you need to know about the Headwinds update and what is coming next.
Headwinds Update Now Live
The Headwinds update sets the tone for the year, both thematically and mechanically. Sandstorms are tearing through the Rust Belt, birds are gathering across Buried City rooftops, and some Raiders are pushing their luck by taking on squads solo for sport.
The update is available now and applies across all platforms, with Patch 1.13.0 introducing new gameplay systems, content, and extensive polish.
Solo Vs Squads Matchmaking Explained
One of the headline additions is Solo vs Squads, a new matchmaking option aimed at highly skilled and confident players.
Solo Raiders who are level 40 or above can now toggle Solo vs Squads in the matchmaking menu. This allows them to queue into squad lobbies alone and take on full teams head on.
To balance the added danger, players who opt in will receive a 20 percent bonus XP at the end of the round, whether they successfully extract or are defeated. This mode leans heavily into the PvP side of ARC Raiders and is designed for players looking for higher stakes and faster progression.
ARC Trophy Display Project And Long Term Rewards
Headwinds also introduces the Trophy Display project, a new long term progression system focused on hunting ARC enemies.
Players can collect parts from increasingly dangerous ARC encounters and submit them to build a Display Case at home base. The project is completed over five stages, similar in structure to the Candleberry Project.
Each step rewards players with blueprints and Raider Tokens, while full completion unlocks additional rewards including a Howl emote, a guitar cosmetic, and 300,000 Coins. There is currently no fixed end date for the project, and it will not be affected by Expedition resets, making it a true long term goal.
Bird City Brings New Rooftop Combat
Buried City has gained a new permanent map condition known informally as Bird City.
Flocks of birds have moved into the area, building nests inside empty chimneys and storing shiny trinkets that Raiders can loot. These nests are worth checking carefully, especially for players willing to risk rooftop encounters.
This condition applies only to Buried City and will rotate in and out on a weekly basis. When active, players can expect more bird traps, additional ziplines, increased rooftop combat, more flying ARC enemies, and a higher chance of running into other Raiders nearby.
New Items, Quests And Cosmetics
The update also adds fresh content to chase, including two new Epic Augments and seven new quests.
On the cosmetic side, Headwinds introduces new sets such as the Sandwalker Set, expanding visual customisation options for Raiders heading topside.
Open Parties And Squad Quality Of Life Upgrades
Patch 1.13.0 delivers several highly requested social improvements.
Players can now set their party to open, allowing Embark and platform friends to join seamlessly, even if the host is mid round and returning to the lobby. Squad invites have also been expanded, letting squadmates invite others, not just the party leader.
Discord integration has been improved too. Players with linked accounts can invite Discord friends directly or allow them to join automatically if open party is enabled. A new display now appears when a friend joins a party while a player is topside.
Extensive Bug Fixes And Gameplay Improvements
As expected from a major update, Headwinds includes a long list of fixes and tuning passes.
Enemy behaviour has been improved across several ARC types, including better obstacle traversal, smarter reactions from Snitches, and improved movement for Leapers after losing limbs. Ticks now give players a short window to dodge roll and remove them when grabbed.
Map fixes address stuck spots, collision issues, invisible walls, lighting problems, and unintended traversal across Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and Stella Montis. The Seed Vault extraction exploit on Stella Montis has also been fixed.
Movement, UI, audio, and input handling have all received polish, with improvements to voice chat stability, gamepad rebinding, aim assist consistency, and high framerate input registration.
A new matchmaking delay option has been added to help mitigate stream sniping, while mouse smoothing is now configurable.
Anti Cheat And Known Issues
The team has confirmed that a three strikes progressive ban system is in the process of being implemented. Repeat offenders will face bans escalating from 30 days, to 60 days, and ultimately a permanent ban.
There are still a few known issues being tracked, including missing pop ups for Solo vs Squads unlocks, occasional missing skill points on the result screen, and cosmetic preview inconsistencies. The developers note that restarting or playing another round resolves some of these issues.
ARC Raiders Update Roadmap Through April
Looking ahead, the ARC Raiders team has outlined a clear roadmap for the next four months.
Image Credit: Embark Studios
February’s Shrouded Sky update will introduce a major new map condition, a new enemy type, a new player project, a new Raider Deck, and further map updates. A second Expedition window will also open during February.
March brings the Flashpoint update, which will add another map condition, a new ARC threat, a new player project, and updates to Scrappy the Rooster.
April’s Riven Tides update is shaping up to be the biggest yet, promising an entirely new map, a new Large ARC enemy, another new map condition, and an additional Expedition window.
A Strong Start To 2026 For ARC Raiders
With Headwinds, ARC Raiders has delivered a meaningful mix of high risk gameplay, long term progression, and much needed quality of life improvements. The Solo vs Squads option alone opens up a new challenge tier for experienced players, while the Trophy Display project gives everyone something big to work towards.
Combined with a packed roadmap through April, Headwinds feels like a confident opening move for ARC Raiders in 2026, and a clear sign that much bigger changes are still on the horizon.