Update: Embark Studios says Arc Raiders servers are now recovering. In a Discord message posted late on January 28, the developer thanked players for their patience and asked the community to report any remaining issues as stability continues to improve.
Arc Raiders is facing widespread server instability following the Highwinds update, with players around the world reporting severe lag, matchmaking failures, and lost loot. Developer Embark Studios has confirmed the problems are linked to ongoing coordinated DDoS attacks affecting both Arc Raiders and THE FINALS, and is actively advising players to be cautious when logging in.
Server Instability Leaves Matches Unplayable
Since earlier today, players have flooded Downdetector and social platforms with complaints about rubber banding, disconnections, and characters freezing mid match. Many report being unable to move for long stretches, only to time out and lose full kits, blueprints, and loadouts as a result.
At the height of the outage, Downdetector logged more than 10,000 reports globally. Data shows that 81 percent of affected players experienced server connection failures, 16 percent struggled to launch the game, and a smaller portion reported extreme in match lag. Matchmaking failures and mid game crashes were among the most common complaints.
Several players noted that switching their server region to automatic reduced rubber banding, but for many others the game remained effectively unplayable, with reports of teleporting characters, random deaths, and failed extractions.
Player Reports Highlight Loot Loss And Progression Issues
The most serious concern for the community has been permanent loot loss. Players describe being disconnected during raids, forced to abandon matches, or dying while unable to heal or move. In several cases, valuable items stored in safe pockets or carried to extraction were lost after server timeouts.
As a result, frustration has grown quickly, with some players calling on Embark to take servers offline entirely for emergency maintenance. Others are asking for compensation or item restoration, arguing that the losses occurred through no fault of their own.
Embark Confirms Coordinated DDoS Attacks
In a series of Discord updates, Embark confirmed that both Arc Raiders and The Finals are under active, coordinated DDoS attacks. According to the studio, its strike team is deploying mitigations and making progress, but the attacks are still ongoing at the time of writing.
Image via Arc Raiders Discord Server
Embark first acknowledged instability earlier in the day and warned players to be careful when logging in to avoid losing items or progression. Servers briefly showed signs of recovery before instability returned, prompting renewed warnings from the team.
Timeline Of Official Updates In Popular Time Zones
Based on Embark’s Discord announcements, here is how today’s events line up across major regions:
- Initial reports of instability received
January 28, 01:20 UTC - Servers beginning to recover
January 28, 02:24 UTC - Instability returns
January 28, 05:51 UTC - Servers stabilising again, caution advised
January 28, 07:00 UTC
Embark later confirmed the DDoS attacks publicly and reiterated that fixes are ongoing.
Hotfix Addresses Patch Issues, Xbox Delayed
Alongside the server problems, Embark has begun rolling out a hotfix to resolve unintended changes introduced in the Highwinds update version 1.13.0. Fixes include correcting unintentional weapon fire rate reductions, restoring missing cosmetics tied to Raider Tokens, addressing localisation errors, and rebalancing initial loot appearance speed.
Xbox players will receive the hotfix later than other platforms, and cross play on Xbox is temporarily disabled during this period.
What Players Should Do Right Now
Embark’s current advice is clear, log in carefully or avoid playing altogether until stability fully returns. While servers may appear accessible, the risk of losing loot and progression remains high while the attacks continue.
Looking ahead, the response to these issues may shape how Embark handles live service disruptions in the future, particularly around emergency maintenance and potential compensation. For now, Arc Raiders players are best served by staying off the battlefield until the studio confirms the situation is fully resolved.