Embark Studios has launched the Headwinds update for ARC Raiders, kicking off the studio's 2026 content roadmap. Update 1.13.0 brings a Solo vs Squads matchmaking option, a long-term Trophy Display project, the Bird City map condition, two new Epic Augments, and a progressive ban system for cheaters. The patch also delivers dozens of bug fixes and quality-of-life changes, though several undocumented tweaks have sparked debate in the community.
Solo vs Squads Opens Up for Level 40+ Raiders
The biggest addition in Headwinds is Solo vs Squads, a new matchmaking option built for players who want tougher PvP action. Only Raiders at level 40 or higher can access it.
Flip the toggle above the matchmaking screen, and solo players get dropped into the Squads queue to fight full three-player teams. In exchange for the tougher odds, they earn a 20% XP bonus at the end of each round, win or lose.
Embark positions this as a mode for skilled players chasing a challenge. The community has already spotted another use case, though. Load in with nothing, loot fast in a dense area, and treat death as a free lobby reset. The XP bonus still applies on defeat, making it a potential grinding strategy.
One hiccup worth knowing: the Solo vs Squads toggle doesn't show a popup when players hit level 40. Anyone at or above that threshold will need to look for it manually.
Trophy Display Project Rewards ARC Hunters
The Trophy Display gives players a new long-term goal: hunt increasingly dangerous ARC groups and turn in their parts for rewards. The project follows the same five-step structure as the Candleberry Project, with each completed tier adding a new item to the player's Display Case.
Completing steps earns blueprints and Raider Tokens. Finishing the whole thing grants a Howl emote, a guitar, and 300,000 Coins.
Embark confirmed that this project has no fixed end date. More importantly, Expedition resets won't wipe progress. Players could strategically leave the project incomplete before a reset, then finish it afterward to maximize their rewards. Whether the Trophy Display requires Queen or Matriarch parts remains unclear, which could dramatically change the difficulty.
Bird City Transforms Buried City's Rooftops
Flocks of birds have moved into Buried City, nesting inside the map's chimneys. These nests contain collectible trinkets, and inspecting them can pay off.
Bird City is a permanent map condition exclusive to Buried City. It cycles in and out of the weekly rotation. When active, expect more bird traps, additional ziplines, increased rooftop combat, more flying ARC enemies, and higher player density in those areas.
New collectible duckies come in multiple rarities, from green up to purple. The rarer ones sell for solid money. Existing duckies got visual updates too, appearing brighter and more distinct than before.
New Items and Quests
Two new Epic Augments arrive with this update. The patch notes don't detail what they do, but Epic Augments are among the most sought-after gear in ARC Raiders. Current favorites include the Survivor augment with its extra weight capacity and safe pockets, plus the shield recharger augment.
Seven new quests also join the game. Specific objectives and rewards weren't listed. Players have voiced hope that the payouts beat the underwhelming rewards from the Stella Montis quests.
Three-Strike Ban System Targets Cheaters
Embark is rolling out a progressive ban system for players caught cheating. Implementation is still in progress, but the structure is set:
First offense gets a 30-day ban. Second offense bumps that to 60 days. Third strike means a permanent ban.
This approach is lenient compared to competitors. Escape From Tarkov, for instance, permanently bans cheaters on first detection with no warnings.
Community reaction has been split. Some players appreciate the system as a step forward. Others argue that confirmed cheaters deserve immediate permanent bans rather than multiple chances.
Party and Social Features
Squad management sees several improvements in this patch.
Open Parties let players set their squad to joinable. Friends on Embark or platform friend lists can hop in without an invite. They can even join while the host is mid-match, waiting in the lobby for the next round.
Squad members can now send party invites themselves instead of relying on the party leader. Discord integration also got expanded. Players with linked Discord accounts can invite Discord friends directly, and those friends can join open parties on their own.
Control and Input Improvements
Mouse smoothing is now an option in settings. Gamepad users get a new rebinding tab with access to most button assignments.
Aim assist now works consistently across different framerates. Input registration bugs above 30 FPS have been fixed. VOIP trigger displays work properly on PC gamepads now, with clearer labels for push-to-talk versus toggle modes. A new matchmaking delay option helps streamers avoid snipers.
UI Fixes
Inventory value displays correctly in Expedition sign-up screens. Weapons in Expedition-provided stash slots show up in the upgrade screen. Item counts for non-stackable items now appear properly in Projects and Trials rewards. A new notification appears when friends join the party of someone who's topside.
ARC Enemy Improvements
ARC pathfinding over obstacles got a tune-up across the board. Specific enemies received targeted fixes.
Leapers walk better after losing their legs. Dead Shredders now show the scavengeable label when pinged. Snitches no longer abort their ARC summon if a Lure Grenade lands mid-call, and they stay quiet after being destroyed. Spotters won't follow players into buildings and get stuck anymore.
The Tick fix matters most for combat flow. Players grabbed by a Tick now have a brief window to dodge-roll and shake it off. Previously, removing a Tick required holding the interaction key, which was brutal during firefights.
Achievement Tracking Fixed
Progress toward "Enemy of my Enemy" now tracks properly. "Hook, Line, and Sinker" got the same treatment.
Map Fixes Across the Board
Dam Battlegrounds received collision tweaks around the raider outpost tower and elevator shaft in the Control Tower. The Pattern House collision issues are resolved, and an unintended accessible spot in Water Treatment is gone.
Buried City lost an invisible wall beneath the highway. The musical puzzle is completely removed from the map. Players can now buy the guitar directly from Shani's instead of completing that map-wide button sequence.
Spaceport fixed its floating rocks and grass. ARC spawn points during Hidden Bunker events moved away from antenna tops.
Stella Montis received the most attention. The Seed Vault extraction exploit that let players stay in the zone after it closed is patched. Night Raid lighting changed, with most lamps now off. Forty stuck spots got fixed. The Bastion can no longer spawn out of bounds and attack through walls. Loot distribution across the map is more even.
Miscellaneous Bug Fixes
Movement input no longer freezes after network hiccups. Ladder behavior is fixed for both descending after reaching the top and entering while crouched. Playing guitar while ziplining is no longer possible.
The Marco set helmet variant displays correctly in-game. Trinket placement works for all items. Sun lens flare no longer appears through thick clouds. Fireworks boxes trigger randomly when the deploying Raider gets knocked out.
PS5 players won't see graphics settings reset on restart anymore. Defibrillators used simultaneously by two players no longer revive downed teammates at full HP.
Undocumented Changes Spark Discussion
Several changes in Headwinds weren't in the patch notes. The community noticed, and the debate around transparency heated up.
Looting Takes Longer Now
Items appear more slowly in loot menus after this update. The change wasn't documented initially.
Embark later clarified in hotfix notes that this was intentional. They rebalanced how quickly the first item appears when looting. Players with the Looter's Instinct skill see loot faster than those without, making that skill significantly more valuable.
The slower looting adds risk, especially when checking bodies in busy areas.
Semi-Auto Fire Rate Bug (Fixed)
Players reported that semi-automatic weapons felt sluggish after Headwinds dropped. The Beretta, Ventor, and Kettle all seemed slower. Early speculation pointed to a stealth nerf targeting macro users.
Embark confirmed it was a bug, not a balance change. A hotfix already reverted affected weapons to their intended fire rates.
Hatch Extracts Are Slower Again
Before Headwinds, hatch extractions had become nearly instant. Players got pulled straight in on interaction. That faster timing saved lives in tight situations.
The update restored the original animation where players visibly jump down. Embark confirmed the fast extraction was never intended. The patch notes reference a "raider hatch timing bug" fix.
Blueprint Containers Changed
The patch notes mention that containers spawning condition-specific blueprints during Electromagnetic Storm, Hidden Bunker, and Locked Gate events have been "lowered."
Players had been farming blueprints like the Bobcat and Volcano from general containers across the map during these events, skipping the actual objectives. This change pushes players toward engaging with event content directly.
Weapon Cases Got Better
Higher-tier weapons now appear more frequently in weapon cases.
Queen and Matriarch Farming Is Harder
Chances of finding unique parts (cores and reactors) in Queen and Matriarch armor pieces dropped slightly. Players used to shoot off one leg, grab the valuable part, and leave without finishing the fight. This change encourages committing to the full encounter.
The Transparency Debate
Discord users pointed out an inconsistency in Embark's communication. When addressing the fire rate bug, the studio said they "always aim to include all changes in our patch notes." But the intentional looting speed change wasn't documented until players questioned it.
Embark has been responsive overall. The hotfix came quickly, server issues got acknowledged through Discord, and clarifications followed player feedback. But the gap between stated transparency goals and undocumented intentional changes left some players skeptical.
Server Problems Hit Early
The update launch came with server trouble. Heavy rubber banding and movement issues made the game feel rough. Even weak enemies like Ticks, Wasps, and Hornets became dangerous when the lag hit.
Embark posted updates through Discord as they worked on fixes. The issues appear to have stabilized since the hotfix.
Known Issues
A few problems remain unresolved:
- The Solo vs Squads toggle doesn't notify players when they hit level 40.
- Some Raider Token cosmetics don't appear in the customization menu if not yet purchased.
- One Marco set helmet variant looks wrong in previews but displays correctly in-game.
- Skill points occasionally don't register from the result screen. A reboot or another round fixes it.
New Store Bundles
Two cosmetic bundles hit the store with this update.
The Sand Walker Set has a desert aesthetic with clear Dune vibes. It includes the Boo emote, face paint options, and multiple colorways.
The Alpine Rescue Set comes with the Snowy Mountain Pick, which looks distinctly different from other Raider tools. Additional accessories round out the bundle.
Roadmap: What's Coming Next
Headwinds is the first of four major updates planned through April 2026. Embark outlined the schedule last week.
February (Shrouded Sky) brings a new player project, map update, map condition, ARC threat, and Raider deck. The Expedition window opens.
March (Flashpoint) adds another ARC threat, player project, map condition, and a Scrappy update.
April (Riven Tides) delivers a full new map, a new large ARC on the scale of the Queen or Matriarch, and another map condition. The next Expedition window opens then.
Design lead Virgil Watkins talked about the studio's plans for escalating PvE threats. As players get more skilled at handling current drones, Embark wants to keep raising the stakes. The Queen and Matriarch represent the current ceiling, but bigger challenges are coming.
Platform Availability
ARC Raiders is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
