Embark Studios has announced that ARC Raiders has crossed the 12 million sales mark and, to celebrate the occasion, the studio released a new update that addresses some much-discussed topics for players. This is the first update the game got after “Cold Snap” expanded its featured.
According to the patch notes, the Arc Raiders 1.11.0 patch comes to offer some rebalancing that affects mostly the PvP part of the game — namely, the “Trigger ‘Nade” stuff — by way of nerfing that weapon as well as the Kettle.
It’s not all nerfing, though, as the sales milestone also comes with a freebie for those of you who log back into the world of Speranza: a brand new Gilded Pickaxe Raider Tool. Some map tweaks have also been implemented, so read on to find a full breakdown below.
ARC Raiders 1.11.0 patch: what are the main changes
The new Arc Raiders 1.11.0 patch is already available for download, starting out automatically as soon as you open up the game on your platforms of choice (those being PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X or PC).
So you won’t have to do anything really — just log in and let the download begin on its own.
12 Million Sales & Player Rewards
To mark the 12 million sales milestone, all players who logged into the game between launch and January 13, 2026, are eligible for the Gilded Pickaxe Raider Tool. Additionally, the update marks the arrival of the highly anticipated Abyss cosmetic set.
Weapon Tuning: The Kettle Nerf
The Kettle semi-automatic pistol has seen its fire rate reduced from 600 rounds per minute (RPM) to 450 RPM. Developers noted that the previous fire rate was largely being exploited by players using third-party macros to fire faster than naturally possible, creating an unfair advantage. The new cap is intended to keep the weapon effective for legitimate players while removing the benefit of using external software.
Utility Rebalance: Trigger ‘Nade
As the current dominant choice for PvP encounters, the Trigger ‘Nade has received several adjustments to reduce its effectiveness as a mid-air “air-burst” weapon.
- Detonation Delay: The time between triggering and explosion has increased from 0.7 seconds to 1.5 seconds, giving opponents more time to react.
- Damage Falloff: Damage is now more concentrated at the center of the explosion, dealing significantly less damage to players further away from the blast.
- Utility Shift: These changes aim to pivot the item’s role back toward being a reliable sticky bomb rather than an unavoidable mid-air offensive tool.
Environment & Bug Fixes
- Stella Montis Lighting: Lighting has been lowered in certain areas during Night Raids to make the environment darker. This change is designed to make flashlights and sound cues (listening) more critical to survival.
- Exploit Fix: A bug involving room keys has been patched; previously, an exploit allowed players to keep key cards even after they had been used to unlock rooms.
