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SoulframeAnti-Cheat and Fair Play
ARC Raiders uses Denuvo Anti-Cheat at kernel level, Anybrain detections and in-house models, and since Sep 30, 2026 any account caught cheating is permanently banned with no warnings. Embark also uses license and hardware bans, and returns loot lost to identified cheaters automatically.
ARC Raiders fights cheaters with kernel-level protection from Denuvo, detections from Anybrain and a growing set of in-house machine-learning models, and its policy as of Sep 30, 2026 is simple: any account caught using cheats is permanently banned, "no warnings, no second chances". In that post executive producer Aleksander Grøndal admitted Embark had been "overly cautious" about first-time cheaters. Cheaters still exist and Embark says cheating "will never fully go away", but it has not published ban totals or a cheater rate, so nothing here can tell you how many you will meet. This page is every fair-play step Embark has announced, by date. In the clip, Embark recalls cheating becoming a constant problem from December 2025.
Quick facts
| Kernel layer | Denuvo Anti-Cheat, enforced for all since Jun 30, 2026 |
| Other detection | Anybrain, in-house machine-learning models |
| Cheating | Permanent ban, first offense |
| Also used | License restrictions, linked-account bans, hardware bans |
| Appeals | Each reviewed by a person |
| Report result | In-game Action Notice |
| Lost loot | Returned automatically if the cheater is identified |
| After uninstalling | Kernel anti-cheat and Denuvo need manual removal, says Steam |
Sources: An Update on Anti-Cheat, Sep 30, 2026; Store Update 1.35.0, Jun 30, 2026; Ensuring Fair Play, May 7, 2026; Live Update 1.33.0, Jun 16, 2026; Steam store page, read Oct 31, 2026.
The anti-cheat stack
On May 7, 2026 Embark named Easy Anti-Cheat as its kernel layer, with machine-learning models trained on input telemetry and built with Anybrain, and said a new kernel solution was under test. Denuvo Anti-Cheat began for a limited pool on May 19, without Denuvo DRM, and the rollout finished by Jun 30. Embark's Sep 30 post names Denuvo; it never says outright that Easy Anti-Cheat was removed. PC Gamer reported the move after a trial in THE FINALS. Next, Embark is testing a system called Elytra on a small scale in THE FINALS, with ARC Raiders to follow if it works.
Embark treats accessibility devices as a special case: its systems look at intent through telemetry and communication patterns, so players who rely on these devices can keep playing.
The sanctions
The ban ladder has only gotten stricter.
Embark explains why some bans are not immediate: the system watches behavior over several instances to avoid banning legitimate players. It also reviews videos and streams on YouTube and other platforms and acts on clear evidence. Every appeal is reviewed by a person, not automated.
Protect your own account: Embark recommends a strong, unique password, two-factor authentication at your login provider, and never sharing details, and warns that unofficial software can expose your personal data.
Reporting and compensation
Since Jun 16, 2026 you get an inbox Action Notice when a player you reported is banned, and if an identified cheater knocked you out, Loot Compensation returns your loot automatically, with no report needed. For exploits, Embark asks for reports through its Discord support inbox or @ScrappyMail rather than spreading the method publicly. Embark also added an option to block players after reporting.
Exploits and duplication
Exploits are the other half of the fight, and Embark has patched them repeatedly. Item duplication comes back often enough to have its own history: The clip is Embark on the rubber duck duplication in Bird City.
| Date | Fix |
|---|---|
| Nov 27, 2025 | Quick-swap fire-rate exploit fixed, protection added to all locked rooms |
| Jan 13, 2026 | Key card exploit that kept room keys after use |
| Jan 20, 2026 | Item and ammo duplication |
| Mar 3, 2026 | Weapons in a safe pocket without the Safekeeper Augment |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Duplication glitch, reconnect exploit |
| Apr 21, 2026 | Duplication glitch |
| Jun 23, 2026 | Some duplication exploits |
| Jul 9, 2026 | Duplication issue |
| Oct 16, 2026 | Locked-room access and duplication |
| Oct 27, 2026 | Locked-room exploit protection extended to the Emperor |
The penalties for the July exploit show the scale Embark uses: warnings for low-severity cases, removal of Coins and items tied to the exploit, and suspensions for severe cases, as in February. Someone who merely received a few items may get a warning. Frozen Trail's notes add that accounts storing high amounts of duplicated items are being restricted. Embark's 1.36.0 notes chart the share of players with unusually high profit per minute.
Embark also sanctions abnormally high-value item transfers and bot-like accounts, and plans to cover XP farming.
Free loadouts and teaming
Some unfairness is not cheating. Since 1.33.0, free loadouts have been off in a test for Night Raid and Close Scrutiny, and Embark has looked at expanding that to more conditions. A survey followed on Jul 2, 2026. See How a Raid Works and Map Conditions.
Queue teaming in solo lobbies fell by 85% in five days once known groups were kept apart in late Sep 2026. Teaming with a stranger you meet in a raid stays fair. See Matchmaking.
What is not known
As of Oct 31, 2026 Embark has published no ban count, no cheater percentage and no chart for later months.
Frequently asked questions
Does ARC Raiders have anti-cheat? Yes. ARC Raiders uses Denuvo Anti-Cheat at kernel level, Anybrain and in-house models, as of Sep 30, 2026.
Does ARC Raiders ban cheaters permanently? Yes. Since Sep 30, 2026, any account caught using cheats is permanently banned, with no warnings. Before that it used three strikes.
Are there a lot of cheaters in ARC Raiders? Embark publishes no figure, as of Oct 31, 2026. It calls cheating an ongoing fight that will never fully go away and says detection is getting stronger month by month.
Do you get your loot back if a cheater kills you in ARC Raiders? Yes, if the cheater is identified. Loot Compensation returns it by inbox message, with no report needed, since Jun 16, 2026.
Can I get banned for duplicating items in ARC Raiders? Yes. In the July 2026 case Embark used warnings, removal of Coins and items, and suspensions, by severity.
Can I appeal an ARC Raiders ban? Yes. Embark says every appeal is reviewed by a person, though replies use pre-written wording.
Does ARC Raiders anti-cheat stay on my PC after uninstalling? Steam's page says the kernel anti-cheat and Denuvo need manual removal after uninstalling, read Oct 31, 2026.
Sources
- An Update on Anti-Cheat, Aleksander Grøndal, Embark Studios, Sep 30, 2026
- Ensuring Fair Play, The Anti-cheat Team, Embark Studios, May 7, 2026
- HEADWINDS - Patch Notes 1.13.0, Embark Studios, Jan 27, 2026
- Patch Notes 1.29.0, full notes, Embark Studios, May 19, 2026
- Patch Notes 1.29.0, Embark Studios, May 19, 2026
- Live Update 1.33.0, Embark Studios, Jun 16, 2026
- Store Update 1.35.0, Embark Studios, Jun 30, 2026
- Nomadic Envoy & No Free Loadout Survey, Embark Studios, Jul 2, 2026
- Live Update 1.36.0, Embark Studios, Jul 7, 2026
- Store Update 1.37.0, Embark Studios, Jul 14, 2026
- Live Update 1.42.0, Embark Studios, Aug 21, 2026
- Store Update 1.43.0, Embark Studios, Aug 25, 2026
- Store Update 1.47.0, Embark Studios, Sep 22, 2026
- Frozen Trail 2.0 Update, full notes, Embark Studios, Oct 8, 2026
- Hotfix 2.1.1, Embark Studios, Oct 16, 2026
- Live Update 2.3.0, Embark Studios, Oct 27, 2026
- Exploit fixes: Embark's posts of Nov 27, 2025, Jan 13, Jan 20, Mar 3, Apr 10, Apr 21, Jun 23 and Jul 9, 2026, linked in the table above
- Arc Raiders has added Denuvo anticheat 'initially to a limited player pool', PC Gamer, May 2026
- ARC Raiders on Steam, Valve, read Oct 31, 2026
- The Evolution of ARC Raiders S2: EP1 - Updating ARC Raiders, Embark Studios, Oct 2, 2026 (video)
Moments
The Evolution of ARC Raiders S2: EP1 - Updating ARC Raiders
ARC Raiders
Photos
Related
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North LineNorth Line is ARC Raiders' first content update, patch 1.2.0, released Nov 13, 2025, two weeks after launch. It added the Stella Montis map, the Matriarch and Shredder, a community unlock event, and a fix for the desync problem. This page also covers the launch patches through 1.6.0.
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- PvE ToggleARC Raiders has no PvE mode as of Oct 31, 2026. Embark tested a PvE matchmaking toggle with no player damage from Oct 13 to Oct 20, 2026, players ran more than 30 million PvE rounds, the toggle was then removed, and Embark expects to say more in November.
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What Comes NextEmbark has not named or dated the next big ARC Raiders update. What it has announced is two content updates a year, fixes every three weeks, weekly store updates, a PvE follow-up in November 2026, Trials Season 6 ending Jan 12, 2027, and Expeditions returning in early 2027.
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Bastion, Bombardier and ShredderTo kill a Bastion or Bombardier in ARC Raiders, hit the yellow leg joints to slow it, then the yellow canister or cylinder at the back. A Bombardier also relies on Spotters, so kill those first. A Shredder dies to its bottom thruster, with two Trigger Nades enough to finish one.
See also
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How a Raid WorksIn ARC Raiders you choose a loadout in Speranza, deploy Topside on a timer of about 30 minutes, loot, and leave by elevator, Raider Hatch or Ballistic Gondola. If you are knocked out you lose everything except your Safe Pocket; a Free Loadout risks nothing but has no Safe Pocket.
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MatchmakingARC Raiders matches you partly by playstyle, one of the strongest factors, on a scale rather than friendly and aggressive buckets, as Embark explained on May 20, 2026. Similar players are more likely, never guaranteed, and since Jul 2026 Solo, Duo and Trio playstyles are tracked separately.
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