Riven Tides Update

8:19 The Riven Tides update is ARC Raiders' patch 1.26.0, released on Apr 28, 2026, and by Embark's count the sixth free content update since launch. It added the Riven Tides map, a floating machine called the ARC Turbine, the Beachcombing condition and four new items, and it reworked the weapon economy. It was also the last of the near-monthly content updates: two weeks later Embark moved to two a year. This page is about the update; the map's loot and keys are on Riven Tides.

Quick facts

Sources: Riven Tides patch notes 1.26.0, Apr 28, 2026; Riven Tides overview, Apr 28, 2026; A Triumphant Exit, Apr 17, 2026.

The map, the Turbine and Beachcombing

0:31 A deserted shoreline on the Rust Belt's western coast, abandoned once during the Exodus and again by First Wave survivors, Riven Tides holds the Exodus port and the ruined Panorama Azzurro hotel.

2:35 The ARC Turbine drifts across the map, calm until you interfere. Patches changed it more than once: 1.27.0 fixed its attacks not showing at a distance and improved its landing, 1.36.0 significantly raised its loot after players called it too low for the effort, and 2.2.0 made it spawn in nearly all sessions on four maps and took it out of standard sessions on Dam Battlegrounds. In the clip, a developer says its attacks punish anyone caught in a tight spot.

Beachcombing is a minor condition exclusive to this map: sweep the Dockmaster's Detector across the sand to dig up loot, richest out in the open. See Map Conditions.

New items

Source: Riven Tides patch notes 1.26.0, Apr 28, 2026.

12:25 Embark frames the Powered Descender and Crash Mat as fall mitigation. Details are on Gadgets and Grenades and Shields and Augments. The notes also admit some Combat Augments underperform and that Combat Mk.3 (Flanking) "has yet to find its place to shine".

Last Resort and Avian Alarm

The Last Resort event ran to May 25, paying Merits for XP and for hidden Ship Models. Its three pages held the Junior Outfit, Hydrologist backpack, Hose attachment, Brass Faucet charm, emotes and 250 Raider Tokens in total. The five models are the Wind Sprite, Twilight Compass, Velocity, Sirena Dorata and Leviathan's Crown.

The Avian Alarm project has you deploy Bird Cages at buoys along the coast over five stages, for the Dockmaster's Detector, Gel Patches, the Bird House attachment, the Fist In Air emote and 250 Raider Tokens. See Events and Feats and Update Quests.

The weapon economy change

Embark's reasoning: heavy PvP players were short of weapons while the friendliest had too many. Its answer, with values as of Apr 28, 2026:

Source: Riven Tides patch notes 1.26.0, Apr 28, 2026.

A week later Embark said it was already exploring adjustments after player feedback, and 1.29.0 lists further weapon durability adjustments. The table may therefore not match the game today; no reliable source gives a full current table as of Oct 31, 2026.

Other balance changes

• Bettina: base damage 14 to 16, fire rate 285 to 235, damage against ARC armor up around 33%. See Assault Rifles and SMGs.
• Heavy Ammo: stack size 40 to 60.
• Trigger 'Nade: 1 second delay after a throw and 1.3 seconds after a trigger before the next action.
• Photoelectric Cloak: weight 1 to 3, power use 2.5/s to 10/s, then eased to 5/s in 1.29.0.
• Comets and Fireflies: Comets removed from standard Dam sessions, Fireflies reduced heavily there and Comets reduced on Buried City, because they made beginner sessions too hard.
• Vaporizer Regulator: stack size 1 to 3, and Vaporizers appear on more maps and conditions.
• Other: PSSR 2 on PS5 Pro, noise suppression for voice chat, more emotes while running, a late departure option for Expeditions.

Fixes after launch

Hotfix 1.26.1 on Apr 30 fixed crossplay being toggled off on all platforms. 1.27.0 on May 5 fixed the Field Depot not counting for the "Off the Radar" quest. 1.28.0 on May 12 dealt with missing Skill Points after the third Expedition. All updates are on Patch Notes and Updates.

Frequently asked questions

When did the ARC Raiders Riven Tides update come out? The Riven Tides update, ARC Raiders patch 1.26.0, came out on Apr 28, 2026.

What did the ARC Raiders Riven Tides update add? It added the Riven Tides map, the ARC Turbine, Beachcombing, the Powered Descender, Crash Mat, White Flag, Dockmaster's Detector, Tactical Mk.3 (Smoke), the Last Resort event and the Avian Alarm project.

Is the Last Resort event still running in ARC Raiders? No. Embark said it ran through May 25, 2026.

How did Riven Tides change weapon durability in ARC Raiders? Upgrading now repairs 25% of max durability, spawned weapons average 30 durability instead of 50, and a knockout costs 15% instead of 30%, as of Apr 28, 2026. Later patches adjusted durability again.

Why did Riven Tides become the last monthly update in ARC Raiders? On May 13, 2026 Embark moved to two content updates a year to make Frozen Trail, calling the monthly pace "not sustainable".

Sources

• Riven Tides - Patch Notes Update 1.26.0, Embark Studios, Apr 28, 2026
• Riven Tides, Embark Studios, Apr 28, 2026
• A Triumphant Exit, Embark Studios, Apr 17, 2026
• Hotfix 1.26.1, Embark Studios, Apr 30, 2026
• Patch Notes 1.27.0, Embark Studios, May 5, 2026
• Patch Notes 1.28.0, Embark Studios, May 12, 2026
• We're changing how we update ARC Raiders, Embark Studios, May 13, 2026
• Changes to the ARC Raiders update schedule, Embark Studios, May 13, 2026
• Patch Notes 1.29.0, Embark Studios, May 19, 2026
• Live Update 1.36.0, Embark Studios, Jul 7, 2026
• Store Update 2.2.0, Embark Studios, Oct 20, 2026
• The Evolution of ARC Raiders S2: EP1 - Updating ARC Raiders, Embark Studios, Oct 2, 2026 (video)
• Riven Tides - Dev Diary | ARC Raiders, Embark Studios, Apr 30, 2026 (video)
• The Evolution of ARC Raiders S2: EP3 - Building New Maps, Embark Studios, Oct 21, 2026 (video)