All vikis
Aion 2
Ananta
ArcheAge Chronicles
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
Chrono Odyssey
Civilization 3
Civilization 4
Crimson Desert
Deadlock
Diablo 4
Diablo 5
Enshrouded
Fable
Final Fantasy Resonance
Grand Theft Auto 6
Heroes of Might and Magic 3
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Path of Exile 2
Phantom Blade Zero
Probably Stolen
Slay the Spire 2
SoulframeStory and Setting
ARC Raiders is set on a future Earth where the rich fled by rocket in the Exodus, machines called ARC descended in two Waves, and survivors live underground in Toledo, whose oldest neighborhood is Speranza. The story runs through quests and updates, and in Frozen Trail it reaches Pendola Pass, where an Emperor has fallen.
ARC Raiders is set on what Embark calls a "lethal future earth", the remains of Italy under brutal space-travel infrastructure: the wealthy fled by rocket in the Exodus, machines called ARC came down from the sky, and survivors now live underground and send Raiders up to scavenge. There is no traditional campaign; the story comes through Quests, in-game text and the notes for each update. Much of it has only been told by press reading the game's Codex, so this page says who told what.
Quick facts
| Where | The Rust Belt, once part of Italy |
| When | A distant future; 2180 per Game Rant, not confirmed in an Embark post read here |
| Enemy | ARC, machines from above |
| Home | Speranza, oldest neighborhood of Toledo |
| Latest chapter | Frozen Trail: Pendola Pass and a fallen Emperor, Oct 8, 2026 |
| ARC's origin | Left unexplained by Embark |
Sources: Game Rant, Nov 18, 2025; Embark on the Contradas, Oct 29, 2026; Embark's free weekend post, Oct 2, 2026; Steam store page, read Oct 31, 2026.
The world
Embark's phrase for the mood is "a post-post apocalypse": a distant future where humanity has moved on to build anew, dangerous yet "hopeful, vibrant, and charming." Creative director Stefan Strandberg said in that Aug 20, 2024 post that he draws on current themes taken to extremes, such as colonizing space and the fraught relationship between people and machines. The Steam page speaks of maps carrying the weight of a world destroyed twice, with nature reclaiming the remains. Game Rant dates the setting to the year 2180, with an environmental collapse first and ARC after; that year was not found in any Embark post read for this page.
The Rust Belt is the playing region, once part of Italy and now desert and ruined cities. An early Embark text from 2023 said "there are no rules in Calabretta", a name from development that has not recurred in the sources read here.
The Exodus
The Exodus was the departure of the wealthiest by rocket, leaving lasting resentment, per Game Rant. The Codex entry, as Game Rant reported it, says those who left had advanced technology and that the First Wave came ages later from space. Traces remain on the maps: Spaceport's Rocket Assembly and Launch Towers, the Exodus port on Riven Tides, and the Exodus transport hub at Pendola Pass. In the clip, developers ask what humanity would prepare and take if it left Earth.
The First and Second Waves
The reveal in 2021 pitched ARC as a "ruthless, mechanized threat descending from space", though that text predates the redesign. In the First Wave, Raiders fought back and took heavy casualties, and Dam Battlegrounds is one of its battle sites. The Second Wave's machines are described as more sophisticated, falling from the atmosphere, and it forced humanity underground, with Speranza founded after it as an independent settlement, per Embark.
What is ARC?
Nobody in the sources says for certain. Embark's Steam page leaves ARC's origin unexplained. In-game text, as Game Rant reported, says Harvesters drop to the surface and damage the regenerating ecosystem. The theory that ARC was sent by or is tied to the Exodus humans is exactly that: a theory, which no Embark post read here confirms. The machines themselves are on ARC Enemies. In the clip, developers say ARC should feel not designed on this planet.
Toledo and its Contradas
Embark wrote its fullest account of the home front on Oct 29, 2026. Toledo is a larger community of neighborhoods called Contradas, "the only reliable refuge in the Rust Belt." Embark counts four.
| Contrada | What Embark says |
|---|---|
| Speranza | Toledo's oldest, Neapolitan-style architecture partly swallowed by sinkholes, vaulted glass skylights over plazas and markets |
| Murteta | Rules, order and strict hierarchy; vets newcomers rigorously; sees itself as Toledo's backbone |
| Ferrovia | The intellectual center, founded by the engineers of the tube network; artists, engineers, traders, smugglers; its engineers helped build the Ballistic Gondolas |
| Vaulto | The most secretive; its jamming technology interferes with ARC signals and keeps Toledo undetected |
Source: Embark, The 'Contradas' of Toledo, Oct 29, 2026. The people you deal with are on Speranza and the Traders.
The running story, update by update
Each update note opens with a short piece of story.
| Update | Date | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Flashpoint | Mar 31, 2026 | A new ARC operation; Tian Wen works on combat tech while Shani and Celeste try to get an eye in the sky |
| Riven Tides | Apr 28, 2026 | Scout reports reach Speranza, and a floating ARC is seen |
| 1.29.0 | May 19, 2026 | Nomadic Envoys, a tribe long avoiding the underground, arrive in Speranza |
| 1.40.0 | Aug 4, 2026 | Phantom Targets: Shani notices discrepant surveillance data |
| 1.42.0 | Aug 21, 2026 | Erratic Wasps are the source, carrying unknown tech and swarming toward one location |
| 1.45.0 | Sep 8, 2026 | The signals lead to mountains beyond the Tube system; Apollo works on an experimental solution |
| 1.46.0 | Sep 15, 2026 | Ferrovian engineers continue Apollo's project; Lance sells medical supplies after "misfires" |
| Frozen Trail | Oct 8, 2026 | Celeste and Shani triangulate the signal to Pendola Pass, where an Emperor has fallen; Raiders go in a last-ditch attempt to draw ARC's fire off the Rust Belt |
| 2.3.0 | Oct 27, 2026 | Stories from Pendola Pass reach the cantinas, and Celeste calls on Speranza to honor the fallen in Soul's Offering |
The Outpost, offered by Celeste, sits between the Rust Belt and the mountains and is "the first step to reclaiming parts of the surface" (see Outpost and Research). Expeditions send Raiders "beyond the Rust Belt" by caravan through tunnels out of Speranza; see Expeditions. Yearly traditions also exist in the fiction: the Shared Watch honors those who look out for fellow Raiders. Where the plot stands next is on What Comes Next, and the updates in full are on Frozen Trail and Patch Notes and Updates.
Frequently asked questions
What is the story of ARC Raiders? ARC Raiders follows Raiders living underground in Toledo, on a future Earth ruled by machines called ARC, who go to the surface to scavenge. It has no traditional campaign; quests and updates carry the plot, which by Oct 2026 has reached Pendola Pass and a fallen Emperor.
What is ARC in ARC Raiders? ARC are the machines that came down from the sky in ARC Raiders and hold the surface. Embark leaves their origin unexplained; a theory tying them to the Exodus is unconfirmed.
What is the Rust Belt in ARC Raiders? The Rust Belt is ARC Raiders' playing region, once part of Italy and now desert and ruined cities, per Game Rant in Nov 2025.
What was the Exodus in ARC Raiders? In ARC Raiders the Exodus was the wealthiest people leaving Earth by rocket, leaving lasting resentment, as Game Rant reported. Its ruins include the Spaceport and hubs on Riven Tides and Pendola Pass.
What was the First Wave in ARC Raiders? The First Wave was ARC Raiders' first ARC assault, which Raiders fought with heavy casualties; Dam Battlegrounds is one of its sites. The Second Wave drove humanity underground.
Does ARC Raiders have a campaign? No. ARC Raiders has no traditional campaign, per GameRant in Oct 2025. The Main Questline and update quests carry the story between raids.
Sources
- ARC Raiders, Embark Studios, read Oct 31, 2026
- ARC Raiders store page, Steam, read Oct 31, 2026
- ARC Raiders | Reveal Trailer, Embark Studios, Dec 10, 2021
- What's next for ARC Raiders, Embark Studios, May 16, 2023
- ARC Raiders is Coming in 2025, Embark Studios, Aug 20, 2024
- Preparing for your Second Expedition, Embark Studios, Feb 5, 2026
- Shared Watch - Patch Notes 1.15.0, Embark Studios, Feb 10, 2026
- Flashpoint - Patch Notes 1.22.0, Embark Studios, Mar 31, 2026
- Riven Tides, Embark Studios, Apr 28, 2026
- Riven Tides - Patch Notes Update 1.26.0, Embark Studios, Apr 28, 2026
- Patch Notes 1.29.0, Embark Studios, May 19, 2026
- Store Update 1.40.0, Embark Studios, Aug 4, 2026
- Live Update 1.42.0, Embark Studios, Aug 21, 2026
- Live Update 1.45.0, Embark Studios, Sep 8, 2026
- Store Update 1.46.0, Embark Studios, Sep 15, 2026
- Frozen Trail content preview, Embark Studios, Sep 23, 2026
- Play ARC Raiders for FREE from Oct 8 to Oct 12, Embark Studios, Oct 2, 2026
- Frozen Trail, Embark Studios, Oct 8, 2026
- Live Update 2.3.0, Embark Studios, Oct 27, 2026
- The 'Contradas' of Toledo, Embark Studios, Oct 29, 2026
- ARC Raiders: Does It Have Campaign, Crossplay, Is It Free-to-Play?, GameRant, Oct 29, 2025
- 5 Lore Clues, Game Rant, Nov 11, 2025
- Does Arc Raiders Actually Have a Storyline?, Game Rant, Nov 18, 2025
- The Evolution of ARC Raiders EP2 - The Life of a Raider, Embark Studios, Nov 28, 2025 (video)
- ARC Raiders | Gameplay Reveal, Embark Studios, Nov 12, 2024 (video)
- The Evolution of ARC Raiders S2: EP3 - Building New Maps, Embark Studios, Oct 21, 2026 (video)
- Riven Tides - Dev Diary | ARC Raiders, Embark Studios, Apr 30, 2026 (video)
- Frozen Trail: First Look | ARC Raiders, Embark Studios, Sep 23, 2026 (video)
Moments
The Evolution of ARC Raiders EP2 - The Life of a Raider
ARC Raiders
ARC Raiders | Gameplay Reveal
ARC Raiders
The Evolution of ARC Raiders S2: EP3 - Building New Maps
ARC Raiders
Riven Tides - Dev Diary | ARC Raiders
ARC Raiders
Frozen Trail: First Look | ARC Raiders
ARC Raiders
Related
-
-
Embark StudiosEmbark Studios made ARC Raiders. It is a Stockholm studio founded in November 2018 by six game industry veterans including CEO Patrick Söderlund, it is a subsidiary of Nexon, and it also makes the free-to-play shooter The Finals.
- PC Requirements and PerformanceARC Raiders needs at least a Core i5-6600K or Ryzen 5 1600, 12 GB of RAM and a GTX 1050 Ti or RX 580; Steam recommends a Core i5-9600K or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB and an RTX 2070 or RX 5700 XT, as read Oct 31, 2026. Press settings guides favor motion blur off, lower shadows and effects, and Reflex on.
- Platforms and CrossplayARC Raiders is on Windows through Steam and Epic, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and GeForce Now, with crossplay across them that you can turn off in the Gameplay settings. There is no Mac or native Linux version, and its anti-cheat has caused trouble on Linux and Steam Deck.
-
Player Count and SalesARC Raiders had 81,998 people playing on Steam on Oct 31, 2026, down from an all-time Steam peak of 481,966 per SteamDB but far from dead, and Nexon reported over 16.3 million copies sold in its June quarter report. Consoles and Epic are not in Steam's count.
-
-
-
Reception and AwardsARC Raiders scored 86 on PC on Metacritic and 87 on OpenCritic as of Oct 31, 2026, holds 81% positive Steam reviews, and won Best Multiplayer Game at The Game Awards 2025, Online Game of the Year at the D.I.C.E. Awards and Multiplayer at the BAFTA Games Awards. The main criticism concerned AI voices and cosmetic prices.
See also
-
QuestsARC Raiders had 100 quests as of Riven Tides (PC Gamer, May 1, 2026), and Frozen Trail added 22 more on Oct 8, 2026, for about 122. They come from the traders Shani, Celeste, Tian Wen, Apollo and Lance, and since 2.0 from Cassio; since 2.0 they also grant XP, and since Sep 2026 an Expedition no longer has to reset them.
-
SpaceportSpaceport is the ARC Raiders launch complex map, unlocked after 12 rounds in TheGamer's Feb 2026 guide and rated medium to high difficulty. PCGamesN rates five of its seven areas High for loot, including the Launch Towers, and it holds the Hidden Bunker.
-
Dam BattlegroundsDam Battlegrounds is the ARC Raiders starting map, open by default and rated low difficulty. Its best loot is at the Hydroponic Dome Complex, the Control Tower and Research and Administration, and it has four key rooms plus the Controlled Access Zone.
-
-
-