Arc Raiders' North Line update brings its first global community event, and it's time to start emptying out those stashes

Arc Raiders is very much the current hotness in shooterland; at least, if you're not glued to Battlefield 6. Embark Studios' approachable take on the often-unforgiving extraction shooter has seen players head to Speranza in their droves. Some target everything that moves, while others take the diplomatic route and forge temporary alliances with nearby players. Regardless of your playstyle in the multiplayer game, you're going to need to start piling up some serious resources. As part of the freshly announced North Line update, which promises a brand-new map, some terrifying Arc enemies, and more, Embark has revealed its first global community event, Breaking New Ground, which requires you and your fellow raiders to pool your loot into a mass-rebuilding effort.

The Arc Raiders North Line update is set to introduce Stella Montis: a ruinous map that's described as "cold, sterile, and steeped in mystery." However, Embark isn't going to release the map - you are. You see, in Breaking New Ground, our collective task will have us coughing up the goods to help rebuild the tunnels connecting to Stella Montis. Contributing earns you Merits, which all go towards the second phase of the event, 'Staking Our Claim.' Embark says "the release timing of Stella Montis will be set by community progress," so we better get started sharpish. Of course, the new map isn't the only reward for taking part, as entering Phase 2 will trigger a new progression track filled with rewards. This is only available until December, so we'd better get on it double-sharpish.

Arc Raiders' first major update will also unleash two new mechanized monstrosities to make our lives that much more difficult. The Matriarch "makes the Queen look friendly by comparison," and appears "under specific map conditions." I've spent quite enough time being blown to pieces by Bombadiers, so I'll be giving that a real wide berth. The second new addition is the Shredder. This Stella Montis-exclusive Arc will, naturally, arrive as soon as we've unlocked the new map. Embark notes that it'll force us "to stay sharp in close-quarters encounters." I've rolled away from many Pops in my Arc Raiders career so far, so I feel suitably ready for this one.

To aid the effort, Embark's also treating us to some extra tools of the trade: the Energy Burst Battle Rifle, as well as the Impulse, Timed, and Gas Jump mines. Should the latter prove effective, I can imagine bunkering down those zesty loot rooms will get even easier. There are also two new playstyles: Lone Wolf and Trailblazer. I'm not entirely sure how these will work, but I'm going to assume Lone Wolf gives you a helping hand if you're queuing solo.

Speaking of queuing, Embark has revealed in a separate post that, earlier this week, it sneakily enabled duo queue. Now, if it's just you and a homie, you're far more likely to end up in lobbies filled with pairs of players. The studio notes this isn't a 100% guaranteed system, so do keep an eye out for the odd trio here and there. I play most of my games as part of a duo, so I'm thrilled to see duo queue finally get added. That being said, I will miss completely dogwalking trios from time to time.

The Arc Raiders North Line update will launch on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 1:30am PT / 4:30am ET / 9:30am GMT.

Embark is also planning to drop the prices for some of its cosmetics when the North Line update goes live, so hold off for now if you're planning on investing in some new raider drip.