New Arc Raiders update nerfs pistol "mag-dumping" and punishes two of the strongest counters to bigger bots

Arc Raiders update 1.3.0 has just arrived, and Embark Studios is tackling one of the most overpowered weapons in the extraction shooter, along with making it a little tougher to bring down big bots. The new patch notes include a Venator nerf, changes to explosive damage that'll see the Hullcracker launcher fall in effectiveness, and a huge price hike for Deadline mines. It's not all bad news for your loadout, however, as the Raider Den has been given a duck-related treat in response to one notable community complaint.

The Venator pistol has been outperforming in PvP combat and has risen the ranks of the best weapons in Arc Raiders, particularly when fully upgraded. Embark notes that it's "capable of outgunning full squads using close-range weapons," which is naturally a problem for one of the best multiplayer games of the year. With a significant drop to the fire rate you get through upgrades, Embark is hoping raiders will "take some more time with their shots rather than mag-dumping the first pour soul they encounter." It's also increased the Venator's weight to match other pistols.

Explosives are the other big change, which seems like a counter to some of the most popular strategies for tackling bigger Arc threats. Explosions have been dealing damage "to more parts at once than intended, allowing weapons like the Hullcracker to kill larger drones too quickly." The damage from that particular launcher has been rebalanced to compensate, but Embark notes that you'll "need a bit more precision" when using it, particularly against larger-sized foes.

Embark has also increased the price of the Deadline mine dramatically (from 8,100 Coins to 15,000, with the sell value raised from 3,000 to 5,000). The stock the trader carries is also down from three to just one, and the crafting cost has slightly increased. The device is another popular tactic for handling larger bots, given the damage it deals, so it seems that Embark is forcing us to rethink our counter strategies somewhat.

Barricades can no longer be placed overlapping your character, which should further clamp down on exploits that allowed players to clip through walls and into locked rooms. Several collision glitches and broken spawns on the new Arc Raiders Stella Montis map have been fixed, and improved ground detection should reduce instances of "erratic movement" for characters on angled terrain.

The Shredder has been given an overhaul - reduced turn speed, improved braking, and stiffer suspension should give it steadier combat behavior without getting stuck on parts of the map. There are quite a few other tweaks to tackle minor issues, but perhaps the most fun is that the Raider Den has been "ducked out." Based on the image above, this is Embark's response to a player complaining that they were only able to display nine of the more than 300 rubber ducks they'd collected while playing in their base.

Arc Raiders update 1.3.0 is out now. Check the full patch notes courtesy of Embark Studios for a complete rundown of all tweaks and bug fixes to make sure you know what you're up against.