ARC Raiders Frozen Trail: Pendola Pass, Outpost and PvE Test

The ARC Raiders Frozen Trail update is scheduled for 8 October 2026. It adds the Pendola Pass map, the Frigate, three new ARC enemies, a Raider Den extension called the Outpost, and a fifth weapon quality level for 15 guns. Five days later, from 13 to 20 October, Embark Studios will run a separate, temporary PvE toggle test. This page covers the announced additions, the separate PvE test and the details not stated in those previews.

Pendola Pass is the new map. Embark describes an old Italian village and Exodus transport hub beyond the peaks around the Rust Belt, preserved by icy air. It has a supermarket, a lifeless town square, an observatory and a buried train depot. The main draw is a fallen Emperor. In the words of the official Frozen Trail First Look, the job is to “get there, and find a way inside.” The same post mentions flash freezes cutting through the valley, and the closing section lists a new Map Condition among the 8 October additions. If you want to compare it with how map conditions already work, the 1.42.0 regional map conditions explainer shows how they work today.

The Frigate is one of ARC’s largest vessels, sent to patrol Pendola Pass after the Emperor fell. You have to find a way aboard, navigate its internal passageways, unlock paths and defend yourself against ARC. Other Raiders will be competing for the same prize in close quarters, hundreds of feet in the air.

The Outpost is a Raider Den extension located between the Rust Belt and the mountain range. You customise it with different modules and furnish the interiors. Embark calls it “the first step to reclaiming parts of the surface” and the start of a feature it plans to develop further.

The Research Workstation sits inside the Outpost and gives access to higher levels of weapon customisation and modding. Once it is fully upgraded, it opens a fifth quality level for a range of guns, called Amplified Weapons. At that level you unlock a branching path of abilities and enhancements that can completely change how a weapon behaves. Embark gives three examples: a fully automatic Burletta, a Renegade with a scope, and a Rattler with incendiary bullets and a 64-round magazine. The feature rolls out to 15 weapons at launch, with more planned.

The First Look does not state Research Workstation costs, its number of upgrade tiers, or the full list of 15 eligible weapons.

Crafting recipes, stats and unlock requirements for these items aren’t in the First Look.

The rework is official. The closing section of the 23 September post lists “a Skill Tree rework including new and improved skills” among the 8 October additions, next to new questlines and a new Map Condition. In a press Q&A, Embark said it reworked skills to be more impactful and to force players to make choices about their playstyle. According to Dork’s report of executive producer Aleksander Grøndal’s comments, the tree keeps its general structure but requires choosing between abilities rather than unlocking everything. The 23 September First Look does not name individual added or removed skills or provide enough detail to map a current build to the reworked tree.

This is a separate announcement from 24 September. The toggle isn’t part of the 8 October launch itself. During the test you will be able to switch between the classic PvPvE experience and a PvE experience with zero player-to-player damage, focused only on the ARC threat and co-op. Embark hasn’t published the exact menu name or location of the toggle.

Who gets matched together

PvE sessions include Solos, Duos and Trios in the same session, and the system is designed for seamless switching, for example a relaxed solo PvE run followed by a tense PvPvE match. Your PvPvE matchmaking rating isn’t affected by time spent in PvE. The 1.39.0 matchmaking changes give background on how the normal queue sorts players.

What is excluded

Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate and Frigate are excluded from PvE matchmaking because they are built around higher tension and the uncertainty of meeting other players. That means you can’t run the new Frigate in PvE during the test.

When it ends

The toggle is removed when the test ends on 20 October, and matchmaking goes back to standard PvPvE. Embark says this is not a promise of a permanent PvE mode. A future version could look very different, or the feature might not return at all.

Embark justified the test with its own population survey. The post does not state the method or sample size. The split is 37% friendly co-op players, 27% mixed and 34% pure PvP. 51% of the surveyed playerbase expressed interest in a dedicated PvE option.

What changes inside PvE sessions

Embark lists two differences. Overall loot value is lower, to offset the relative safety. And if ARC down you, be careful crawling: they can pick you up as a target again while you move, but ignore you if you stay still. To balance the economy during the test, PvPvE sessions get slightly higher baseline loot values.

Frozen Trail replaces Raider Decks with the Reward Pass. Embark describes it as their evolution, built to let you try the new items from the update.

The Collector Set DLC includes both the free and premium Reward Passes, plus the Renzo cosmetic set, the Dragon’s Breath weapon stencil, the Bob hairstyle and 2,400 Raider Tokens. The First Look doesn’t give the Premium Pass price, and it doesn’t say whether gear or levels carry over at launch.

Sources and Confidence

This table separates what the studio has confirmed and what is not confirmed yet. Each claim below is tied to the post and the game version it describes.