The distinction matters because Phantom Targets is split into two parts, with Part 1 containing three stages available now, while Part 2 unlocks with Update 1.42 on August 18, 2026. And there is a hard endpoint too: the complete Project ends on September 6, 2026, leaving a limited window to finish both parts and claim every reward.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"
TL;DR<\/p>
- Part 1 of Phantom Targets is live now and does not require waiting for 18 August<\/li>
- Part 2 plus the full event unlock with update 1.42 on 18 August<\/li>
- The opening stage needs no crafting materials, just three cargo elevator visits<\/li>
- Prep time now is better spent on blueprints<\/a>, bench tiers and account XP than sitting idle<\/li>
- Playing ARC Raiders for three hours before the cross-game window closes also unlocks a THE FINALS outfit<\/li><\/ul><\/div>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"table","headers":[{"header_text":"Part"},{"header_text":"Stages covered"},{"header_text":"Status"}],"rows":[{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Part 1"},{"cell_text":"Stages 1-3: antenna repair, then ARC part combat tests"},{"cell_text":"Live now, since 4 August"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Part 2"},{"cell_text":"Stages 4-6 plus the full Phantom Targets event"},{"cell_text":"Unlocks with update 1.42 on 18 August"}]}],"size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Phased Rollout Explained: What's Available Now vs What Arrives on 18 August","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\n
Embark has been shipping this project in two clean halves instead of dropping it all at once, and that staged structure is the entire point of starting early. The useful confirmed gameplay change is that Phantom Targets has started in staged form, so players can begin the new Project now instead of waiting for the August 18 event beat. A normal seasonal event usually opens fully on day one; this one deliberately front-loads the low-effort, no-grind objectives and holds the combat-heavy and reward-heavy back half for the patch that also brings the full event mode.<\/p>\n\n
Warning<\/p>
Reward tables for the second half of the project were not fully public at the time of writing. Full reward tables and the exact item requirements for the later stage are TBC until that patch goes live, so don't overcommit scarce materials assuming a specific stage 4-6 requirement \u2014 that list can still shift before 18 August.<\/p><\/div>\n\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"table","headers":[{"header_text":"What you can do"},{"header_text":"Available now"},{"header_text":"Arrives 18 August"},{"header_text":"What to do while waiting"}],"rows":[{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Stage 1: antenna repair"},{"cell_text":"Yes"},{"cell_text":"\u2014"},{"cell_text":"Finish it in one raid, it takes minutes"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Stages 2-3: ARC part combat tests"},{"cell_text":"Yes"},{"cell_text":"\u2014"},{"cell_text":"Bring Pop Triggers, Wasp Drivers and elemental\/launcher weapons"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Stages 4-6"},{"cell_text":"No, locked"},{"cell_text":"Yes, with update 1.42"},{"cell_text":"Build materials, blueprints and bench tiers instead of grinding blind"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Full Phantom Targets event mode"},{"cell_text":"No"},{"cell_text":"Yes, 18 August through early September"},{"cell_text":"Watch official patch notes for the exact task list"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Tick Hunter cosmetic set"},{"cell_text":"Wishlist only"},{"cell_text":"Yes, purchasable"},{"cell_text":"Decide if the bundle is worth it once contents are final"}]}],"size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Step-by-Step: How to Start Phantom Targets Right Now","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\n\n
Interacting with the antennas gives almost no visible confirmation, which is why many players are confused because the game does not clearly show upgrade progress after interacting with an extraction point, with some Raiders even thinking the objective is bugged. Check the stage counter on the Projects screen after extracting rather than trusting anything you see on the antenna itself.<\/div>\n\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"steps","intro":"Follow this sequence to get it done fast.","steps":[{"title":"Open the Raider menu in Speranza","description":"this is where every active Player Project lives, not the raid loadout screen.","image":null},{"title":"Select the Projects tab","description":"Phantom Targets sits alongside any other running projects.","image":null},{"title":"Open Phantom Targets and read the active stage","description":"right now that means the antenna repair objective.","image":null},{"title":"Head Topside and complete the objective during a raid","description":"for stage 1, upgrade three antennas positioned on top of Cargo Elevators, with eligible Cargo Elevators appearing on Dam Battlegrounds, Spaceport, and Riven Tides.","image":null},{"title":"Return to the Project screen after extracting","description":"the game tracks completion once you're back in Speranza, not mid-raid.","image":null},{"title":"Claim the stage reward to unlock the next stage","description":"repeat for stages 2 and 3 while Part 1 is active.","image":null}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"![\"Arc](\"https:\/\/shared.akamai.steamstatic.com\/store_item_assets\/steam\/apps\/1808500\/c411b8fa5b7bc12943e73a4818edb98c3c7c2fae\/ss_c411b8fa5b7bc12943e73a4818edb98c3c7c2fae.1920x1080.jpg?t=1784099728\")
<\/figure>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"How to Prepare Before 18 August: Materials, Benches and Blueprints","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\nBecause Part 2's exact requirements aren't locked yet, the smartest prep isn't stockpiling a guess \u2014 it's making sure your account isn't gated when the real list drops. The Player Project system historically leans on crafting stations and blueprint tiers for its later stages, and getting your workbenches and blueprint access sorted now means you're not scrambling on 18 August while everyone else is starting from zero. If you haven't looked at which blueprints actually gate your top-tier bench upgrades, the blueprint and bench progression guide<\/a> covers exactly what to prioritize before a project's second half lands.<\/p>\n\n
Account level and XP also quietly matter here, since some reward tiers and unlocked slots scale with account progression rather than the project itself. If you're not sure where your XP is actually coming from raid to raid, the leveling and XP guide<\/a> breaks down which activities move the needle fastest, which is the kind of head start that compounds nicely before a content-heavy patch.<\/p>\n\n
\n6<\/span>Total project stages<\/span><\/div>\n$20<\/span>Tick Hunter Set price<\/span><\/div>\n3h<\/span>Playtime for Azimuth outfit<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"table","headers":[{"header_text":"Map"},{"header_text":"Cargo Elevators for stage 1"},{"header_text":"Notes"}],"rows":[{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Dam Battlegrounds"},{"cell_text":"Multiple in one raid"},{"cell_text":"The fastest method is to stay in a single Dam Battleground raid and visit three different extraction points, often clearing the whole stage in one run"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Spaceport"},{"cell_text":"Available"},{"cell_text":"Works, but extraction points are more spread out than Dam"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Riven Tides"},{"cell_text":"Available"},{"cell_text":"Viable alternative if Dam is contested by other squads"}]}],"size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Cross-Game Bonus: Turn ARC Raiders Playtime Into an Outfit in THE FINALS","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\nSeparate from the project entirely, Embark is running a summer crossover between its two live games, and it's easy to miss because it isn't tied to Phantom Targets at all. Through August 20, players who log 3 hours in ARC Raiders will earn the Azimuth Bundle in THE FINALS. That's a flat playtime requirement, not a challenge list, so any three hours spent doing your normal raids<\/a> or working through Phantom Targets stages 1-3 counts toward it.<\/p>\n
- Playing ARC Raiders for three hours before the cross-game window closes also unlocks a THE FINALS outfit<\/li><\/ul><\/div>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"table","headers":[{"header_text":"Part"},{"header_text":"Stages covered"},{"header_text":"Status"}],"rows":[{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Part 1"},{"cell_text":"Stages 1-3: antenna repair, then ARC part combat tests"},{"cell_text":"Live now, since 4 August"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Part 2"},{"cell_text":"Stages 4-6 plus the full Phantom Targets event"},{"cell_text":"Unlocks with update 1.42 on 18 August"}]}],"size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Phased Rollout Explained: What's Available Now vs What Arrives on 18 August","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\n