Live Update 1.45.0 – Ascending the Mountain
ARC Raiders Live Update 1.45.0 went live on September 8, 2026, and it is the last Live Update before Frozen Trail arrives on October 8. The headline items are Raider Project: Ascending the Mountain, the Hornet Hunter Set, the start of Expedition 5, the community Rubber Ducks, and a hard expiry date on Cred.
Embark has confirmed one smaller update is still planned between now and October 8, so this is not the final patch of the season. Restart the game to pull the download.
What actually changed in update 1.45.0
This is a housekeeping patch with a currency deadline attached. There is no new map, no weapon rebalance beyond a single sway change, and no economy rework yet.
The two entries most likely to change your next raid are the new severe over-encumbrance tier and the Matriarch stomp fix. Cred also expires on October 8th.
We have already updated our Event Timers page to reflect the Expedition 5 window and the October 8 cutoff.
Full change list at a glance
Every line below comes from the official 1.45.0 patch notes, with our read on what it means once you are in a raid.
| Change | Category | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Raider Project: Ascending the Mountain added | Content | New project chain following the phantom ARC signals, with Apollo asking for schematic work |
| Hornet Hunter Set available | Cosmetics | New set in the game, though the notes do not state the acquisition method (TBC) |
| Expedition 5 begins | Progression | The fifth wipe cycle starts now, and it is the last one before 2027 |
| Cred retired, expires October 8 | Economy | Spend all remaining Cred with Shani or on Raider Deck rewards before Frozen Trail |
| Community Rubber Ducks added | Cosmetics | Three community-designed ducks are now placeable in your Raider Den in Bird City |
| Snitch Scanner spawn table changed | ARC | Scanners now spawn ARC like a regular Snitch, but with a lower chance of stronger ARC |
| Severe over-encumbrance tier added | Gameplay | Go far enough over your weight limit and you are locked to walking, with no sprint or jump |
| Expedition departure no longer force-resets quests | Progression | Quest resets are now a choice you make when departing, not an automatic wipe |
| Matriarch stomp no longer hits through tall cover | Gameplay | Hard cover works against the stomp again, including when standing on top of her |
| Aphelion weapon sway reduced | Weapons | Steadier hold for long-range shots on the Aphelion Rifle |
| ARC Turbine mines can now be pinged | Gameplay | You can call out Turbine mines to your squad instead of describing them |
| Unreal Engine upgraded from 5.3 to 5.7 | Performance | Engine-level change under the hood, so expect a settings and driver sanity check |
| Landing on moving surfaces fixed | Gameplay | You follow a moving surface on landing rather than mid-air |
| Quick item cycling rebindable separately | Quality of life | Fewer accidental item swaps after closing the quick-use wheel |
| Matchmaking error messages improved | UI | Clearer reasons when a queue fails, including crossplay mismatches |
Cred expiration: what to spend it on before October 8
Cred is being retired as a currency ahead of the Raider Deck rework, and any balance left on your account expires when the Frozen Trail update lands on October 8. Rewards you have already claimed stay with you, and Embark has confirmed all existing Raider Deck rewards will also appear in the new system.
That last point matters for how you spend. Since the Deck rewards carry over into the replacement system, Shani purchases are the safer sink for a balance you cannot otherwise clear.
- Shani stock: Anything consumable or useful in-raid holds its value through the wipe, because it converts Cred into items you can actually use before October 8.
- Raider Deck rewards: Still worth claiming, but they are the entries confirmed to exist in the new system, so they are the lower-priority spend if your balance is small.
- Leftover balance: Nothing carries over, so a Cred balance on October 8 is simply lost.
If you are unsure what a purchase is worth in raid terms, cross-check it against our Loot Value Tiers page before committing.
Raider Project: Ascending the Mountain
Raider work has turned up clues about the phantom ARC signals that Shani has been worried about, and the trail leads to the mountain range beyond the reach of the Tube system. Apollo is working on an experimental route there and wants Raiders who can read schematics and stay unseen.
Quest and project entries are tracked on our ARC Raiders quest database as we verify them.
Expedition 5 and the quest reset change
Expedition 5 starts with this update, and it is the last Expedition before early 2027. Our 5th Expedition breakdown covers the three-week window and the removal of the last call mechanic.
The practical change in 1.45.0 is that starting an Expedition no longer resets your quests by default. You now pick whether to reset when you depart, which turns a forced wipe into a planning decision.
- Keep your quests: Best if you are mid-chain on a long quest line and want to finish it after departing.
- Reset on departure: Best if you want a clean board of early quests to farm for progression from the start of the cycle.
- Either way: The choice is made at the point of departure, so decide before you commit rather than after.
Plan the rest of the cycle with our Workshop Planner so upgrade material targets line up with the wipe.
The new severe over-encumbrance tier
There is now an extra over-encumbrance tier that kicks in when you carry well above your loadout weight limit. At that tier your movement is restricted to walking, with sprinting and jumping both disabled.
The notes do not publish the weight threshold that triggers it, so the exact figure is TBC until we confirm it in-game. What is confirmed is the penalty, and it is a hard one for extract runs.
The related UI fix helps here. The loadout weight indicator now updates as soon as you drop part of a stack, so you can shed ammo or crafting mats and see the weight drop live rather than guessing.
- Loot order matters: Fill on high-value, low-weight items first, since the penalty is movement rather than a slower sprint.
- Drop stacks, not slots: Partial stack drops now register instantly on the weight indicator, which makes trimming to the limit faster.
Weapon and ARC changes worth knowing
The only weapon touch in 1.45.0 is reduced sway on the 
Aphelion Rifle, aimed at aiming stability. Embark has not published a sway value, so the size of the change is TBC and best judged in the Practice Range.
Two ARC entries also change how fights play out. Snitch Scanners now spawn ARC in line with a regular 
Snitch, but with a lower chance of the stronger variants, and the 
Matriarch stomp no longer damages you through tall cover or while you are stood on top of her.
ARC Turbine mines can also be pinged now, which is the smallest change here with the largest squad benefit.
Unreal Engine 5.7: what the upgrade means for you
ARC Raiders has moved from Unreal Engine 5.3 to 5.7 in this patch. Engine jumps of this size usually shift how graphics settings and upscalers behave, so a settings pass on your first launch is worth the two minutes.
This is also the context for the known crash reports below. Verify your own performance before drawing conclusions from other players’ reports, because driver and platform combinations vary widely.
Community Rubber Ducks
The three winning designs from the Rubber Duck Design Contest are in the game. Head to Bird City to display them in your Raider Den, with credit to designers gekko.rar, im_AshCheeks, and nassguhl.
Full patch notes for update 1.45.0
Here is the complete change list from Embark, grouped as it appears in the official notes.
ARC
- Snitch Scanners: Now spawn ARC similarly to the regular Snitch, but with a lower chance for stronger ARC.
Audio
- Equalizer: Fixed the firing sound effect playing when holstering.
- Voice chat: Fixed voice chat not working when Raider Voice was enabled.
Customization
- Rawhide headgear: Fixed the headgear staying on with the toggle set to off.
- Boonie outfit: Available from September 15.
Gameplay
- Moving surfaces: Landing on a moving surface now makes you follow that surface on landing, rather than while still in the air.
- Quick item cycling: Can now be rebound separately from the quick-use wheel, or disabled, and both can share a key to prevent unintended item swaps after closing the wheel.
- ARC Turbine mines: Fixed an issue where they could not be pinged.
- Aphelion: Weapon sway reduced to improve aiming stability.
- Expeditions: Starting an Expedition no longer resets your quests by default, and you now choose whether to reset when departing.
- Matriarch: Fixed the stomp damaging players through tall cover or while standing on top of the Matriarch.
- Over-encumbrance: Added a new severe tier when carrying well above your loadout weight limit, restricting movement to walking and disabling sprinting and jumping.
Stability
- PS5: Fixed a crash that could occur shortly after starting a session.
- Key input: Fixed a crash from rapidly pressing certain keys during gameplay.
- Squads: Fixed cases where a squad could become stuck after a squadmate signed out and rejoined, blocking ready-up and preventing matchmaking from starting.
Performance
- Engine: Unreal Engine upgraded from 5.3 to 5.7.
UI
- Loadout weight: The weight indicator now updates directly when dropping parts of a stack.
- Skill Tree: Visual tweaks added to selected nodes.
- Map markers: Fixed some distance-based markers not appearing correctly.
- Pick-up prompt: Now shows “loadout full” when trying to pick up an item with a full inventory.
- Matchmaking: Clearer error messaging when you go offline while queuing or when crossplay settings are incompatible.
If the Skill Tree changes have you rethinking a build, our Skill Tree builder mirrors the in-game nodes.
Known issues in update 1.45.0
Embark has listed the following as still open. Anything on this list is worth factoring into your session plan.
- Phantom Targets: The second part of the project could not be started for some players, and compensation is planned for a future update.
- Xbox Series S: Multiple stability improvements target Series S crashes, and further reports are being requested.
- PC crashes: Crashing tied to Windows Update KB5121003 is still under investigation, with a workaround posted on the official ARC Raiders Discord while a fix is worked on.
- Epic platform: Sudden loss of keyboard input, with disabling overlays or alt-tabbing out and back in as the current advice.
- Trigger ‘Nade: The throw animation may fail to play when detonating immediately after throwing.
- Weapon swap: The swap animation may appear broken when swapping right after vaulting.
- Baron Husk: Player animations may break when a search is interrupted.
- Hidden Bunker: Shredders float to the ceiling in some rooms.
- Leapers: Can jump through the ARC Turbine.
- Riding ARC: Shots taken while riding ARC may not register correctly.
- Flashlights: Some doors let flashlight beams pass through instead of blocking the light.
- Outfits: Clipping issues with the Triumph, Reaver, and Azimuth outfits.
Several of these carried over from the previous cycle, including the KB5121003 crashes, the Trigger ‘Nade animation, and the Hidden Bunker Shredders. Weekly objectives are unaffected, and our Weekly Trials page tracks the current rotation.
Frequently asked questions
When does Cred expire in ARC Raiders?
Cred remains usable until October 8, when the Frozen Trail update launches. Any balance left on your account at that point expires, so spend it with Shani or on Raider Deck rewards first.
Do I lose Raider Deck rewards I have already claimed?
No. Rewards claimed before the update stay with you, and Embark has confirmed existing Raider Deck rewards will also be available in the new reward system.
Does starting Expedition 5 reset my quests?
Not automatically. As of 1.45.0 you choose whether to reset quests when you depart, so you can keep a quest chain live across the departure.
Is this the last update before Frozen Trail?
It is the last Live Update before October 8, but a smaller update is still planned in the meantime, per the official 5th Expedition announcement and the 1.45.0 notes.
What is the new over-encumbrance limit?
Embark has confirmed the penalty but not the weight threshold. At the severe tier you are limited to walking with sprinting and jumping disabled, and we will update this page with the confirmed threshold once it is verified in-game.
For everything else in the current cycle, our ARC Raiders hub collects the maps, database, and guides in one place.
