Embark has just rolled out patch 1.7.0 for Arc Raiders players everywhere. This is a significant patch for the extraction shooter for a number of reasons, not least of which because it kicks off a series of events under the Cold Snap banner, which introduces a new conditions to the game’s maps.
Dig deeper into the patch notes, however, and you’ll find even more to get excited about, including features players have been asking for since the game’s first public test.
To start with, today’s update finally adds an option toggle aiming down sights. This is especially relevant for PC players, most of whom play shooters with an ADS toggle, rather than hold. Another often requested feature has been the ability to reset the game’s skill tree.
This is now available for the cost of 2,000 Coins per skill point. It goes without saying that you’re going to need a whole lot of money to reset the entire thing, but it’s a useful option to have when you want to alter your path.
The next change is one that’s going to ruffle a lot of feathers. Arc Raiders now has a soft Cred cap of 800. This is now clearly shown on your Wallet screen, and the developer said the cap is necessary to prevent players from using their accumulated Cred to unlock new Raider Decks immediately after release.
The good news is that this won’t affect the Cred you may already have, but going forward, 800 is the most you can hold at any point. You’ll also notice that Shani has more stuff for you to buy with Cred, in case you want another way to spend what you have.
Patch 1.7.0 also brings a few other additions – and makes some changes – that are worth highlighting. You can now customise your Raider Tool, which likely means we’re going to see Raider Tool cosmetics going forward.
Speaking of items, the Aphelion weapon blueprint has been moved to Stella Montis, so you won’t be able to get it from taking down the Matriarch. The Bettina, and Rattler have both seen some balance changes.
The Bettina’s durability will now degrade a lot slower per shot, making it take 26 magazines to fully deplete durability. The base magazine size has been increased to 22, and the reload time has been cut to 4.5 seconds. Embark says this should make the weapon more viable in PvP, while also allowing it to stand on its own without the need for players bring a secondary weapon.
As for the Rattler, the only change it gets is an increase to its magazine size from 10 to 12. The idea is to make it about as effective as a Stitcher or Kettle at close ranges when it comes to PvP encounters.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a big Arc Raiders patch without some tweaks to the game’s Arc enemies. This time, the Shredder gets all the love. The menacing unit now moves faster, turns more sharply and doesn’t get knocked back as much when shot.
The Shredder’s head now has more health, too, meaning you won’t be able to shoot it off early and confuse it. In general, the Arc unit should be smarter, especially when navigating narrow spaces. Finally, the Shredder now activates faster upon detecting (and being attacked by) players.
Beyond that, the main menu has seen a few changes to highlight ongoing events, make certain announcements quieter, make it easier to track Raider Quests and more. There’s a lot more in this update, too, such as changes to footstep loudness, several tweaks to loot and the value of certain items, and more besides. You’ll find the full change log on the official website.