Let’s dive into everything coming with the Northline Update, including the brand-new Breaking New Ground community event, the chilling Stella Montis region, new Ark enemies, powerful weapons, and important player-friendly changes to matchmaking and cosmetics.
Breaking New Ground: The Community Unlock Event
Starting November 13th at 1:30 a.m. Pacific (4:30 a.m. Eastern), players will take part in Breaking New Ground — a global community event centered around uncovering a network of sealed tunnels beneath Sparansza. According to Embark, someone went to great lengths to keep whatever lies beneath under wraps, and it’s now up to the raiders to break through.
To participate, players must contribute resources to the tunnel restoration project. This includes all five basic crafting materials:
• Chemicals
• Fabric
• Metal
• Plastic
• Rubber parts
Anyone who has played at least five rounds is eligible to join, making it a truly community-wide effort. Donations will earn you Merits, a new event currency that fuels the next phase of progression. There’s a cap on how many Merits can be earned, but continuing to donate will still push the project forward, helping the entire community unlock the next map faster.
Once the community completes the restoration, the tunnels will lead to Stella Montis — the fifth playable map in ARC Raiders.
Stella Montis: Humanity’s Frozen Legacy
Carved deep into the northern mountains, Stella Montis is an abandoned facility that’s said to be better preserved than the decaying Rust Belt. Cold, sterile, and hauntingly beautiful, it reflects what humanity left behind during its desperate push toward the stars.
Unlocking Stella Montis will kick off Phase 2: “Staking Our Claim”, a new limited-time progression track featuring personal rewards and challenges running until December.
With the ARC Raiders player base currently surging, this community milestone could be reached in mere days — so if you want to be part of history, gather your ARC Raiders materials early and start donating once the event begins.
New Ark Enemies: The Matriarch and The Shredder
The Northline Update isn’t just about exploration — it’s also about survival. Embark confirmed two new Ark enemies joining the fray, both designed to push players to their limits:
• The Matriarch – An enormous Ark machine that makes the Queen look tame by comparison. She appears only under specific map conditions and is likely the mysterious giant teased in an earlier trailer.
• The Shredder – First encountered in Stella Montis, this enemy thrives in close-quarters combat. Expect a fight similar in difficulty to elite foes like Bastions, Bombarders, and Rocketeers.
According to Embark, raiders who brave Stella Montis will uncover rare resources, unique gameplay items, and possibly schematics for long-lost technology.
New Weapons, Mines, and Grenades
To help players stand a chance against these threats, Embark is expanding the ARC Raiders arsenal:
• New Legendary Weapon: Aelion Rifle
• Three New Deployable Mines: Pulse Mine, Deadline Mine, and Gas Mine
• Two New Grenades: Trailblazer Grenade and Seeker Grenade
These additions dramatically expand the tactical options available to players. Whether you’re defending against Ark forces or dueling rival raiders, the update encourages more creative and varied combat strategies.
Quality of Life Upgrades: Duo Queue, Pricing Fixes, and Fair Play
Embark is also delivering some highly requested improvements in the Northline Update:
Duo Queue Matchmaking
Players can now queue as duos, alongside the existing solo and trio options. The matchmaking system will prioritize:
1. Solos with solos
2. Duos with duos
3. Trios with trios
While not guaranteed every time, this structure aims to keep matches balanced and fair.
Cosmetic Price Reductions
In response to community feedback, Embark has reviewed and lowered cosmetic prices across the in-game store. Players who purchased ARC Raiders items at the old prices will receive automatic refunds in Raider Tokens — a huge gesture of goodwill that’s rarely seen in live-service games.
This move solidifies Embark’s reputation for listening to its community and resisting the urge to over-monetize.
Free Raider Decks and Transparent Monetization
Embark also clarified how progression and monetization will work moving forward:
• Every player currently has access to one free Raider Deck.
• In the future, there will be both free and premium Raider Decks.
• Gameplay items are exclusive to the free decks.
• Premium decks will only feature cosmetics and convenience items — no pay-to-win mechanics.
This level of transparency is refreshing and shows that Embark intends to keep ARC Raiders fair and rewarding for both free and paying players.
What’s Next: The Cold Snap Update
While the Northline Update already offers plenty to chew on, Embark confirmed that the next major update — Cold Snap — will launch in December, continuing the storylines and expanding the gameplay loop even further.
Final Thoughts
The Northline Update marks a major step forward for ARC Raiders. In just two weeks since launch, Embark has shown an impressive level of commitment to community-driven development, rolling out new content, gameplay systems, and fairness-focused improvements at lightning speed.
Between the Breaking New Ground event, the mysterious Stella Montis map, terrifying new Ark enemies, and expanded weaponry, the future of ARC Raiders looks brighter — and colder — than ever.