11 January 2026

ARC Raiders Dev Discusses Upcoming Balance Update for January 2026

By newsgame

ARC Raiders design lead Virgil Watkins is teasing some major changes to the game with its next balance update, adjusting both the Kettle rifle and Trigger Nades. The shooter from Embark Studios has been one of the biggest breakout stories in the gaming industry throughout recent months, with the game seeing huge success following its late October launch. ARC Raiders saw player counts on Steam that rivaled mega-popular franchises like Battlefield and Call of Duty after its debut, and has already sold more than 12 million copies. A big reason for that sustained success has been Embark’s support for the game.

ARC Raiders has received consistent updates since its release, bringing everything from bug fixes and balance adjustments to new content. With the exception of a break during the holidays, ARC Raiders has consistently released new patches for the game every week, resuming its update cycle with the 1.7.3 update on January 10. The Cold Snap update in December even brought a brand-new map condition to the game, with heavy wintry weather masking footsteps and reducing visibility. ARC Raiders is now preparing to make some significant changes to a pair of weapons as part of the game’s next new patch.

‘We’re Looking at Revisions On That’ ARC Raiders Looks To Improve Expeditions Despite Large Number Who Reset Already

ARC Raiders reveals how many players took part in its first optional wipe while teasing plans to improve and incentivize Expeditions going forward.

ARC Raiders is Changing The Kettle and Trigger Nades

During a recent interview with GamesRadar, ARC Raiders design lead Virgil Watkins spoke on some of the changes in the next update. The Kettle is set to be one of the biggest focuses of adjustments in the next balance patch, with Embark Studios planning to lower the fire rate cap on the gun. Trigger Nades will also receive some notable changes in ARC Raiders‘ next January update, changing the falloff curve for the grenades and requiring players to be more accurate with the explosive weapons. The Kettle and Trigger Nade changes are set to arrive to ARC Raiders as part of the game’s January 13 balance patch.

The ARC Raiders dev went more in-depth about why Embark is eyeing the particular changes to the Kettle and Trigger Nades as well. Watkins pointed to videos of ARC Raiders players exploiting the high cap on the Kettle, noting that players firing near the limit could “insta-kill” other players. Watkins cites the studio as wanting players to be more accurate with ARC Raiders‘ Trigger Nades, while also adjusting the lead time on throwing the grenade so it doesn’t detonate immediately. Watkins even hinted at some future changes to the weapons, suggesting that the dev team is considering where the weapons “sit on the rarity spectrum.”

ARC Raiders Has Been a Breakout Hit for Embark Studios

ARC Raiders‘ early popularity has already led to the game collecting some hardware from different awards shows to close out 2025. Despite only releasing just over a month before the awards show, ARC Raiders captured “Best Multiplayer Game” at the 2025 Game Awards. The Steam Awards also saw a strong showing for Embark Studios’ newest game, winning “Most Innovative Gameplay” and receiving a nomination for “Game of the Year.” The shooter has even been longlisted for six different awards at the British Academy Games Awards, set to be held in April.

arc-raiders-first-person-shooter-camera-exploit

For all the success ARC Raiders has already seen, 2026 is likely to hold lots to excite fans of the shooter. Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund recently confirmed that several studios have already expressed interest in creating an ARC Raiders TV or film adaptation. The game has seen some criticism from fans for its use of generative AI, both with art assets and voices, though the controversy has done little to slow down the game’s rise. ARC Raiders fans should keep a close eye on the shooter as Embark looks to bring even more new content to its breakout hit.