ARC Raiders Teases 2026 Roadmap and New Maps

Embark Studios has revealed plans to release multiple maps for ARC Raiders over the next 12 months, each of which is expected to vary in size. The studio behind The Finals and ARC Raiders wasted no time in releasing a new map for its hit extraction shooter following its launch in October, with Stella Montis arriving as part of a free content update in November. But with 2026 now in full swing, the ARC Raiders community is eager to know what Embark has in store for the year ahead.

While some speculated that ARC Raiders was doomed to fail, largely because it launched smack bang in the middle of Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, it’s proven to be one of the biggest hits of last year and is still going strong into 2026. According to Embark’s parent company, Nexon, ARC Raiders has sold over 12 million copies in its first three months and even achieved over 960,000 concurrent players across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC earlier this month. While Embark’s first title, The Finals, was generally well received, ARC Raiders has been a smash hit for the studio, receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews from both players and critics. But with so much success comes the desire for more, as fans eagerly await new content.

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ARC Raiders Will Release Multiple New Maps In 2026

It may have only been two months ago that ARC Raiders released Stella Montis, the small-scale, PvP-centric map. But it looks like the studio is already gearing up to release multiple other maps over the next 12 months, all of which will vary in size. In a new interview with GamesRadar, design lead Virgil Watkins told the outlet that there will be “multiple maps coming this year.” Although the developer didn’t reveal any specifics, such as the release date for the game’s next map, Watkins did say they will be “across a spectrum of size to try to facilitate different types of gameplay. So you might see some that are smaller, and you might see some that are even grander than what we’ve got now.”

Anybody who has jumped into Stella Montis will know that it is not only one of the game’s most confusing maps in terms of layout, but it’s also the hotspot for anybody looking for some PvP action in ARC Raiders. As for whether or not future maps will have a similar vibe, or if they’ll be more PvE focused, Watkins said, “When you create a dense interior that’s sort of spider nest-y, it’s going to evoke that, right? Certainly, the style of play, or the predominant play that’s going to happen there, is a factor in that.”

The developer says it also comes down to performance, as there can only be a certain number of ARC and real players on a map “before the server explodes and we can’t run anymore.” He then notes how Dam Battlegrounds, the very first ARC Raiders map players get to experience, is “kind of right up to the line for performance because it has some pretty far vistas, and it’s also very dense and quite complicated in terms of the number of props and actors and buildings and stuff there.”

As of writing, there’s still no 2026 roadmap for ARC Raiders, but with Embark now finally confirming that multiple maps will be released over the next 12 months, it might not be long before the studio pulls back the curtain completely. There have been some pretty strong rumors and leaks regarding a new Toxic Swamp map modifier, which could arrive as early as next week now that the Cold Snap event has come to an end. Players recently discovered in-game evidence that stated the new map modifier would arrive the week of January 19, but with just a few days left to go, Embark has yet to make an official announcement.

The studio recently released the first significant update of 2026, bringing a handful of important balance adjustments and bug fixes. Patch 1.11.0 was massively anticipated by the ARC Raiders community, as it finally nerfed the Trigger Nade following the item’s domination in almost 99% of PvP encounters. Embark has reduced the damage range of the grenade while also delaying the time between triggering and detonation. The Kettle also received a nerf, lowering its fire rate as a way to combat players using macros to fire the weapon at a much faster rate than humanly possible.

Released

October 30, 2025

ESRB

Teen / Violence, Blood