Arc Raiders just got its first real balance shake up
Arc Raiders patch 1.3.0 is here, and this time it is more than a list of small bug fixes and quiet crafting tweaks. The update finally takes a swing at some of the games strongest gear, gives raiders a better shot at a legendary weapon, and secretly upgrades one of the most important features of all: rubber ducks in your Raider Den.
If you are new to Arc Raiders or still getting used to its economy and weapons, this patch is a good moment to reset your expectations. The meta is shifting, especially for players who love intense player versus player encounters or rely on explosives to control the battlefield.
Here is what matters and how it will change your next run.
Venator nerfed and pacing slowed down
The Venator pistol has been the quiet monster of Arc Raiders PvP. While the Anvil grabbed most of the hype, the Venator sat in the background deleting players with almost unfair speed. It fires two shots at once and could drop an enemy before they had time to react, especially when fully upgraded.
Patch 1.3.0 finally reins it in. The Venator still hits hard but it no longer lets you melt targets at absurd speed while staying feather light.
- Incremental fire rate upgrades have been reduced from 22, 44, and 60 percent to 13, 26, and 40 percent.
- Weapon weight has been increased from 2 kilograms to 5 kilograms.
The developers say they want players to slow down and aim instead of emptying the mag into the first player they see. Damage and accuracy remain untouched, so the core identity of the Venator is still there. You just need to pick your shots and you pay a heavier weight cost for bringing it along.
The weight change also brings the pistol in line with other weapons in its class. Before this patch the Venator was punching well above its slot both in power and in how little it dragged on your loadout. Now you have a real choice to make when building a kit. If you insist on keeping the Venator for PvP, expect to feel the tradeoff.
Explosives and launcher ammo get rebalanced
Explosives were another quiet source of power that needed attention. Two things stand out in this patch: a big hit to the Deadline mine and some helpful changes to launcher ammo and the Hullcracker.
Deadline mine: more pain for your wallet
The Deadline mine has been a menace for anyone unlucky enough to wander into its blast radius. To match that power, the devs have pushed its cost and resource requirements way up.
- Buy price increased from 8,100 Coins to 15,000 Coins.
- Sell value increased slightly from 3,000 Coins to 5,000 Coins.
- Crafting recipe changed from 2 Explosive compound and 1 Synthesized fuel to 3 Explosive compound and 2 ARC Circuitry.
- Trader stock cut from 3 mines to 1 per refresh.
In simple terms, Deadline is now a premium tool instead of a casual staple. Using it will hurt your economy, and crafting it demands rarer components. You can still pull off nasty traps and boss damage, but you will think twice before scattering these mines everywhere.
Launcher ammo and the Hullcracker
On the flip side, launcher ammo just got more accessible and a bit more friendly to people who want to hunt boss Arcs.
- You can now craft launcher ammo without needing a specific blueprint from Tian Wen.
- Store prices have shifted. Instead of 10 rounds for 6,000 Coins, you now get 6 rounds for 4,500 Coins.
- Sell value has gone up from 200 to 250 per round.
- The crafting recipe changed from 6 rounds for 4 Metal parts and 1 Explosive compound to 6 rounds for 1 ARC Motion Core and 2 Crude Explosives.
Overall, the ammo is easier to get into circulation earlier and is tuned around more specialized materials. This looks like a direct nudge towards using the Hullcracker more often. If you have been ignoring launcher builds because of ammo headaches, this patch makes that style more attractive and sustainable.
Aphelion blueprint drop rate and a den full of ducks
There is also good news for legendary hunters. The Aphelion, one of only three legendary weapons in Arc Raiders and already hyped as a top tier gun, has had its blueprint drop rate increased. The patch notes do not spill exact numbers, but the message is clear. If you have been grinding and never seeing it, your odds should finally feel reasonable.
This change matters because legendary weapons define long term goals. Without a realistic chance of landing the blueprint, a lot of that excitement disappears. With a better drop rate, more players will actually get to build and experiment with Aphelion, instead of only hearing about it in tier lists.
Then there is the most on brand note in the entire update. Buried under miscellaneous changes is the line that your Raider Den has been ducked out. While the patch notes do not fully explain it, the community has already connected the dots. It almost certainly means your den can show more rubber ducks.
If that sounds oddly specific, it is because of a famous Reddit post where a player collected over 600 rubber ducks but could only display nine of them in their den. The new patch seems to be a quiet gift to that collector and anyone else who treats duck hoarding as endgame content.
Is it useful? Not at all. Is it memorable and very Arc Raiders in spirit? Absolutely.
What this patch means for your next run
Patch 1.3.0 is not a total overhaul but it hits a few very important levers.
- Venator mains need to adapt to a slower, heavier pistol that still rewards accuracy.
- Deadline mines are now rare and expensive tools instead of everyday gear.
- Launcher builds and the Hullcracker in particular get a gentle boost through easier ammo crafting.
- Legend chasers have a better shot at the Aphelion blueprint.
- And everyone gets a little more personality in their Raider Den, especially if they love rubber ducks.
If you have been away from the game for a while, this patch is a great excuse to log back in, rebuild your loadouts, and see how the new balance feels. Expect your usual tricks to cost more, your pistols to demand more precision, and your den to look a lot more like a chaotic toy shelf.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-patch-notes-1-3/
