Arc Raiders gets a tidy end of year update
Arc Raiders is wrapping up the year with a small but important patch that quietly cleans up some of the more annoying map exploits and vision issues players have been running into. While it is not a huge content drop, Patch 1.6.0 focuses on tightening up the experience, especially for those who love poking at the edges of the map looking for sneaky angles and unintended routes.
This update is also a signal that the game is shifting out of its intense post launch firefighting phase and into a more relaxed update schedule. If you have been logging in every week to see what changed, you can expect that pace to slow down a bit as the team heads into the holiday break.
Here is what you need to know about Arc Raiders Patch 1.6.0 and what it means for the game heading into next year.
What Patch 1.6.0 actually fixes
Patch 1.6.0 is aimed at four very specific issues that mostly revolve around geometry exploits and line of sight problems. In other words, it is all about closing up those cheesy spots that let players slip out of bounds or hit enemies through walls.
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Stella Montis zipline removed
One particular zipline on the Stella Montis map has been taken out because it let players ride straight out of bounds. If you enjoyed exploring forbidden areas or using that position for cheeky combat angles, that shortcut is now gone. -
Blue Gate wall exploit fixed
A collision issue in Blue Gate allowed players to squeeze through a wall and end up where they were never supposed to be. That hole in the level has now been patched so you can no longer slip through. -
Line of sight and bullet blocking bugs
Some objects on the map were not properly blocking bullets or the vision of the Arcs. That meant you could sometimes be shot or detected through cover that looked safe, or projectiles behaved in inconsistent ways. The patch updates those materials so cover works more reliably and the rules of sight and shooting feel fairer. -
Spaceport Launch Tower gap closed
At the Spaceport Launch Tower there was a gap that allowed players to get shot through what appeared to be a solid wall. That has been sealed up, making those firefights more predictable and less frustrating.
For many players these fixes will just make the game feel more consistent. If you ever had that moment where you swore you were behind cover but still took damage, or watched someone abuse a wall glitch, this patch is aimed squarely at those situations.
Some players will definitely miss the exploits. Arc Raiders has already seen a few infamous glitches removed, including a well known door glitch that was previously patched out. Losing those spots can feel like losing secret tech, but long term it usually leads to better balance and less abuse in PVP style encounters.
A new patch cadence and a holiday breather
Alongside the bug fixes, the Arc Raiders team has also clarified how updates will be handled going forward. Since launch the developers at Embark have been patching the game every Thursday, rapidly chasing down the worst issues that surfaced as the player base ramped up.
According to the community manager Ossen, that intense weekly schedule is coming to an end. The team will still jump on critical problems as they come up, but patches will no longer be guaranteed every week. Instead, update windows and store changes will generally land on Tuesdays, and they will happen less frequently than they did right after release.
This is pretty standard for a live service game that has stabilized. The early weeks are always a rush of hotfixes, emergency balancing, and quick turnarounds. Once most of the big fires are out, studios usually settle into a slower cadence that focuses more on planned content updates, quality passes, and longer term improvements.
The timing also lines up with the winter holiday period. The developers are taking a much needed break over the holidays and will be back in January to push new updates. During the break they will still monitor for serious issues and work on anything critical, but you should not expect the same steady stream of patches you may have gotten used to.
For players this means two things. First, the current build of Arc Raiders is likely to be the one you play throughout most of the holiday season, aside from emergency fixes. Second, it is a good sign that the game has reached a healthier baseline state where constant firefighting is no longer required.
What this means for Arc Raiders players
So how does this actually impact your time in Arc Raiders if you are a regular raider?
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Expect fairer firefights
With cover and walls behaving more consistently, especially around the Spaceport and other hot spots, you can trust what you see a little more. If something looks like it should block vision or bullets, it is much more likely to do so now. -
Fewer cheesy hiding spots
If you built your strategy around slipping out of bounds or hiding in bugged geometry, you will need some new tricks. The most abusable map glitches are slowly disappearing, which tends to be good news for competitive integrity and co op fairness. -
Slower but steadier updates
Instead of logging in each week hoping for a surprise change, think of Arc Raiders now as a game that will get more measured updates. When patches arrive, they are more likely to be part of a planned roadmap or significant balance pass rather than quick reactive hotfixes. -
More focus on content in the new year
Once the team returns from their holiday break, the expectation is that they will be better positioned to work on new features, missions, and long term improvements, rather than only fixing emergency issues day to day.
In the meantime it is a good moment to dive into the game’s existing content. There are already plenty of guides out there for field depots, field crates, key quests, and best skills for surviving the surface. With the worst technical hiccups smoothed over and fewer game breaking exploits around, the current version of Arc Raiders might be the most stable and fair experience the game has offered so far.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-latest-mini-update-fixes-a-bunch-of-ratty-exploits-including-the-zipline-that-set-players-free-in-stella-montis-as-embark-announces-its-stepping-back-from-weekly-fixes/
