Arc Raiders lore explained ahead of the next big update
Embark Studios’ upcoming Frozen Trail update for Arc Raiders will mark the game’s largest content expansion yet, finally diving into the sci-fi extraction shooter’s long-mysterious lore. The update will explore the origin of Arc—the game’s central element that has sparked fan speculation since launch—with Embark teasing that players will “begin uncovering” answers to foundational questions like “What are Arc and where do they come from?”
The community has been theorizing about Arc’s nature and backstory for some time, with scattered clues hidden throughout the game world. Notably, additional lore breadcrumbs may be found in The Finals, Embark Studios’ other property—a futuristic multiplayer arena FPS. Despite Arc Raiders being in development prior to The Finals, the two games appear to share a connected narrative universe, allowing players to piece together worldbuilding across both titles.
This update represents a notable shift in direction for Arc Raiders, which has historically prioritized extraction-based gameplay over narrative worldbuilding. With Frozen Trail, Embark appears ready to deepen its universe and reward longtime players with substantive lore answers to their longstanding questions.