ARC Raiders Live Update 2.3.0 brings the new Souls Offering player project, the Noxious Set, and a long list of gameplay fixes. Heavy Shields and Flame Spray get buffs, while loot changes give Raiders more reason to push deeper into the Emperor and Frigate.
Embark is also returning to its regular update schedule after releasing weekly fixes following Frozen Trail. Gameplay fixes will arrive every three weeks, with store updates continuing weekly. Players should restart the game to download Update 2.3.0.
In brief:
- Souls Offering arrives as a new player project alongside the Noxious Set.
- Heavy Shield base charge increases, Flame Spray gets stronger, and the Firefly Burner activates on impact.
- Emperor and Frigate loot distribution changes, while six weapon blueprints become available across all major map conditions.
- The Expedition Vault is being disabled, with stored items moving to the stash and Bronze Statuettes compensating players for purchased slots.
Souls Offering Project and Noxious Set Arrive
The new Souls Offering player project centers on remembering fallen Raiders. As stories of losses at Pendola Pass reach Toledo, Celeste encourages Speranza’s residents to honor those who fought against ARC.
The patch notes introduce the project’s theme but don’t detail its objectives or rewards. The Noxious Set also arrives with this update.
Heavy Shield, Flame Spray, and Firefly Burner Changes
Several equipment changes headline ARC Raiders Update 2.3.0:
| Equipment | Update 2.3.0 change |
|---|---|
| Heavy Shield | Base charge increased from 80 to 90 |
| Flame Spray | Damage increased from 10 to 13 per second, with durability drain reduced by 50% |
| Firefly Burner | Activates on impact when thrown, leaves a fire trail while traveling, and explodes after roughly three seconds |
| Adrenaline Shot | Can be used at maximum stamina; additional shots refresh the duration instead of stacking |
Embark says Heavy Shield usage remains relatively low despite earlier buffs in Update 2.0. This latest increase aims to improve survivability against most weapons while keeping the gap between Heavy and Medium Shields manageable.
Flame Spray also gets a fix preventing its fire from passing through walls. Meanwhile, the Firefly Burner’s new behavior removes the previous requirement to shoot it to release fire.
Emperor and Frigate Loot Now Rewards Deeper Exploration
Loot inside the Emperor has been redistributed. Containers near the entrance now offer lower-tier rewards, with higher-tier loot located deeper inside.
The Frigate receives a similar adjustment, with areas farther in offering a higher chance of better rewards. Raiders chasing valuable loot have more incentive to explore beyond the entrances.
Blueprint availability also changes:
- Dolabra, Bobcat, Equalizer, Jupiter, Tempest, and Vulcano blueprints can now drop in any major map condition.
- The drop chance for that blueprint pool has been slightly reduced to account for its increased value.
- Redirection pods have a lower chance of dropping the Emperor Key blueprint, offset by a small chance of ARC parts and high-tier ARC loot.
- Furniture Design drop rates have been corrected so rarer items drop less frequently.
Frigate and Grappling Hook Fixes Target Frustrating Encounters
The Frigate gets clearer visual hatches and audio cues to communicate puzzle progress. Players can also ping it from long range while it approaches, and nearby pings now mark specific locations instead of labeling the entire Frigate.
Collision fixes address hiding inside geometry and getting stuck on its wings. Embark has also improved interior lighting and reduced memory usage to help prevent crashes.
The Grappling Hook receives several fixes covering extreme launches, snagged ropes, animations, and interactions with destroyed ARC debris. It should now work inside the Matriarch’s active shield, while tether items affect players swinging from it.
However, the known issues list still includes a bug that can send players bouncing high into the air when falling while using the Grappling Hook.
Expedition Vault Closure and Quality-of-Life Updates
Embark says it will disable the Expedition Vault. Items stored there will move to players’ stashes, and purchased slots will be compensated with Bronze Statuettes. The notes don’t specify the compensation amount.
Other useful changes include:
- A camera bob option in Gameplay settings.
- A “Times Revived By A Stranger” Codex statistic.
- Clearer tooltips showing which Weapon Amplifications a branch choice blocks.
- Daily Quest menu refresh fixes.
- New Color Push and Black & White filters for the Advanced Camera.
- Clearer Basic Camera selfies through reduced depth-of-field blur.
Performance Improvements and Remaining Known Issues
Update 2.3.0 upgrades the FSR plugin to version 4.1.1 and adds a workaround for a ray tracing-related crash affecting AMD RX 7000 series GPUs. Xbox Series S audio memory usage has also been reduced to help mitigate crashes, particularly around the Frigate.
Several problems remain under investigation, including quest progression blockers, some Xbox instability, ARC Reclaimer docking and vaulting issues, oversized weapon models, and a location near Pendola Pass’s Railroad where players can get stuck.
