Is now the time to head back Topside? Embark has just announced the Fourth Expedition for Arc Raiders, and there is already a proper event running to tide you over. The Rust Belt has not been this busy in a while, so here is exactly what is live, what changed under the hood, and whether it is worth dropping back in.
Forgotten Relics: the event running now
The big live content came with update 1.33.0, which kicked off the Forgotten Relics event. The Nomadic Envoys have rolled into Speranza carrying intel gathered across the Rust Belt, and the questline, The Project, runs from 16 June through to 27 July. The job is simple to say and hard to do: secure safe passage for the nomads, gather supplies, and recover forgotten relics from Topside. In other words, more reasons to make dangerous runs to the surface and try to come home with your bag intact, which is the entire appeal of this game.
The changes that actually matter
A couple of under-the-hood tweaks from 1.33 are worth knowing before you queue:
- The Rocketeer now drops Launcher Ammo instead of Heavy Ammo, so the ammo economy around that fight shifts. Plan your loadout accordingly.
- This is the one I really like: if Embark identifies a cheater who knocked you out, your lost loot is automatically returned to your inbox. For an extraction shooter, where a cheater can wipe a run you sweated over, that is a genuinely respectful piece of design. It will not stop the frustration in the moment, but getting your kit back afterwards takes the sting out.
On top of that, 1.33 cleaned up a stack of bugs: aim-down-sights accuracy, falling through the map on certain parts, Barricade deployment, audio announcements and a pile of UI and animation fixes. Then update 1.34.0 on 23 June added the Aeronaut set and a new hairstyle to the store and patched some duplication exploits.
The Fourth Expedition
The headline is the Fourth Expedition, announced on 25 June, the next major content beat for the game. Embark are rolling the details out rather than dumping them all at once, so I am not going to pretend to know the full contents yet. What it signals is the thing that matters: the game is on a steady content cadence, and the studio is still investing in it hard. The moment the full breakdown is public I will be back here with it.
My take
Arc Raiders remains one of the most tense extraction shooters going, and the way Embark are running it, regular events, real anti-cheat follow-through, a clear content drumbeat, is exactly how you keep one of these games alive. Just go in clear-eyed about what it is: this is PvPvE, so the danger is other players as much as the machines, and that is the whole point. If you want the honest solo angle before you commit, I broke it down in can you play Arc Raiders solo. And if you are weighing it against the other big tactical extraction game I cover, Gray Zone Warfare vs Arc Raiders is the comparison I get asked for most.
Arc RaidersEmbark Studiosextraction shooterForgotten RelicsPvPvE
FAQ
When does the Forgotten Relics event end in Arc Raiders?
The Forgotten Relics event came with update 1.33.0, and its questline, The Project, runs from 16 June through to 27 July. The Nomadic Envoys have rolled into Speranza carrying intel gathered across the Rust Belt.
What is the Fourth Expedition in Arc Raiders?
The Fourth Expedition, announced on 25 June, is the next major content beat for the game. Embark are rolling the details out rather than dumping them all at once, so the full contents are not known yet, but it signals the game is on a steady content cadence.
What changed in Arc Raiders update 1.33.0?
The Rocketeer now drops Launcher Ammo instead of Heavy Ammo, shifting the ammo economy around that fight. Best of all, if Embark identifies a cheater who knocked you out, your lost loot is automatically returned to your inbox. It also cleaned up a stack of bugs including aim-down-sights accuracy, falling through the map, Barricade deployment and audio.
What did Arc Raiders update 1.34.0 add?
Update 1.34.0, on 23 June, added the Aeronaut set and a new hairstyle to the store and patched some duplication exploits.
Is it a good time to play Arc Raiders right now?
Yes, with eyes open. It remains one of the most tense extraction shooters going, and regular events, real anti-cheat follow-through and a clear content drumbeat are exactly how you keep one alive. Just remember it is PvPvE, so the danger is other players as much as the machines, and that is the whole point.
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