Since its launch last October, ARC Raiders has faced a turbulent path. While the extraction shooter has found success, developer Embark Studios is currently locked in a battle against its most persistent problems: third-party cheaters and a plague of item duplicators.
Today’s release of Update 1.33.0 marks a significant effort to stabilize the game. The patch introduces a new “no free loadout” limitation for select map conditions—specifically Night Raid and Close Scrutiny—which will remain in effect for the next three weeks. Embark is testing this restriction to see if it effectively curbs the behavior of players who enter PvE-focused modes using free kits, often failing to contribute to co-operative goals while attempting to steal high-value weapons from others.
Combating Cheaters and Item Dupers
The issue of item duplication has reached a point where valuable assets, including explosives and fully upgraded weapons, are being flooded into the game. Some bad actors have even begun selling these duplicated items for real-world currency. Embark has stated that they are working methodically to detect these incidents and implement long-term safeguards to prevent further exploitation.
Alongside these measures, the team is expanding its use of Denuvo Anti-Cheat. While Embark acknowledges that the fight against cheating is an ongoing process, they confirmed in the patch notes that they are scaling up their anti-cheat efforts to cover more players, emphasizing that these tools are strictly for security rather than DRM purposes.
- Update: 1.33.0
- New Restrictions: 'No free loadout' for Night Raid and Close Scrutiny
- Security: Expanded Denuvo Anti-Cheat implementation
- New Content: Forgotten Relics event and Converging Paths project
Looking Ahead at the New Update Schedule
This update arrives as Embark transitions to a new content roadmap. Moving forward, the studio plans to shift away from monthly updates in favor of two major releases per year. The developer noted that while this quieter period is an adjustment for the community, they are balancing short-term additions—like the newly introduced Forgotten Relics event and Converging Paths project—with the development of more substantial content drops planned for October and beyond.
If the “no free loadout” experiment proves successful, Embark may expand the restriction to additional map conditions, potentially including Queen and Matriarch events. The studio is also considering future modes that could require specific gear scores, a move aimed at further balancing the experience for dedicated players.