COSM-GAME ARC Raiders Adds Ascending the Mountain and Expedition 5
ARC Raiders received Live Update 1.45.0 from Embark Studios on September 8, 2026, adding the Ascending the Mountain Raider Project and opening the fifth Expedition. The update also introduces the Hornet Hunter Set and community-designed rubber ducks while beginning the final month for spending Cred before the currency retires with Frozen Trail on October 8. Expedition 5 runs through September 29 and will be the last Expedition before the system pauses until early 2027.
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What Live Update 1.45.0 Adds
Live Update 1.45.0 went live on September 8 and brings several separate additions to ARC Raiders rather than focusing only on fixes. The central additions are the new Ascending the Mountain Raider Project and the opening of Expedition 5, accompanied by the Hornet Hunter Set, community-created rubber ducks and preparations for the retirement of Cred.
| Addition | What changed |
|---|---|
| Ascending the Mountain | New Raider Project following the mystery of phantom ARC signals beyond the current Tube network. |
| Expedition 5 | Three-week Expedition window running from September 8 through September 29. |
| Hornet Hunter Set | New cosmetic set included among the update highlights. |
| Cred | Currency remains usable until October 8 before being retired with Frozen Trail. |
| Community Rubber Ducks | Community-selected duck designs are now available for display in the Raider Den. |
Ascending the Mountain Pushes Raiders North
The new Ascending the Mountain Raider Project follows clues connected to the phantom ARC signals that have concerned Shani. Those signals lead toward a mountain range lying beyond the current reach of the Tube system, creating a problem for Raiders trying to follow the trail.
Apollo is working on an experimental solution and needs help from Raiders capable of handling schematics while keeping a low profile. The September 8 update establishes that premise as the next Raider Project, tying the new progression objective to the wider mystery surrounding the ARC signals.
Expedition 5 Runs for Three Weeks
The fifth Expedition begins on September 8 at 11:00 UTC and closes on September 29 at 08:00 UTC. Embark has extended the departure window from two weeks to three and removed the Last Call phase for this Expedition.
| Expedition 5 step | Requirement or timing |
|---|---|
| Prepare Caravan | Contributions can begin after the previous Expedition, or immediately for a player's first Expedition. |
| Window opens | September 8 at 11:00 UTC. |
| Sign up | Players must register during the Expedition window; completing the Caravan alone does not register them. |
| Complete challenge | The Expedition challenge must be completed during the active window to receive its rewards. |
| Catch up | Players on their second through fourth Expedition can recover missed skill points, up to five per Expedition. |
| Departure | Everyone who signed up departs on September 29. |
Quest progress also works differently this time. Starting an Expedition no longer forces a quest reset; players can decide whether they want to reset their quests when departing. Embark also removed Last Call, making the normal registration window the only opportunity to sign up.
Expedition Rewards and Progression
Expedition 5 includes the complete Zenith Outfit, Mystery Rewards and another 12 stash spaces, bringing the Expedition stash-space maximum to 60. Expedition bonus skill points remain capped at 15, while the catch-up system lets eligible returning participants recover previously missed points.
- Zenith Outfit: completing all five Expeditions fully unlocks the outfit.
- Stash space: up to 12 additional spaces from the fifth Expedition, with 60 as the overall Expedition maximum.
- Skill points: Expedition bonus skill points remain capped at 15.
- Consecutive buffs: XP, Scrappy-material and repair-value bonuses can stack to three levels.
The current Trials season ends September 22. Trials will then pause for two weeks and return on October 8.
Cred Expires With Frozen Trail
Update 1.45.0 also begins the final phase of Cred. Players can continue spending the currency until October 8, when the Frozen Trail update retires it and introduces a more expansive reward system.
Existing Raider Deck rewards are being carried into that new system, and rewards already claimed before the transition remain owned. Any Cred still sitting on an account when Frozen Trail arrives will expire, so remaining currency can be spent with Shani or on available Raider Deck rewards before the change.
Note: Unspent Cred expires with the Frozen Trail update on October 8. Already claimed rewards are retained.
Gameplay and Technical Changes
The update includes several player-facing changes outside the two headline additions. Landing on a moving surface now carries the Raider with that surface after landing, while quick-item cycling can be rebound separately from the quick-use wheel or disabled. Aphelion weapon sway has also been reduced.
On the technical side, ARC Raiders has moved from Unreal Engine 5.3 to Unreal Engine 5.7. The update also includes crash fixes, clearer matchmaking-error messages and interface adjustments such as immediate loadout-weight updates when part of an item stack is dropped.
The community rubber ducks selected by players have also reached the game. They can be found through Bird City and displayed in the Raider Den, with the winning designs credited to gekko.rar, im_AshCheeks and nassguhl. The Boonie outfit is scheduled to become available on September 15.
What Happens After Expedition 5
Embark is pausing Expeditions after the fifth run while it works on larger changes to departure windows, rewards and accessibility for new players. The system is scheduled to return in early 2027, rather than immediately continuing into a sixth Expedition.
Consecutive Expedition buffs already earned will persist during that pause. Because Caravans will be reset, partially completed Caravans will be converted into Ermal Vouchers of equal value. Those vouchers can be used with applicable Ermal offers and trades or sold for Coin.
Live Update 1.45.0 is also the final full Live Update before October 8, although Embark says a smaller update is planned before Frozen Trail arrives.
FAQ
7 questionsLive Update 1.45.0 adds the Ascending the Mountain Raider Project, Expedition 5, the Hornet Hunter Set, community-designed rubber ducks and the start of Cred retirement preparations. It also upgrades the game from Unreal Engine 5.3 to 5.7 and includes several gameplay, stability and interface changes.
The Expedition window opens September 8, 2026 at 11:00 UTC and closes September 29 at 08:00 UTC. Completing the Caravan does not automatically sign a player up, so registration must still be completed during the window.
No. Live Update 1.45.0 changes Expedition departure so quests are no longer reset automatically. Players can choose whether to reset their quest progress when departing.
The fifth Expedition includes the complete Zenith Outfit, Mystery Rewards, up to 12 additional stash spaces with a maximum of 60, Expedition skill-point progression and consecutive XP, Scrappy-material and repair-value bonuses.
Cred remains usable until October 8, 2026. Frozen Trail will retire the currency and introduce a broader reward system, while already claimed Raider Deck rewards remain with the player and unspent Cred expires.
It is the final Expedition before a temporary pause. Embark plans to bring Expeditions back in early 2027 after larger changes to the system, while earned consecutive Expedition buffs remain active during the pause.
ARC Raiders upgrades its Unreal Engine version from 5.3 to 5.7 as part of Live Update 1.45.0.