Arc Raiders Update Reduces Power of Top Two Items

Arc Raiders is hitting a major milestone! Developer Embark Studios originally aimed to celebrate reaching 10 million sales, but that number has skyrocketed to 12 million. To mark this achievement, all players who logged in between launch and Tuesday, Jan. 13, will receive the Gilded Pickaxe Raider Tool. However, this free reward comes alongside some significant changes in the latest patch, including nerfs to two of the game’s most powerful weapons.

First on the chopping block is the Kettle, a semi-automatic pistol that has gained a reputation for its impressive fire rate. Players have been exploiting this by using macros to fire it at an unrealistically fast pace. In response, Embark has reduced its fire rate from 600 rounds per minute to 450. This adjustment aims to curb the use of third-party macros while still allowing legitimate players to maintain a competitive firing speed.

The Trigger ‘Nade is also feeling the effects of the nerf bat. As the most favored offensive grenade in the game, its popularity stems not only from its damage output but also from the ability to throw and detonate it midair. The official patch notes state, “This nerf aims to make it less usable as a ‘trigger-in-air’ grenade, whilst keeping its usefulness as a sticky bomb.” The damage falloff has been rebalanced to focus more damage near the center of the explosion, reducing the impact at greater distances.

Additionally, the delay between pulling the trigger and the grenade detonating has more than doubled, increasing from 0.7 seconds to 1.5 seconds. This change gives opponents “more time to react,” while making it trickier for users to time their detonations accurately in mid-air.

Lastly, the lighting in Stella Montis has been adjusted to create a darker atmosphere, emphasizing the importance of using flashlights and listening skills. A key card exploit that allowed players to retain room keys after use has also been patched.

For those eager to dive deeper into Arc Raiders, there’s a first-person gameplay showcase available from a community member, and discussions are buzzing about how Embark’s remarkable success is paving the way for a wave of extraction shooters in 2026.