Arc Raiders Faces Unprecedented Cheating Issues in Latest Update
Arc Raiders has had a relatively smooth journey since its launch, but as we head into 2026, it seems the game is facing a barrage of issues that even the developers at Embark Studios are struggling to contain. Following cheating scandals and item-duplication glitches that have frustrated players, the latest update has introduced both a weapon-repair glitch and a method for infinite ammo, and the worst part? They’re incredibly easy to exploit.
Typically, when new glitches surface in online games, they tend to be complex maneuvers that only the most skilled players can pull off. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here. The latest exploits in this extraction shooter are as simple as toggling back and forth in your inventory, then dropping and picking up weapons. This simplicity means that just about anyone can take advantage of it.
The glitches were highlighted by a user on social media, revealing that both the weapon-repair and ammo-generation exploits rely on a similar technique. If you have a couple of worn weapons that need fixing, all you have to do is quickly switch them between your two weapon slots, and for some reason, their durability starts to increase. To make the repairs permanent, you then need to drop the weapon on the ground and pick it back up.
In Arc Raiders, weapons degrade to prevent players from overly relying on a single powerful option, which helps maintain the game’s balance. However, being able to repair the most expensive and powerful guns allows players to become significantly overpowered, undermining the systems designed to keep gameplay fair.
The situation is exacerbated by the accompanying glitch that allows these top-tier weapons to never run out of ammo. The game intentionally limits the availability of high-end ammunition to prevent players from dominating the battlefield. But by using the weapon-swapping trick, not only do players repair their weapons, but they also refill their ammo slots. If you drop the weapon, pick it up, unload it, drop the ammo, and pick that up again, you can keep it. While this method may be cumbersome for rapid-fire weapons, it becomes a major issue for something like a Hullcracker, which uses rare explosive projectiles.
The glitch gets even crazier when you apply the swapping trick to guns like the Anvil and the Venator, allowing them to hold 102 bullets instead of their intended six and 22 rounds, respectively. You can even get the rapid-firing Bobcat to load itself with 102 rounds, which is incredibly overpowered. In a firefight, this gives players a massive edge, and unlike the previous ammo-duplication glitch, it’s incredibly easy to execute. Who wouldn’t want to load up with 102 bullets, especially when facing off against machines?
It’s important to note that Arc Raiders doesn’t feature a player-to-player trading system, so these exploits don’t disrupt an internal economy. While there is unofficial trading where players can swap items, it’s not likely to cause significant harm. The real concern is that individual players can artificially boost their progress, selling ammo to in-game traders for extra cash, and especially for PVP players, this means they can gear up far better for battles against others.
An emergency hotfix is likely on the way, but in the meantime, players might want to check out the newly launched Shared Watch event, which encourages teamwork against the machines. Plus, the game’s matchmaking system is designed to pair you with players of similar playstyles, so if you prefer to avoid PVP, you’re more likely to find yourself in lobbies with like-minded raiders.
