Arc Raiders’ Trigger Nades Dominating PvP: Nerfs on the Way from Embark

Arc Raiders’ PvP can sometimes feel more like enduring artillery bombardment than engaging in a shooter, and a big part of that is due to the dominance of Trigger Nades. After months of their overwhelming presence, the developers at Embark Studios have announced they’re finally considering a nerf.

In a recent discussion on the official Arc Raiders Discord, community manager CM | Lily addressed the numerous requests from players urging for a nerf to Trigger Nades, stating, “the team’s looking into some changes to Trigger Nades.”

Another response added, “The team’s looking into some nerfs including Trigger Nades, keep an eye on game-announcements for updates!”

While Lily didn’t detail the specific changes coming to Trigger Nades, the community is left to speculate on how these adjustments will impact both PvE and PvP gameplay.

In PvE, Trigger Nades are less of an issue. They serve as a sticky alternative to Heavy Fuze Grenades, which can be advantageous in certain scenarios, but they don’t seem to generate much complaint from players. If there were grievances, they’d likely be directed at Wolfpack grenades instead, with players exclaiming, “I’m telling you, there’s no dodging these things!”

However, PvP tells a different story. Trigger Nades outperform other explosives in nearly every significant category. They can be detonated almost immediately after landing near a target, giving them a shorter effective fuse compared to Heavy Fuze or Snapback grenades, which require more time to explode. While you can throw those other grenades in a steep arc to manipulate their timing, Trigger Nades simplify the process significantly.

Surprisingly, Trigger Nades also inflict slightly more damage than Heavy Fuzes and have a similar damage radius. Additionally, they lack the obvious red glow that most grenades emit to signal incoming explosives, making them harder to spot and react to. While a red glow would compromise the strategy of placing Trigger Nades in advance and detonating them when an enemy approaches, they are often used like contact-detonating projectiles.

To top it off, Trigger Nades are incredibly cheap to craft. Unlike most grenades that require explosive compounds better reserved for PvE threats like Wolfpack grenades or Deadline mines, Trigger Nades only need easily accessible crude explosives and processors that aren’t heavily contested.

It’s somewhat surprising that something so abundant, powerful, and capable of shifting the meta has remained unchecked for this long. Having experienced both sides of Trigger Nades, it rarely feels balanced. My hope is that the upcoming nerf will help balance PvP without rendering them ineffective in PvE.

Arc Raiders players are urging Embark to ensure that PvP in trios doesn’t tarnish the reputation of solo “aggression-based” matchmaking, but honestly, I’m skeptical.