ARC Raiders Frozen Trail Guide: New Map, Skills & Reward Passes

Open controller inputs →

What changed in version 2.0?

Embark’s October 8, 2026 Frozen Trail notes introduce Pendola Pass, the Bantam and Stiletto weapons, new ARC enemies and an Outpost with a Research Bench. They also change the skill tree, reward progression, map selection and default gamepad mapping.

Recheck your skill choices

The revised tree includes exclusive choices: a middle branch node offers one of two skills, while end nodes allow up to two of three once their investment requirement is met. Resetting permits a new choice. Read the current node descriptions before reproducing a launch-era build.

Raider Deck guidance has changed

Reward Points replace Cred. Existing decks move into the Legacy Pass with previously unlocked rewards retained. Only one Reward Pass is active at a time, so points progress the selected pass. Frozen Trail’s pass has free and premium tracks.

A returning-player checklist

GetCheatBeacon recommends checking these screens before the next serious run:

1. Inspect your skill tree and the choices now available.
2. Confirm the Reward Pass you want to progress is active.
3. Review bindings, particularly if you play on a controller.
4. Read the map selection screen and its current conditions.
5. Read the Outpost project requirements before committing resources.

Test the update before adopting a build

Use one run to check the changed feature that matters most to you. If the goal is learning Pendola Pass, focus on navigation before judging a new weapon. If the goal is testing a skill, keep the rest of the equipment familiar so you can identify the effect of that choice.

GetCheatBeacon advice: record which version a recommendation was tested against. A named update is useful context, but later hotfixes can change individual values. This guide summarizes the major system changes; the full official notes contain the detailed balance and bug-fix list.

Official sources

Frozen Trail 2.0 patch notes

Reviewed October 10, 2026. Recommendations identified as GetCheatBeacon advice are editorial guidance.