ARC Raiders: Frozen Trail vs Space Marine: Salamander

• Platforms: PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
• Base Game Price: $39.99 USD (Frozen Trail Update is Free to all base owners)
• Collector Set DLC Price: $29.99 USD
• Expansion Release Date: October 8, 2026
• New ARC Threats: The Frigate (Endgame Event), Bully, Skulker, Hydra Turret
• New Featured Map: Pendola Pass (Alpine Village & Exodus Transport Hub)
• New Weapon Additions: Stiletto Battle Rifle, Bantam Snub-Nose Revolver, Weapon Amplification

• Co-op Support: 3-Player Campaign Co-op & 4-Player Nexus Purge Horde Mode
• Combat Engine: Heavy Third-Person Melee & Swarm Shooting with Promethium Fire Mechanics
• Core Setting: Pariah Nexus / Nephilim Sector during the Necron Awakening
• Enemy Faction: Szarekhan Dynasty Necrons (Warriors, Immortals, Deathmarks, Skorpekh Destroyers)
• Protagonist: Brother Sa'kan of the Salamanders Chapter (18th Legion)

• Scrappy: Outpost Companion: Greets returning players, perches on research stations, and can be customized with craftable cosmetic hats and paint coats.
  Mechanical Outpost Rooster Drone
• Deployable Tactical Recon Dart: Audio Sensor Sweep: Detects and highlights nearby ARC machine movement and rival Raider footsteps through walls and smoke.
  Utility Gadget
• Pneumatic Grappling Hook: Rapid Elevation & Frigate Boarding: Allows instant ascension up sheer mountain cliffs and enables players to latch onto the low-flying ARC Frigate.
  Mobility Equipment

• Imperial Guardsman Veteran: Suppresses advancing Necron lines with lasgun volleys and deploys smoke grenades to mask civilian evacuation paths.
  Human (Astra Militarum)
• Armored Servo-Skull Probe: Illuminates dark subterranean tomb chambers and highlights the weak joints of phase-shifting Necron warriors.
  Cybernetic Construct

• Exodus Transport Manifests: Found inside locked administrative filing cabinets within the Buried Transit Depot; yields significant Speranza reputation.
• Fallen Emperor Sub-Processor Core: Salvaged from the primary engine room of the downed Walker in Pendola Pass; unlocks high-tier Weapon Amplification blueprints.
• Pendola Observational Star Charts: Located on the upper viewing deck of the Mountain Observatory; grants bonus Raider Tokens and lore entries.

• Purity Seals of the 18th Legion: Scattered across Imperial strongholds, detailing the historic defense campaigns of the Salamanders.
• Nocturnean Smithing Glyphs: Discovered within fallen transport hulls, unlocking custom flaming hammer decals and gold trim.

• Post-Apocalyptic
• Mechanized War
• Extraction Survival
• Retro-Sci-Fi
• Cooperative Tactics
• High-Stakes Looting

• Grimdark Sci-Fi
• Salamanders Chapter
• Promethean Creed
• Necron Awakening
• Pariah Nexus
• Brutal Kinetic Melee
• Heavy Ordnance

• Stiletto Battle Rifle: Semi-Automatic Light Rifle
  High-mobility, low-recoil marksman rifle utilizing light ammunition. Engineered for rapid follow-up shots against exposed robotic optical sensors and sensor pods.
• Bantam Revolver: Snub-Nosed Heavy Sidearm
  Compact six-shot revolver chambered in heavy caliber rounds. Delivers massive close-range stopping power capable of shattering ARC armor plating.
• Amplified Burletta: Full-Auto Converted Handgun
  Tier-5 amplified research variant of the trusty Burletta sidearm, transforming it into a high-rate-of-fire machine pistol for room clearing.
• Amplified Rattler: Incendiary Submachine Gun
  Amplified upgrade equipping a 64-round drum magazine loaded with thermite rounds that inflict continuous burn damage on mechanical targets.
• Amplified Renegade: Long-Range Marksman Rifle
  Modified battle rifle outfitted with a high-magnification illuminated optic and high-velocity barrel, extending effective engagement range into sniper territory.

• Master-Crafted Promethium Heavy Flamer: Heavy Incendiary Weapon
  Fires a wide torrent of sticky chemical flame that bypasses Necron living metal and incinerates advancing scarab swarms.
• Thunder Hammer 'Wrath of Nocturne': Two-Handed Power Weapon
  Charges with concussive energy on swing impact, crushing heavy Necron Lychguard shields and disintegrating robotic chassis.
• Combi-Melta: Versatile Tactical Firearm
  Combines rapid-fire mass-reactive bolter shells with a high-heat thermal blast designed to vaporize heavy armored constructs.

• Pendola Thermal Insulated Parka Rig: +30% Cold Resistance against Flash Freeze cycles; +15% ballistic mitigation against small arms fire.
• Exodus Heavy Reactive Plate Carrier: +45% Explosive and Shrapnel Resistance; protects vital organs from ARC missile barrages but slightly reduces maximum sprint duration.
• High-Altitude Lightweight Harness: +20% Zipline and Grapple ascent speed; reduces stamina consumption while sprinting uphill through deep snow.

• Salamanders Master-Crafted Mark X Tacticus Power Armor: Heavy emerald-green ceramite armor reinforced with Nocturne drakescale mantles, granting exceptional resistance to extreme thermal and energy damage.
• Artificer Gravis Suit: Reinforced heavy armor chassis equipped with extra plating to withstand high-powered Necron Gauss weapon discharges.

• Glacier Scout Tactical Anorak: Snow-camo insulated anorak featuring tactical chest webbing, detachable fur hood, and clip-on crampons.
• Exodus Alpine Hazmat Suit: Reinforced sealed environmental suit with dual breather filters, yellow warning bands, and heavy utility gloves.
• Mountain Mountaineer Scarf & Goggles: Knitted wool thermal balaclava paired with tinted anti-glare polarized tactical glacier goggles.

• Drakescale Cloak of Nocturne: Tough reptilian hide mantle draped across the shoulders, symbolizing mastery over Nocturne's volcanic fauna.
• Iron Halo of Vulkan: Gilded crest mounted atop the armor power pack, projecting an active energy conversion field.

The update delivers a comprehensive Skill Tree Rework, granting players a complete skill point refund to tailor their Raiders into Survivalist, Breacher, or Tech Specialist builds. Alongside the tree overhaul, the Weapon Amplification system unlocks fifth-tier modification paths for 15 existing weapons (such as granting full-auto functionality to the Burletta pistol, magnified high-caliber optics to the Renegade rifle, or a 64-round incendiary drum to the Rattler SMG). Survival perks also grant increased resistance to Flash Freeze exposure and quicker recovery when unfreezing sealed vault doors.

Progression is governed by the Promethean Mastery tree: 1) Thermal Dominance: Enhances flamer range, heat intensity, and promethium burn duration, creating lingering pools of holy flame that melt living metal. 2) Master of the Forge: Upgrades armor plating integrity, melee deflection stamina, and weapon durability using rare Nocturne smithing techniques. 3) Bulwark of the Weak: Unlocks squad-wide defensive auras, rallying nearby Astra Militarum conscripts and granting temporary invulnerability during civilian rescue extractions.

Pendola Pass represents the largest tactical map introduced in ARC Raiders to date. Key landmarks include the Village Square (cramped streets and vertical apartment rooftops), the Mountain Observatory (an elevated sniper redoubt), the Supermarket (dense close-quarters combat zone rich in high-grade provisions), the Buried Transit Depot (subterranean railway corridors offering cover from blizzards), and the Fallen Emperor Crash Basin (a colossal machine carcass featuring explorable interior engine rooms and high-tier tech canisters).

The campaign encompasses four massive, interconnected theater zones across Vertigus II: 1) The Shattered Hive Basilica: Crumbling neo-Gothic spires and burning boulevards where Imperial defenders make their last stand. 2) The Stilled Underhive: Silent industrial canyons shrouded in eerie green fog where catatonic citizens are rounded up by Canoptek Reanimators. 3) The Monolith Desolation: Crystalline desert wastes punctuated by awakened Necron Pylons and roving Doomstalker walkers. 4) The Subterranean Tomb Citadel: The living metal heart of the Necron dynasty, featuring gravity-defying corridors, glowing green gauss conduits, and the stasis chambers of the Necron Overlord.

• The ARC Frigate: Automated Machine Capital Carrier
  Colossal airborne machine mothership deployed to recover fallen machine units. Functions as a dynamic, boardable high-difficulty raid venue rather than a pilotable vehicle.
• Exodus Transport Mag-Train: Derelict Pre-War Transit Train
  Massive subterranean evacuation train frozen onto rusted rails beneath Pendola Pass, serving as an interior loot corridor and ambush site.
• Speranza Scavenger Hauler: Surface Cargo Transport
  Reinforced tracked transport vehicle seen in cinematic extraction sequences, transporting extracted salvage from Pendola Pass back to underground colonies.

• Salamanders Land Raider Redeemer: Heavy Assault Transport
  Colossal armored tank equipped with hull-mounted Flamestorm cannons capable of incinerating entire enemy battalions.
• Necron Ghost Ark: Anti-Gravity Troop Carrier
  Hovering living-metal barge that ferries Necron Warriors into battle while continuously reanimating fallen skeletal soldiers.

• Northern Red Fox: Vulpes vulpes
  Ambient Wildlife (Scampers through snowdrifts around the edges of Pendola Pass, fleeing when players or ARC machines approach)
• Alpine Raven: Corvus corax
  Atmospheric Wildlife (Flocks perched on power lines and rooftops that take flight when startled by gunfire, giving away nearby squad positions)

• Canoptek Scarab Swarm: Constructum entomologica
  Thousands of skittering metallic insectoid drones that strip flesh and armor alike with high-frequency molecular dissectors.
• Canoptek Wraiths: Phase-shifting construct
  Nightmarish serpent-like robotic stalkers capable of phasing through solid walls to ambush players with dimensional claws.

• Shani: Chief Logistics & Expedition Dispatcher
  Key figurehead in Speranza who coordinates expeditions into uncharted territories beyond the Rust Belt, providing briefings on Pendola Pass.
• Tian Wen: Master Weapons Engineer & Researcher
  Brilliant technician operating the underground workshop who developed the Weapon Amplification system using salvaged ARC cores.
• The Frigate AI Core: ARC Automated Airborne Overseer
  Autonomous tactical network controlling the massive ARC Frigate, deploying defense protocols and directing machine squads to salvage the downed Emperor.

• Brother Sa'kan: Salamanders Battle-Brother
  The sole surviving vanguard of his squad, driven by an oath to protect the Imperial citizenry of Vertigus II at all costs.
• Sister Danica: Adepta Sororitas Vanguard
  A fierce warrior of the Order of Our Martyred Lady, wielding holy bolter and chainsword alongside Sa'kan.
• Necron Overlord: Dynastic Conqueror
  Ancient mechanical warlord orchestrating the systematic subjugation and soul-harvest of the planetary population.

• Ascent to Pendola: Exploration & Reconnaissance
  Establish an initial foothold in Pendola Pass, scavenge thermal supplies from the village square, and locate an entrance into the buried transit network.
• The Frigate Heist: High-Stakes Aerial Infiltration
  Use grappling lines to board the patrolling ARC Frigate, neutralize automated Hydra turrets, extract high-level core processors, and parachute to safety.
• Cold Snap Extraction: PvPvE Extraction Climax
  Locate an active extraction elevator during an incoming Flash Freeze event while defending against charging Bully machines and stalking Skulkers.

• The Last Bulwark of Vertigus: Defensive Siege
  Hold the main cathedral gates against wave after wave of Necron warriors until the civilian transport shuttles can launch.
• Purging the Sub-Hive Warrens: Search and Destroy
  Advance into the darkened drainage catacombs with a heavy flamer to cleanse swarms of Flayed Ones and Canoptek scarabs.
• Shattering the Monolith: Assault & Demolition
  Scale the exterior of a floating Necron Monolith to plant thermal melta charges directly into its dimensional power core.

High-stakes PvPvE extraction gameplay supporting Solo, Duo, and Trio matchmaking queues. Players compete against both lethal ARC machine networks and rival human teams for extractable loot. The update also introduces an experimental PvE matchmaking queue option designed to allow cooperative exploration and machine hunting without hostile human gunfire.

Features 3-player online cooperative campaign play where fireteams can coordinate character specializations (Vanguard Flamer, Bulwark Heavy Hammer, and Intercessor Marksman), alongside 'Nexus Purge'—a dedicated 4-player horde mode defending planetary evacuation landing zones against endless escalating waves of Necron warriors and Canoptek horrors.

ARC Raiders Base Game ($39.99): Standard game containing the complete PvPvE extraction experience with free access to the Frozen Trail update (new map, weapons, and free reward track). ARC Raiders: Frozen Trail Collector Set ($29.99): Premium expansion pack including the Frozen Trail Premium Reward Pass (60 levels with 50 exclusive unlocks), 2,400 instant Raider Tokens (plus 1,000 earnable via pass progression), exclusive Arctic Raider cosmetic outfits, weapon stencils, and custom Scrappy rooster cosmetics.

Available across two primary retail releases: 1) The Standard Edition ($39.99 / £34.99): Features the complete single-player and co-op campaign, including all operational challenge maps. 2) The Nocturne Forge Collector's Edition ($69.99 / £59.99): Includes the base game, exclusive Salamanders Firedrake Master-Crafted Artificer Armor skin, Dragon's Breath Heavy Flamer weapon skin, digital orchestral soundtrack, and a detailed 120-page digital concept artbook detailing the Pariah Nexus conflict.

Frozen Trail marks the launch of Embark Studios' new major live-service content framework, shifting to two massive, feature-packed updates per year supported by intermediate live balance patches. Accompanied by the Frozen Trail Collector Set DLC and regular community-driven map condition events.

A comprehensive post-launch roadmap includes the 'Tomb of the Chronomancer' operational expansion, introducing new subterranean boss encounters, new playable Salamander veteran weapon loadouts, and the endless 'Last Stand of Nocturne' survival defense arena mode.

• Q: What is ARC Raiders: Frozen Trail?
  A: Frozen Trail is a major content expansion for the PvPvE extraction shooter ARC Raiders, introducing the new Pendola Pass mountain map, new ARC enemies, the Frigate endgame challenge, Weapon Amplification, the Outpost personal base, and new weapons.
• Q: When does the Frozen Trail update release?
  A: The Frozen Trail update officially launches on October 8, 2026, across PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
• Q: Is the Frozen Trail update free for existing players?
  A: Yes. The map, new weapons, Outpost, ARC enemies, and the free reward pass track are free for all owners of the base ARC Raiders game. An optional Frozen Trail Collector Set DLC ($29.99) is available for premium rewards and currency.
• Q: What is the Flash Freeze mechanic in Pendola Pass?
  A: Flash Freeze is a severe environmental condition native to Pendola Pass where temperatures plummet drastically, dealing continuous frost damage to Raiders caught outside and forcing them to seek warmth inside buildings and shelters.
• Q: Can you destroy the ARC Frigate with weapons?
  A: No. The ARC Frigate cannot be destroyed through conventional gunfire. Raiders must board the vessel, navigate its internal traps and Hydra turrets, solve puzzles, and manually sabotage its power systems to escape with rare loot.

• Q: What is Space Marine: Salamander War Against Necrons?
  A: It is an action-packed, third-person grimdark combat title following Brother Sa'kan of the Salamanders Chapter as he battles through the Pariah Nexus to halt the awakening of the Necron Dynasties.
• Q: Who is the main protagonist?
  A: The game stars Brother Sa'kan, a fan-favorite Salamanders Space Marine renowned for his unwavering adherence to the Promethean Creed and his defense of mortal humanity.
• Q: What enemies do players fight in the game?
  A: Players face the Necron Szarekhan Dynasty, including Necron Warriors, Immortals, Deathmark snipers, Flayed Ones, Canoptek Scarabs, Wraiths, and colossal Doomstalker walkers.
• Q: Does the game support cooperative multiplayer?
  A: Yes. It features full 3-player online cooperative campaign play and a 4-player wave-based horde mode titled 'Nexus Purge'.
• Q: What makes the Salamanders' combat style unique in this game?
  A: The Salamanders prioritize close-range devastating firepower and brutal melee, featuring heavy flamers that melt living metal, high-impact thunder hammers, and defensive aura abilities that shield allies.

Showcases Unreal Engine 5's Nanite virtualized geometry and Lumen dynamic global illumination across sub-zero mountain vistas. Employs advanced snow tessellation where player and machine footprints persist, dynamic building destruction via the Chaos physics engine, and blinding whiteout particle storms.

Stunning visuals blending high-density gothic architecture with eerie Necron necro-technology. Powered by Unreal Engine 5 and Swarm Engine, the game features dynamic cloth physics on purity seals, realistic glowing green gauss disintegrations, and soot-streaked, battle-scarred emerald-green Salamander power armor.

A dynamic 1980s retro-futuristic synth and acoustic score that shifts from eerie, howling wind ambience in snowy valleys to adrenaline-fueled electronic percussion when ARC alarms trigger. Features spatial audio cues allowing raiders to pinpoint footsteps in snow, crumbling ice sheets, and the mechanical whirs of stealthy ARC Skulkers.

A crushing industrial and orchestral audio landscape composed of guttural monastic male choirs, deafening boltgun cracks, the visceral roar of pressurized promethium fire, and the alien, mechanical screech of Necron gauss flayers and phasing protocols.

Updated tactical HUD featuring dynamic core temperature gauges that warn players of impending Flash Freeze exposure, ambient weather radar indicators, streamlined Outpost customization menus, and an enhanced Weapon Amplification research workbench interface.

Includes comprehensive subtitle customizations (speaker name, background opacity, font sizing), directional visual sound indicators, colorblind shaders (Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia), toggleable motion blur, camera shake intensity sliders, and fully rebindable controller and keyboard layouts.

Comprehensive accessibility options including customizable colorblind filters (Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia), full button remapping, aim assist toggles, adjustable screen shake intensity, and subtitle speaker labels with directional indicators.

• ARC Raiders utilizes Unreal Engine 5 with advanced Lumen global illumination and Chaos physics destruction. Operating system requires 64-bit Windows 10/11 with DirectX 12. Online broadband connection and Embark ID account are required. Anti-cheat integrity verified via kernel-level protection.
• Laptop Performance Note: Dynamic volumetric blizzards, sprawling vertical terrain at Pendola Pass, and multi-squad firefights around the airborne Frigate place intense simultaneous demands on laptop GPUs and multi-threaded CPUs. Adequate ventilation and dedicated power profiles are essential to mitigate thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Requires a mobile GPU operating at 75W-95W minimum for fluid 1080p, and 115W-140W+ TGP for native 1440p high-refresh raiding.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Dual-fan cooling pads and aggressive fan curves are strongly advised to keep mobile CPU and GPU temps below 85°C during extended extraction runs.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A sustained PL1 power threshold of 45W+ is recommended for managing 24+ player and machine netcode simulations alongside Unreal Engine 5 world partition streaming.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Bypassing hybrid graphics via a discrete MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus provides a 12-18% boost to 1% low framerates in dense firefights.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: Full native support for NVIDIA DLSS 3.5 (Super Resolution + Frame Generation + Reflex), AMD FSR 3.1, and Intel XeSS 1.3.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Global Illumination (Lumen), Shadow Quality, Volumetric Fog, and Draw Distance exert the most significant impact on rendering performance.
• Game Name: ARC Raiders: Frozen Trail

• Powered by advanced proprietary crowd and physics simulation technology paired with modern DirectX 12 rendering pipelines. The engine renders hundreds of animated Necron warriors and Canoptek scarab swarms on-screen simultaneously alongside volumetric promethium fire, Gauss energy dissolution effects, and destructible gothic architecture. Protected by server-side anti-cheat and streamlined DRM.
• Laptop Performance Note: Sustained combat against dense Necron swarms and high-particle heavy flamer illumination demands consistent GPU clock speeds and robust thermal dissipation. Modern gaming laptops with balanced cooling deliver high frame rates at native resolutions.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A GPU TGP allocation between 80W and 115W provides locked 60fps+ at 1080p and 1440p using DLSS or FSR Quality presets.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The swarm entity calculations and volumetric green Gauss disintegrator effects elevate mobile CPU/GPU package temperatures; elevated laptop cooling pads maintain peak boost clocks.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Efficient multi-core utilization balances high entity AI pathfinding across 8 physical cores without bottlenecking the render thread.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Bypassing integrated graphics via discrete MUX switch minimizes input latency during high-stakes parry windows and dodge maneuvers.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: NVIDIA DLSS 3.7 (Super Resolution + Frame Generation), AMD FSR 3.1, Intel XeSS 1.3
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Adjusting Volumetric Lighting and Particle Density provides an immediate 15-20% performance uplift during intense promethium flame purges without compromising character model clarity.
• Game Name: Space Marine: Salamander

• Upscaling Tech: Full native support for NVIDIA DLSS 3.5 (Super Resolution + Frame Generation + Reflex), AMD FSR 3.1, and Intel XeSS 1.3.
• Key Settings Impact: Global Illumination (Lumen), Shadow Quality, Volumetric Fog, and Draw Distance exert the most significant impact on rendering performance.

• Upscaling Tech: NVIDIA DLSS 3.7 (Super Resolution + Frame Generation), AMD FSR 3.1, Intel XeSS 1.3
• Key Settings Impact: Adjusting Volumetric Lighting and Particle Density provides an immediate 15-20% performance uplift during intense promethium flame purges without compromising character model clarity.

• G P U T G P: Requires a mobile GPU operating at 75W-95W minimum for fluid 1080p, and 115W-140W+ TGP for native 1440p high-refresh raiding.
• Cooling Thermals: Dual-fan cooling pads and aggressive fan curves are strongly advised to keep mobile CPU and GPU temps below 85°C during extended extraction runs.
• C P U Power Limits: A sustained PL1 power threshold of 45W+ is recommended for managing 24+ player and machine netcode simulations alongside Unreal Engine 5 world partition streaming.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Bypassing hybrid graphics via a discrete MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus provides a 12-18% boost to 1% low framerates in dense firefights.

• G P U T G P: A GPU TGP allocation between 80W and 115W provides locked 60fps+ at 1080p and 1440p using DLSS or FSR Quality presets.
• Cooling Thermals: The swarm entity calculations and volumetric green Gauss disintegrator effects elevate mobile CPU/GPU package temperatures; elevated laptop cooling pads maintain peak boost clocks.
• C P U Power Limits: Efficient multi-core utilization balances high entity AI pathfinding across 8 physical cores without bottlenecking the render thread.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Bypassing integrated graphics via discrete MUX switch minimizes input latency during high-stakes parry windows and dodge maneuvers.