The Flashpoint update is Arc Raiders' third major content drop of 2026, and it's arguably the most disruptive one yet. Two new guns, a brand-new flying Arc enemy, Shredders breaking out of Stella Montis and spreading to every map, a reworked crafting menu, and a new map condition that's basically a PvP magnet. There's a lot to process before you head topside.
The Vaporizer in action
What's in the Arc Raiders Flashpoint update?
Flashpoint dropped on March 31 as the third of four updates in the Escalation expansion, following January's Headwinds and February's Shrouded Sky. The fourth and final update, Riven Tides, arrives in April with a new map and a large Arc unit. Here's what Flashpoint brings:
- New map condition: ARC Operation: Close Scrutiny
- New Arc enemy: The Vaporizer
- New weapons: Canto SMG, Dolabra Energy Shotgun, Surge Coil deployable
- Shredders now appear on all maps
- New player project: High Gain Antenna
- Scrappy feeding system update
- Streamlined crafting menu
- New cosmetic bundles
What are the new weapons in Flashpoint?
Flashpoint adds three new pieces of kit, all designed for Arc combat.
Canto SMG
The Canto is the first SMG in Arc Raiders to use Medium Ammo. Every other SMG in the game runs on Light Ammo. This makes the Canto a natural fit for anti-Arc loadouts, since you can pair it with other Medium Ammo weapons without splitting your ammo reserves. If you spend most of your time fighting drones and crawlers at close range, this will likely become your default.
Dolabra energy shotgun
The Dolabra fires Energy Ammo and features a variable focus system. You can toggle between a wide burst for crowd control and a tight electrical beam for concentrated damage. The blueprint drops from the Close Scrutiny map condition, so you'll need to take down an Assessor to unlock it. Another close-quarters anti-Arc weapon.
Surge Coil deployable
The Surge Coil is a placeable device that periodically electrifies the area around it, damaging anything nearby. It's essentially a Jolt Mine with a wider, repeating effect instead of a single detonation. Good for holding rooms during an Assessor extraction or covering a flank while you loot.
Flashpoint's new anti-Arc weapons
What is the Close Scrutiny map condition?
Close Scrutiny is a new type of map event called an ARC Operation, separate from standard map conditions. When it's active, overall loot across the affected map drops. The compensation is the ARC Assessor, a heavily guarded Arc unit that drops rare components and at least one blueprint for the Dolabra shotgun, as detailed in Embark Studios' official Flashpoint breakdown.
The Assessor is surrounded by increased Arc patrols and the new Vaporizer enemy, making any approach risky. Unlike the Harvester, you won't have a Queen nearby, but the reduced map loot funnels other squads toward the same objective. Expect heavy competition for these zones.
Close Scrutiny ARC Operation zone
Who is the Vaporizer and how dangerous is it?
The Vaporizer is a new flying Arc unit that uses a laser weapon and travels in groups. Embark describes it as having "idiosyncratic attack patterns," which translates to "it won't behave like anything you've fought before."
Based on available footage, the Vaporizer appears to be roughly the same size as other small flyers, not a Rocketeer-scale threat. It shows up as part of the Close Scrutiny condition protecting the Assessor, though whether it also spawns independently outside that condition isn't fully confirmed yet.
The laser attack is the main concern. It's a sustained beam rather than a burst, which means repositioning mid-fight matters more than it does against standard Arc. The Energy Ammo weapons added in this same update are likely the intended counter.
What changed with Shredders?
Shredders have escaped Stella Montis. Previously confined to that one location, these tanky shotgun enemies now appear across Blue Gate, Buried City, Spaceport, and Dam Battlegrounds under certain map conditions. It takes two Hullcracker hits to drop a Shredder, and they were recently named the deadliest Arc type in the game by the official Arc Raiders account.
This is the least welcome part of Flashpoint for players who preferred the other maps as relatively Shredder-free zones. The silver lining is that this appears to be tied to specific conditions rather than a permanent baseline spawn across all areas.
What is the High Gain Antenna project?
The High Gain Antenna is a new player project that has Celeste and Shani building a device to track aerial threats. Given the Vaporizer just arrived and Riven Tides is teasing a large new Arc unit, this project is almost certainly seeding the narrative setup for April's finale. Expect the usual loop of gathering specific materials across raids to progress it and unlock associated rewards.
How does the Scrappy feeding system work?
Scrappy, Speranza's resident rooster, now has a feeding mechanic. Give him specific food items (Apricots, Mushrooms, and similar consumables based on early testing) and he'll prioritize gathering that type of loot. Keep the feeding consistent and he'll also bring back higher-value items. The effect isn't permanent, so you'll need to keep supplying him to maintain the bonus.
What changed with crafting?
This is the quality-of-life change that matters most. The old crafting system required you to jump between multiple menus whenever you were short on a component, checking your inventory, visiting traders, and running refinery options separately. The new streamlined menu shows you a list of available resources and lets you recycle, refine, or purchase what you need from a single window.
After spending time navigating the old system, this is a genuine improvement. It won't change how you play topside, but it will cut down the time spent in the bunker between raids significantly.
What are the new cosmetic bundles?
The Wasp Hunter Set launched alongside the update for $20. It includes the Wasp Hunter outfit with four color variants, an Oxygen Tank backpack, a Scrappy helmet, a new Raider Tool, and 2400 Raider Tokens. Three additional sets, the Brigade Set, Vanguard Set, and Nascosto Set, will roll out at unspecified points throughout April.
What's coming after Flashpoint?
Riven Tides is the final Escalation update and is shaping up to be the biggest. Embark has confirmed it will include a new map, a new large Arc (potentially Queen or Matriarch scale or larger), a new map condition, and an expedition window. The High Gain Antenna project is almost certainly connected to that rollout.
For more Arc Raiders coverage and the latest on what's coming with Riven Tides, browse our gaming guides as Embark releases more details ahead of the April drop.