If you boot up ARC Raiders today, you'll find update 1.45.0 waiting for you, and there's more going on here than a standard bug fix drop. Embark Studios has packed in a new Raider Project, the start of Expedition 5, the Hornet Hunter Set, and a time-sensitive warning about the Cred currency that every active player needs to hear.
Ascending the mountain: what the new Raider Project is actually about
The new Raider Project is called Ascending the Mountain, and it picks up directly from recent in-game story threads. Phantom ARC signals have been troubling Shani, and those signals point toward a mountain range that sits just outside the current Tube system's reach. Apollo is apparently working on an experimental fix and needs Raiders who can read schematics and stay low-profile.
This kicks off the fifth Expedition, making 1.45.0 a meaningful narrative beat rather than just a maintenance patch. Here's the thing: this is also confirmed to be the last Live Update before October 8, though Embark has noted a smaller update is still planned before that date.
Spend your Cred now, not later
The bigger time-sensitive news is what's happening to Cred. Embark is retiring it entirely as a currency when the Frozen Trail update launches on October 8. Any Cred sitting in your account at that point disappears, full stop.
The replacement is described as a more expansive reward system that will include all existing Raider Deck rewards. Anything you've already claimed stays with you. So the math here is simple: if you have Cred, use it before October 8.
Gameplay fixes worth knowing about
Beyond the narrative content, 1.45.0 addresses a solid list of gameplay issues. A few stand out:
- Over-encumbrance now has a severe tier: if you're carrying well above your loadout weight limit, you're locked to walking with sprinting and jumping disabled. This adds real consequences to looting too aggressively.
- Expedition quest resets are now optional: starting an Expedition no longer automatically resets your quests. You choose at departure whether to reset them, which is a welcome quality-of-life change.
- Aphelion weapon sway reduced: aiming stability improvements for the Aphelion should make it feel noticeably tighter. If you've been working on gun modifications and upgrades, this is relevant to how the weapon handles now.
- Matriarch stomp fix: the bug where her stomp could damage players through tall cover or while standing on top of her is patched out.
- Quick item cycling rebind: you can now separate quick item cycling from the quick-use wheel, or disable cycling entirely, reducing accidental item swaps.
On the technical side, the engine upgrade from Unreal Engine 5.3 to 5.7 is notable. That's a significant jump and should contribute to the stability and performance fixes listed alongside it, including a PS5 crash fix and squad matchmaking issues when a squadmate signs out and rejoins.
Community rubber ducks made it in
On the lighter side, the community-designed rubber ducks are now live in Bird City. Players can display them in their Raider Den. The three winning designers, gekko.rar, im_AshCheeks, and nassguhl, get their creations permanently in the game, which is a genuinely cool outcome for a community design initiative.
Known issues to watch for
A few problems are still active post-patch:
- The second part of the Phantom Targets project couldn't be started for some players. Compensation is coming in a future update.
- Xbox Series S crashes are being worked on. Embark is asking players to report persistent issues.
- PC players on Windows Update KB5121003 may experience crashes. A workaround exists on the official Discord while a proper fix is in progress.
- Epic Games Store players may lose keyboard input suddenly. Disabling active overlays or alt-tabbing out and back in can help temporarily.
With Frozen Trail confirmed for October 8 and the Cred deadline attached to it, now is the time to catch up on everything the current season has to offer. The ARC Raiders guides hub has everything you need to make the most of what's left before the next major update lands.
