Arc Raiders ARC AI Patch History: Every Change to the Machines

A dated list of every Arc Raiders patch we can source that changed ARC machines: perception, spawning, target selection and the new units, newest first.

Category: Arc Raiders AI & ARC Machines · Updated 2026-08-03

Weapon balance changes what you carry. ARC behaviour changes what happens to you. You can drop in without the gun you wanted, but you cannot drop in without meeting the machines, so a patch that alters how they see, hear, spawn or pick targets rewrites every route on every map at once. And they only arrive in patches. Embark's ML research lead Martin Singh-Blom has said the machine learning is "strictly for locomotion," while "higher-level decisions, like where to go or what to do" run on authored behaviour trees. The machines do not get smarter between updates.

How to read this list

This covers only the ARC changes we have confirmed against a source. It is not a complete patch archive. Our verified 2026 sweep runs from Update 1.11.0 on 13 January through Live Update 1.39.0 on 28 July, every published version checked except the two hotfixes noted at the bottom. Coverage before December 2025 is partial.

On 13 May 2026 Embark split the update stream: major updates twice a year (next is Frozen Trail in October 2026), with live and store updates between them. ARC changes live almost entirely in the Live Updates.

[Live Update 1.39.0](https://arcraiders.com/news/live-update-1-39-0) | 28 July 2026 | No ARC changes

The head of the timeline has no ARC section. Machines appear only in Known Issues: Leapers jumping through the ARC Turbine, Shredders floating to the ceiling in some Hidden Bunker rooms, and shots not registering while riding ARC.

[Live Update 1.36.0](https://arcraiders.com/news/live-update-1-36-0) | 7 July 2026 | Turbine loot, boss knockback

ARC Turbine loot went up significantly, Embark's dev note saying the payout was too low for the effort of killing one. A bug where the Turbine vanished right after spawning was fixed, and knockback from Queen and Matriarch stomps stopped travelling through walls.

[Live Update 1.33.0](https://arcraiders.com/news/live-update-1-33-0) | 16 June 2026 | Drops, Firefly, boss footing

Rocketeers now drop Launcher Ammo instead of Heavy Ammo, and a Firefly bug that dropped an incendiary grenade without the Firefly being destroyed was fixed. Queen and Matriarch got better at planting their feet in varied terrain, including on moving surfaces.

[Live Update 1.29.0, Nomadic Envoys](https://arcraiders.com/news/patch-notes-1-29-0) | 19 May 2026 | Vision, hearing, spawning

The largest change to ARC perception in 2026, and the one entry to read if you read only one.

• Vision through bushes and smoke became granular rather than binary. Raiders near the edge of cover are easier to spot, raiders deeper in foliage or smoke are harder to detect.
• Hearing split by environment. ARC hear better in open outdoor spaces and are less sensitive to sound indoors or passing through geometry.
• New raiders get a grace period: "When Raiders first spawn into a session, ARC will be less perceptive of them and less likely to engage."
• ARC spawning in unexpected locations was fixed, as was flying ARC getting stuck.
• Firefly fire was matched to its visuals, so briefly grazing the flame is less punishing, and Rocketeer volleys spread out instead of stacking on one spot.

[Update 1.27.0](https://arcraiders.com/news/patch-notes-1-27-0) | 5 May 2026 | Turbine follow-up

A week after the Turbine shipped, Embark cleaned it up: its attacks became visible from far away, its proximity mines got a visibility pass, the distance from which it can be heard went up, and its landing behaviour improved to cut down on poor landing zone choices like treetops.

[Update 1.26.0, Riven Tides](https://arcraiders.com/news/riven-tides-patch-notes-1-26-0) | 28 April 2026 | New unit: ARC Turbine

Riven Tides added the ARC Turbine, introduced by Embark as "calm, docile, quiet" in the air and brutal once provoked. Community documentation describes it as almost untouchable while flying, drifting in with somewhere between 16 and 12 minutes left on the round timer, and answering provocation with cluster missiles that call down a stunning lightning strike. Grounded, the spinning yellow turbine is its weak point.

The patch also cut ARC density in beginner facing sessions: Comets out of standard Dam Battlegrounds sessions, Firefly presence there heavily reduced, Comet presence in Buried City reduced. And it fixed Vaporizer and Surveyor patrols stopping until alerted, ARC not reacting to nearby breaching sounds, and the Bastion being too accurate when switching targets mid fire.

[Update 1.23.0](https://arcraiders.com/news/patch-notes-1-23-0) | 8 April 2026 | Close Scrutiny cleanup

ARC summoned by the Assessor now leave the area and despawn if they stay idle a long time. Rocketeer and Vaporizer idle movement speed was fixed, and Vaporizers stopped getting stuck near an Assessor.

[Update 1.22.0, Flashpoint](https://arcraiders.com/news/patch-notes-1-22-0) | 31 March 2026 | New unit: Vaporizer, target selection

Flashpoint added the Vaporizer, a large flying ARC with a line of sight laser that leaves pools of burning fire, plus an energy shield that blocks projectile damage and drops for a brief vulnerability window. It also added Close Scrutiny, which Embark describes as a new type of major map condition called an ARC Operation, built around a large stationary ARC Assessor with its own patrols, and it added Shredders to all maps, though on Dam Battlegrounds only during certain map conditions.

The behaviour work underneath mattered more:

• Target selection now switches more freely and zeroes in less on the first target.
• ARC identify players very close in front of them faster than before.
• Fewer multi Firefly spawns, and stunned Comet behaviour improved.
• Flying ARC, Fireflies especially, stopped spawning inside walls in Stella Montis and shooting through them.

[Update 1.18.0](https://arcraiders.com/news/patch-notes-1-18-0) | 3 March 2026 | Performance only

One ARC line in the whole patch: some ARC could occasionally cause performance drops, now fixed.

[Update 1.17.0, Shrouded Sky](https://arcraiders.com/news/shrouded-sky-patch-notes-1-17-0) | 24 February 2026 | Two new units

The patch notes never name them, saying only that scouts have spotted two new ARC types in the Rust Belt. Embark's companion articles do: the Firefly is an armored flier emitting a jet of flame, tenacious enough to hunt you into corners, weak point the yellow gas tank. The Comet patrols calmly until it sees you, then locks on with frightening focus before exploding, and opens its armour when attacked from a distance.

Also fixed: Rocketeers not shooting despite a clear view, and Sentinel shots passing through geometry at very close range.

[Update 1.13.0, Headwinds](https://arcraiders.com/news/patch-notes-1-13-0) | 27 January 2026 | Traversal, Snitch, Spotter, Tick

ARC traversing obstacles improved and the Leaper got better at walking after losing its legs. Snitches stopped aborting their ARC call when a Lure Grenade landed during it and stopped making noise once destroyed, Spotters stopped following players into buildings and getting stuck, and a Tick grab now gives you a brief window to dodge roll out. The Stella Montis Bastion also stopped spawning out of bounds and shooting through walls.

Before 2026, partial coverage

• Update 1.7.0, Cold Snap | 16 December 2025. The largest Shredder pass in the patches we checked: less weapon knockback, faster movement and turning, tougher head, better navigation in narrow spaces, quicker to enter combat when damaged or approached.
• Update 1.3.0 | 20 November 2025. ARC stopped calling reinforcements outside the map, Shredders began moving toward Lure Grenades more reliably, and ground detection improved on steep surfaces.
• Update 1.2.0, North Line | 13 November 2025. Added the Matriarch and the Shredder. Fireballs stopped getting stuck on security gates and fleeing Surveyors stopped leaving the playable area.

Checked, nothing about ARC

1.38.0, 1.37.0, 1.35.0, 1.34.0, 1.32.0, 1.31.0, 1.30.0, 1.28.0, 1.26.1, 1.25.0, 1.24.0, 1.23.1, 1.22.1, 1.21.0, 1.20.0, 1.19.0, 1.17.1, 1.13.1, 1.12.0, 1.11.0 and 1.4.0: store rotations, cosmetics, anti cheat, crashes, economy and matchmaking.

One more inside the sweep, Update 1.15.0, Shared Watch on 10 February 2026, changed no ARC behaviour either. Its only ARC-adjacent line is a weapon change: the Trailblazer Grenade now deals more damage to small enemies and less to bigger ones like the Leaper and Bastion, and its explosions no longer deal damage through walls.

What we could not confirm

• Hotfix 1.36.1 (9 July 2026) and Hotfix 1.29.1 (21 May 2026) are not on the official news page. Secondary sources point to duplication, UI and localisation fixes with no ARC content, but neither is primary verified.
• Patches outside our sweep that we did not check at all: the 30 October 2025 release notes, both launch hotfixes, 1.1.0, 1.5.0, 1.6.0, 1.7.2 and 1.7.3.
• Which patch introduced each launch era unit (Leaper, Bastion, Rocketeer, Queen, Snitch and the rest) is documented nowhere we could find.
• One repeated claim to ignore: that Trials Season 5 brings increased ARC activity to Riven Tides. Embark's article refers to rising ARC activity in lore terms and states no mechanical change.

Arc Raiders AI is a fan made companion site, not affiliated with or endorsed by Embark Studios.

FAQ

What was the biggest ARC AI change in Arc Raiders?

Live Update 1.29.0, released on 19 May 2026, is the largest confirmed change to ARC perception in 2026. It made ARC vision through bushes and smoke granular instead of binary, so raiders near the edge of cover are easier to spot while raiders deeper in foliage or behind smoke are harder to detect. It also split hearing by environment, with ARC perceiving sound better in open outdoor spaces and less well indoors or through geometry, and it added a grace period where newly spawned raiders are less likely to be engaged.

Which Arc Raiders patch added the ARC Turbine?

The ARC Turbine arrived in Update 1.26.0, the Riven Tides content update, on 28 April 2026. Embark introduced it as calm and quiet while it drifts overhead, and brutal once provoked, answering attacks with cluster missiles that call down a stunning lightning strike. Community documentation puts its weak point at the spinning yellow turbine visible through the armour gaps once it has been grounded.

When was the Vaporizer added to Arc Raiders?

The Vaporizer shipped with Update 1.22.0, the Flashpoint update, on 31 March 2026. It is a large flying ARC with a line of sight laser that leaves pools of burning fire where the beam contacts, plus an energy shield that blocks projectile damage and drops for a brief vulnerability window. The same patch added Close Scrutiny, which Embark describes as a new type of major map condition called an ARC Operation, built around a large stationary ARC Assessor.

When were the Firefly and Comet added to Arc Raiders?

Both arrived in Update 1.17.0, the Shrouded Sky update, on 24 February 2026. The patch notes did not name them, saying only that scouts had spotted two new ARC types in the Rust Belt. Embark's companion articles described the Firefly as an armored flier that emits a jet of flame, with a yellow gas tank as its weak point, and the Comet as a spherical machine that locks on with frightening focus before exploding and opens its armour when attacked from a distance.

Did the latest Arc Raiders patch change ARC behaviour?

Live Update 1.39.0 on 28 July 2026 has no ARC section at all, so there are no confirmed ARC behaviour changes in it. Machines appear only in its Known Issues: Leapers jumping through the ARC Turbine, Shredders floating to the ceiling in some Hidden Bunker rooms, and shots not registering while riding ARC. The most recent patch before it with a confirmed ARC section was Live Update 1.36.0 on 7 July 2026. Hotfix 1.36.1 on 9 July 2026 sits between them and we could not verify its contents against a primary source.

Do the ARC in Arc Raiders learn from how you play?

No. Embark's ML research lead Martin Singh-Blom has said the machine learning is strictly for locomotion, meaning how a machine places its feet and moves, while higher-level decisions like where to go and what to do run on authored behaviour trees. ARC behaviour changes when a patch ships, not because the machines adapted to you between raids.

How often does Arc Raiders change ARC behaviour?

Rarely, compared with weapon, cosmetic and store patches. Across the thirty plus updates and hotfixes published in 2026, only about ten carried any ARC content at all, and the substantive ones cluster in the named content updates and the Live Updates. Since Embark split its update stream on 13 May 2026, ARC changes have appeared almost entirely in Live Updates rather than Store Updates.