Arc Raiders to add multiple new maps in 2026; existing maps need updates

Polygon reports Arc Raiders is getting "multiple maps" in 2026, design lead Virgil Watkins told GamesRadar, with additions spanning "a spectrum of size" — some smaller than current maps and others "even grander than what we've got now."

Watkins said the studio aims to pair future maps with new types of experience, including map or weather conditions, different enemy types or compositions, and escalating types of loot to give players fresh ways to approach familiar tools. The article also notes the game currently features five locales — Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, Blue Gate, and Stella Montis — which long-term players know well after many hours of play.

The piece urges developer Embark Studios to apply similar evolution to existing maps rather than leaving them behind, citing the Cold Snap winter event's frostbite mechanic as a strong example. Suggested changes include more environmental evolution (such as a dam breach), permanent threats in zones like Spaceport, randomized doors and corridors on Stella Montis, and randomizing loot zones and event schedules. The article says Arc Raiders "has an incredibly bright future — it's likely already won the 2026 extraction shooter arms race — but if existing maps aren't given TLC... it'll shoot itself in the foot."

Key Topics

Culture, Arc Raiders, Embark Studios, Virgil Watkins, Dam Battlegrounds, Stella Montis