ARC Raiders Is Free to Play Until October 12 With Frozen Trail, and $19.99 on Steam
ARC Raiders is free to play from today, 8 October, until 12 October, and the trial gives you the full game, Embark Studios' new Frozen Trail 2.0 update included. It runs on Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and on console you do not need PlayStation Plus or Game Pass to join.
The timing is not an accident. Frozen Trail went live this morning as the extraction shooter's biggest update since its October 2025 launch, and Embark is using the free window to pull in players who have so far watched from the sidelines.
When the ARC Raiders free to play window opens and closes
Embark lists the window in UTC. Here is what that means in US time:
- Starts: 8 October at 09:00 UTC, which is 5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m. PT
- Ends: 12 October at 08:00 UTC, which is 4 a.m. ET / 1 a.m. PT on Monday
- Platforms: Steam on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S
- Subscription needed: none. The studio says neither PlayStation Plus nor Game Pass is required
That gives you Thursday through Sunday night. If you plan to play late on Sunday on the West Coast, the cut-off arrives at 1 a.m., not midnight.
Does your progress carry over if you buy?
Yes. Embark says everything you earn during the trial stays on your account if you buy the game afterwards, and you pick up in Speranza where you left off. Purchases carry over too. You can buy the Deluxe Edition upgrade and other in-game items during the trial without owning the base game, but you lose access to them unless you then buy the full game. Refunds go through each store's own policy.
On Steam, the timing works out in your favour. The standard edition is $19.99 right now, half its usual $39.99, and the Deluxe Edition is $29.99, down from $59.99. Steam does not show an end date for the sale. We could not confirm matching prices on the PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store, so check before you buy on console.
The PC minimum spec is modest: an Intel Core i5-6600K or Ryzen 5 1600, 12GB of RAM and a GTX 1050 Ti, RX 580 or Arc A380.
What's in the Frozen Trail 2.0 update
Trial players get the same build as owners. The headline additions from Embark's patch notes:
- Pendola Pass, a new snow map with a Dynamic Loot Zone system that changes loot value from raid to raid
- Two map conditions, Frigate and Redirection
- Three new ARC enemies: Bully, Skulker and Hydra
- Two weapons, the Bantam hand cannon and the Stiletto, plus Amplified Weapons
- New gear, including a Grappling Hook, Tether Launcher, Yank Grenade and cameras
- 22 new quests and an Outpost you unlock through a project
- A reworked skill tree where mid-branch nodes become a choice between two skills
One catch for newcomers. Pendola Pass is not open to a fresh account straight away. Embark says new players can get in immediately only by teaming up with someone who has already unlocked it, so bring a friend who owns the game.
The update also changes how rewards work. Raider Decks move into a Legacy Pass, a 60-level Frozen Trail Pass arrives with free and premium tracks, and Cred has been replaced by Reward Points. If you followed our report on the ARC Raiders Cred deadline in update 1.45.0, today is the day that change landed.
Changes owners will notice
Returning players should know about a few nerfs and fixes:
- The Snap Hook's range drops from 20m to 18m, and each use now costs 4% durability instead of 2%
- Explosives do over 50% more damage to ARC armor plates but about 30% less to fragile parts
- The stash gains two upgrade tiers, for a maximum of 328 slots
- Solo vs. Squads matchmaking has been removed
- Embark is removing duplicated items from inventories and says accounts holding large amounts may be restricted
Embark's known-issues list includes a Hydra that can shoot through walls in the Cargo area, and a Tether Launcher that cannot be repaired yet. Our earlier write-up of ARC Raiders update 1.42.0 covers the Xbox Series S crash fixes that came before this patch.
Can trial players join the PvE beta?
Embark is testing a PvE toggle from 13 to 20 October. It removes player-to-player damage and lowers loot values. The studio's free-play page does not say whether trial accounts can join, and the trial ends the day before the test starts, so plan on owning the game if PvE is the draw.
If you want more to play once the weekend is over, our Game Pass October games list covers Battlefield 6 and the rest of this month's line-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ARC Raiders free to play right now?
Yes, for a limited time. ARC Raiders is free to play from 8 October at 09:00 UTC until 12 October at 08:00 UTC, which is 4 a.m. ET or 1 a.m. PT on Monday. After that, you need to buy the game to keep playing.
Do I need PlayStation Plus or Game Pass to play the ARC Raiders free weekend?
No. Embark Studios says neither PlayStation Plus nor Xbox Game Pass is required during the free-to-play event. You just need the game from the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store or Steam, plus an Embark ID account.
Does ARC Raiders free weekend progress carry over?
Yes. All progress and purchases from the free event stay on your account if you buy the full game, and you return to Speranza where you left off. Items you buy during the trial cannot be used after it ends unless you buy the game.
How much is ARC Raiders on Steam?
ARC Raiders is $19.99 on Steam right now, 50% off its usual $39.99. The Deluxe Edition is $29.99, down from $59.99. Steam does not list an end date for the discount.
Can new players go to Pendola Pass in ARC Raiders?
Not on their own straight away. Embark says new players can reach the Frozen Trail map immediately only by teaming up with players who have already unlocked Pendola Pass. Otherwise it has to be unlocked through normal progression.
