ARC Raiders Update 1.42.0 Patch Notes: Every Change, Known Issue and What Came Next
ARC Raiders update 1.42.0 went live on 18 August, unlocking the second part of the Phantom Targets Raider Project and the Anomalia outfit that finishes it. It is out on Steam, the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and GeForce Now, and Embark Studios has not published a download size for it.
The patch is a mid-event drop rather than a season, so the headline additions are a project, a cosmetic set and a scheduling change. The list of known issues is arguably the more useful half — two of the crash bugs players had been reporting for days were still open, and one of them is a PC problem the studio traces to a Windows update. Below is every change in the official 1.42.0 notes, section by section, followed by what has happened since.
Update (September 24, 2026): no 1.42.x hotfix, and what came after
Embark never shipped a 1.42.1 or any other 1.42.x hotfix. The next patches on the official news page are Store Update 1.43.0 (August 25), Store Update 1.44.0 (September 1), Live Update 1.45.0 (September 8), Store Update 1.46.0 (September 15) and Store Update 1.47.0 (September 22). 1.45.0 is the one with real gameplay changes, including an Unreal Engine upgrade from 5.3 to 5.7, and we cover it in our ARC Raiders 1.45.0 breakdown.
- Phantom Targets ended September 6. The 1.43.0 notes set that end date. Anomalia, the Finger Guns Wave emote and the Trashpile Bag were the event rewards.
- Xbox crashes are still open. 1.45.0 still listed Xbox Series S crashes as a known issue. The 1.47.0 notes say Embark is "deploying multiple stability improvements targeting Xbox Series X|S crashes", but they do not call it fixed.
- The Windows KB5121003 crash was still listed in 1.45.0, with the same workaround while a permanent fix is built.
- Keyboard input. 1.47.0 fixed keyboard input that could stop working after launching unfocused or returning from the background. That looks like the same problem as the Epic keyboard bug listed in 1.42.0, though Embark did not link the two.
- PS5. 1.45.0 fixed a crash shortly after session start, and 1.47.0 fixed a frequent crash tied to the physics engine.
When is the next ARC Raiders update?
The next big update is Frozen Trail, on October 8, 2026. Embark confirmed the date and showed the content in its September 23 First Look. The studio has not said what version number it will carry.
- New map: Pendola Pass, an old Italian village and Exodus transport hub.
- New enemies: the Bully, the Skulker and the Hydra, a three-part turret found on the Frigate.
- New weapons: the Stiletto light-ammo battle rifle and the Bantam heavy-ammo revolver.
- New gadgets: a Grappling Hook, Tether Launcher, Yank Grenade and a Camera with a selfie mode, plus Harmonica and Banjo instruments.
- Progression: a Reward Pass with Free, Premium and Legacy tracks, a Skill Tree rework, Amplified Weapons (a fifth quality tier for 15 weapons), Weapon Stencils, a new Map Condition and the Outpost extension for the Raider Den.
Other dates Embark has set around it: sign-ups for the 5th Expedition close September 29 at 10am CEST (1am PT), Trials return on October 8 after a two-week break, and unspent Cred retires by October 8. After this Expedition, expeditions go on hiatus until early 2027. Between now and October 8, expect the usual weekly update (every patch since 1.42.0 has landed on a Monday). Embark says it has "more planned ahead of October 8th" but has not said what.
What ARC Raiders update 1.42.0 actually changes
The Phantom Targets story resolves its setup. Shani traces the strange surveillance readings to erratic Wasps — ARC units making unfamiliar noises, flying in irregular patterns and carrying tech nobody has identified — all converging on a single location. Part 1 arrived with the 4 August store update and asked players to repair faulty antennas to triangulate the signal. Part 2 is gated behind this patch.
The Tick Hunter Set went on sale with the patch. Two new Twitch drops arrived alongside it: a car freshener charm and a ceramic vase backpack attachment. Embark also named the winners of its Rubber Duck design contest (gekko.rar, im_AshCheeks and nassguhl), whose ducks are going into the game.
The change with the longest tail is Regional Map Condition Scheduling. Until now, map conditions rotated on one global schedule, which meant whole regions could reliably miss them at every peak hour. From 1.42.0 the schedule is offset per region. The map condition tracker on the game's site has been updated to match.
The gameplay and enemy changes worth knowing
- The Snitch can now call in a Rocketeer, and can also call in a Firefly and Hornet duo. Snitch Scanners are unaffected.
- Queen and Matriarch stomp attacks no longer hit through walls or from far outside their intended range — a fix Embark first acknowledged in the 4 August notes.
- The Photoelectric Cloak now works against Turbine lightning attacks and Matriarch missiles.
- The Surge Coil Trap has spawn protection, so it no longer catches players as they load in.
- Quick Wheel slots can be rebound.
- The Dolabra, Hullcracker and Rascal now deal damage correctly in the Practice Range.
- A zip line in Buried City that could not be interacted with has been repositioned.
Audio got a real pass too. Indoor footsteps lose the scuff sounds and gain better distance audibility, occlusion and concrete cues; movement through foliage sounds cleaner; plastic cloth and tarp surfaces have their own footstep audio; and every Tier 3 magazine upgrade now has a distinct firing sound. In an extraction shooter where hearing someone a room away decides the fight, that matters more than the patch notes make it sound.
Performance, stability and UI fixes in 1.42.0
- Performance: the UI texture streaming cache is more efficient.
- Stability: several crashes fixed, plus general stability work. Embark did not name the crashes.
- UI: project tile display issues fixed; spelling and localized text corrected; clearer matchmaking error messages; project quest claiming corrected; and a region label added to the Map selection screen, which goes with the new regional map condition schedule.
Which crashes are fixed and which are not
Embark says it fixed several crashes and made general stability improvements, but did not name them. The 1.42.0 notes list 14 known issues. The three biggest are the ones filling the subreddit.
Crashes on Xbox Series S are still under investigation, with no fix and no timeline given. PC crashes tied to Windows Update KB5121003 are also unresolved; the studio has published a workaround and says a proper fix is in progress. Players on Epic may suddenly lose keyboard input, and the suggested stopgaps are disabling any active overlay or alt-tabbing out and back in.
The other 11 known issues in 1.42.0:
- A sticky notification dot on the Projects tab.
- The throw animation fails when a Trigger 'Nade is detonated right after throwing.
- Weapon-swap animations break right after vaulting.
- Animations break when a Baron Husk search is interrupted.
- Shredders float to the ceiling in some Hidden Bunker rooms.
- Leapers can jump through the ARC Turbine.
- Items that give Merits wrongly show a Merits icon when brought into a raid.
- Shots fired while riding ARC may not register correctly.
- The flashlight beam clips through doors.
- Clipping on the Triumph, Reaver and Azimuth outfits.
- Ermal's offers wrongly appear in the Acquire and Craft menu.
The anti-cheat note attached to this patch
Embark used the 1.42.0 notes to follow up on fair play. Working with Anybrain and Denuvo Anti-Cheat, it says it has actioned a large number of accounts running recently popular cheat software, and that it is improving how quickly it can sanction accounts involved in what it classifies as economy exploits. It is also working on making it harder for banned players to return on fresh accounts, and has several initiatives aimed at teaming and matchmaking abuse.
The studio's advice to everyone else is blunt: unverified third-party tools risk your data as well as your account, and Embark ID users should have 2FA or passkeys enabled on every external account linked to it.
If you are tracking live-service patches more broadly, we covered the Helldivers 2 7.0.1 hotfix and its two crash fixes and the Silent Hill 2 1.07 patch that Konami is still investigating. Xbox players deciding what to install next can check which games just left Game Pass or the Gears of War: E-Day open beta. On the hardware side, our list of Android games with proper gamepad support covers what else your controller is good for.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How big is the ARC Raiders 1.42.0 download?
Embark Studios did not list a download size in the 1.42.0 patch notes. It is a mid-event live update rather than a full season drop, so it is smaller than the seasonal patches, but the exact figure will differ by platform. Check the download queue on Steam, the Epic Games Store, PS5 or Xbox Series X|S for the size on your machine.
Does update 1.42.0 fix the ARC Raiders crashes on Xbox Series S?
No. Embark fixed several unnamed crashes in 1.42.0, but Xbox Series S crashes stayed on the known issues list, and 1.45.0 still listed them. The 1.47.0 notes on September 22 say Embark is deploying multiple stability improvements aimed at Xbox Series X|S crashes, but they do not call the problem fixed.
Why does ARC Raiders keep crashing on PC after a Windows update?
Embark has confirmed the PC crashes are related to Windows Update KB5121003, not to the game patch itself. It has published a workaround while it develops a proper fix. Players on the Epic Games Store may also lose keyboard input suddenly, which disabling overlays or alt-tabbing usually clears.
How do you unlock the Anomalia outfit in ARC Raiders?
The Anomalia outfit was the reward for the Phantom Targets event. Part 2 of the Phantom Targets Raider Project unlocked with update 1.42.0 on August 18. The 1.43.0 notes then set September 6 as the end of the event, so the event rewards (Anomalia, the Finger Guns Wave emote and the Trashpile Bag) are no longer available through it.
What is regional map condition scheduling in ARC Raiders?
Map conditions used to rotate on one worldwide schedule, so players in some regions almost never saw them during their normal playing hours. From 1.42.0 the rotation is offset per region to line up with local peak times. The map condition tracker on the ARC Raiders website reflects the new schedule.
When is the next ARC Raiders update?
The next major update is Frozen Trail, on October 8, 2026. Embark has confirmed the Pendola Pass map, three new enemies (Bully, Skulker and Hydra), the Stiletto and Bantam weapons, a Grappling Hook, a Reward Pass and a Skill Tree rework. It has not given a version number. Smaller weekly updates, usually on Mondays, continue until then.
Was there a 1.42.1 hotfix for ARC Raiders?
No. Embark did not release any 1.42.x hotfix. The next patch was Store Update 1.43.0 on August 25, followed by 1.44.0, Live Update 1.45.0 on September 8, 1.46.0 and 1.47.0 on September 22.
