Arc Raiders has kept up a consistent weekly patch cycle through early 2026, and the pace is not letting up. Patch 1.20.0, which went live on March 17, brought the game’s most-requested weapon adjustment — a full rework of the Il Toro shotgun — along with a sharp cut to Energy Clip sell prices that had quietly become one of the easiest farming exploits in the game. A week later, on March 24, Patch 1.21.0 closed a wall-clipping exploit, patched a DirectX 11 crash, and added two new store items.
All of that has been a runway for what comes next. Flashpoint, the third major update in Embark Studios’ 2026 Escalation roadmap, drops on March 31 across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The Shredder — officially confirmed by Embark as the deadliest ARC unit in the game — is leaving Stella Montis. It’s heading to Blue Gate. And whether you’ve been grinding the Rust Belt since launch or just getting started, the Flashpoint update is set to change how every map feels.
Arrives March 31
The third Escalation update lands on all platforms simultaneously. Shredders confirmed for Blue Gate. Lightning map condition incoming. Scrappy update on the way.
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Every change from the past two weekly patches, pulled directly from Embark’s official patch notes. Select a tab to explore.
The March 17 update was the biggest balance patch in weeks. Embark’s dev note cited the Il Toro’s dominance “especially when combined with a choke” as the main reason for the rework. Energy Clips were also quietly generating far more profit than intended.
Released March 24 — the same day as today. Embark confirmed this is a lighter weekly patch focused on quality-of-life and store rotation. The official note: “The team is hard at work getting the Flashpoint update ready for next week.”
The Il Toro was one of the most-requested nerfs from the community, specifically because of how effective it became at mid-range when combined with a choke. Embark’s stated goal was to make it “less versatile at lower upgrade levels and more dependent on upgrades and mods.” Every number below is pulled directly from the official Patch 1.20.0 notes.
Embark has shared a teaser and the official 2026 roadmap ahead of March 31. Here is what is confirmed by Embark directly.
Stella Montis
Embark’s official teaser on X confirmed that the Shredder is heading to the Blue Gate map as part of Flashpoint. The video shows the underground tunnels below the Checkpoint area in Blue Gate. Embark’s caption: “Someone forgot to close the Stella Montis doors on their way out…”
Shredder currently exclusive to Stella Montis. Moving to Blue Gate in Flashpoint.
Embark published the full January–April 2026 roadmap on January 23. Four major updates, one per month. Here is where things stand.
Patches 1.20.0 and 1.21.0 were covered above, with the Il Toro shotgun rework, the Energy Clip economy adjustment, the wall-clipping exploit fix, and the two new store items detailed as published in Embark’s official patch notes. The Flashpoint update, confirmed for March 31 across all platforms, was also covered — including the Shredder’s move to Blue Gate, the lightning-based map condition, and the Scrappy update listed in the 2026 Escalation roadmap. The full roadmap from Headwinds through Riven Tides was also outlined as confirmed by Embark Studios.
For more coverage of what’s happening across gaming, visit our pages on Crimson Desert’s launch, Minecraft Dungeons II, and Riftbound Unleashed Set 3.