Embark Studios has released update 1.36.0 for ARC Raiders—and it’s exactly what the community has been waiting for months. The matchmaking system has finally stopped mixing playstyles between solo, duo, and trio: each mode now has its own distinct personality. But that’s not all—the Fourth Expedition has launched with a new reward system, the fifth season of Trials, and a crossover with The Finals. We’re breaking down all the changes, detailing tables, dates, and exact numbers.
The major update affected matchmaking. Previously, the system remembered your overall playstyle: if you enjoyed aggressive PvP in trios, you’d be thrown into the same lobbies in solo raids. This is no longer the case. Below, we’ll explain how the new algorithm works and why it changes everything.
Table of Contents
ARC Raiders Matchmaking Has Finally Been Separated—How It Works
The problem wasn’t that matchmaking didn’t take behavior into account—it did, but on a global scale. Your profile (movement speed, firefight frequency, cover preference) was the same for all modes. Update 1.36.0 fixed this: now there are separate behavioral profiles for solo, duo, and trio. The result: you won’t get an aggressive lobby in solo if you prefer to sneak around quietly in a team. And vice versa.
The developers called this “aggressive matchmaking”—but the aggression here is directed at the old architecture. Now you choose how to play, and the system adapts to you, not the other way around.
The Fourth Expedition: Dates, Rewards, and a New System
The Fourth Expedition is active in the game from July 7 to July 21, 2026. The main new feature is that instead of the usual skill points, you’ll receive blueprints and Raider Tokens. The amount of rewards is tied to the damage dealt during the match. Here are the thresholds that unlock everything:
(Data based on the official announcement and cross-checked with IGN.)
The system rewards aggressive play but doesn’t penalize caution—the thresholds are achievable in a few matches if you focus on fighting other raiders and bosses.
Trials Season 5: Skort Outfit and What Else You Can Earn
Trials Season 5 has also launched and will run until September 30th. The main reward is the unique Skorta costume, awarded for completing weekly challenges. The conditions are the same: deal damage and earn season points. In addition to the costume, additional blueprints and emotes are unlocked during the season. Given the length of the season, you have almost three months—take your time, but don’t relax either.
Crossover with The Finals: How to Claim the Exclusive Skin
From July 9th to 30th, ARC Raiders is hosting a crossover with The Finals. Completing special challenges (killing 50 enemies in any mode) will earn you the “Steel Judge” weapon skin—it will be available in both The Finals and ARC Raiders. This is a rare opportunity to earn cosmetics for both Embark games. Please note: challenges are only available in ARC Raiders, but the skin will be available in both games after the event ends.
What else was fixed in patch 1.36.0: anti-cheat, balance, and bugs
The developers reported progress in combating cheaters after implementing Denuvo Anti-Cheat. The share of players with abnormally high profits per minute (potential cheaters) dropped below 1%—the best figure in recent months. Item duplication exploits that had spawned a black market were also fixed. Furthermore, the loot value of ARC turbines has been increased—they now yield more rare resources, making raids on these points more worthwhile.
Personally, I believe that separating matchmaking is the most important step for ARC Raiders. Extraction shooters thrive on predictability: you need to know what to expect from the lobby. The old system undermined this principle. Now, things are different. If Embark continues in this vein, the game has every chance of securing a place at the top of the genre.
This article was updated on July 7, 2026. We’ll update it as new official information becomes available. Subscribe to updates to stay up-to-date.
