Arc Raiders Reaches 185,443 Steam Players After Frozen Trail Launch

Frozen Trail pushes Arc Raiders to its highest Steam peak since March

Arc Raiders reached 185,443 concurrent players on Steam after Embark released Frozen Trail as version 2.0, according to figures reported on October 12, 2026. That is the game's strongest Steam result since March 2026, after recent daily peaks had generally stayed below 40,000. PCGamesN also reported that Steam concurrents had more than tripled compared with the same period one month earlier.

The October 8-12 free trial inflates the launch spike

The player-count surge includes people trying Arc Raiders during a free trial that ran from October 8 through October 12 across the game's supported platforms. Some of those trial players may not purchase the full game, so the 185,443 peak does not yet show how many customers Frozen Trail has brought back permanently. The trial ends on October 12, making the next Steam figures a more useful comparison for players deciding whether the community will remain active.

Frozen Trail adds Pendola Pass, new ARC enemies and The Outpost

Frozen Trail is Arc Raiders' largest update so far, adding Pendola Pass as the game's biggest map, new ARC enemy units, additional weapons, The Outpost player home and a redesigned skill tree. Embark also changed weapon balance to give PvE and PvP players more distinct options, which affects both players hunting machines and squads competing against other Raiders.

Embark begins its dedicated PvE test on October 13

Embark will test a dedicated PvE mode from October 13 through October 20, immediately after the free trial ends. The mode addresses one of the most requested additions for Arc Raiders, but Embark has not confirmed that the test will become a permanent playlist. The timing gives returning players a second reason to log in after Frozen Trail, while giving the studio data on whether a PvE-only experience can sustain interest.

The rebound still needs a post-trial test

For someone choosing a server or game session tonight, Arc Raiders has its biggest content drop and a 185,443-player Steam peak, but the free trial is part of that number. The October 13-20 PvE test will show more clearly whether Frozen Trail can retain players after free access ends, rather than merely produce a short launch surge.