ARC Raiders 1.39.0 Patch Notes: Defensive PvP No Longer Counts
ARC Raiders Live Update 1.39.0 (July 28, 2026) removes defensive PvP from the matchmaking playstyle estimate entirely, so fighting back no longer pushes you into sweatier lobbies. Plus grenade damage fixes, stackable trinkets, an audio pass, and map repairs on Dam Battlegrounds and Buried City.
Defensive PvP Stops Counting
Embark pulled defensive fights out of the matchmaking playstyle estimate entirely. Shoot back, win, and your lobbies stay where they were. Plus grenade fixes, stacking trinkets, an audio pass, and a pile of map repairs.
Key Takeaways
- Only fights you start affect your playstyle estimate now. Defending yourself, including downing the squad that jumped you, carries no weight at all.
- The squad that strikes first is the aggressor. If another team damages, downs, or knocks out any of your squadmates first, your entire squad counts as defending.
- Third-partying still counts as starting a fight. Jumping into someone else's ongoing firefight is treated as initiating.
- Severity is weighted. A long firefight with real damage and multiple downs counts far more than a stray hit or a brief exchange.
- This is an ongoing test. Embark is watching matchmaking metrics and feedback, so the rules can still shift.
Live Update 1.39.0 arrived on July 28, 2026, and its headline is a matchmaking change that players have been asking for since aggression-based matchmaking went in. Defensive PvP no longer feeds your playstyle estimate. Not at reduced weight, which was the previous compromise, but at zero. The full changelog sits on the official arcraiders.com patch notes.
This one lands squarely on a complaint we quoted in our 1.36.0 breakdown, where a player pointed out that shooting back at someone who ambushed them still felt like it dragged them into sweatier lobbies. Embark's answer, one patch later, is to remove that penalty completely.
The Matchmaking Change, Explained
ARC Raiders estimates how aggressively you play and matches you with similar Raiders. The long-running problem was that the system struggled to tell the difference between hunting people and surviving an ambush. If you got jumped and fought your way out, that looked like aggression. Our aggression-based matchmaking explainer covers how the underlying system works.
Not every fight is scored the same. Embark weighs the severity of the encounter, so a messy extended battle registers far more strongly than an accidental clip of friendly fire or a short burst before someone runs.
One important catch for anyone who likes cleaning up other people's fights: third-partying is treated as starting a fight. Embark states plainly that "jumping into a fight between other squads that's already underway counts as starting a fight, too." If you want to keep a quiet playstyle rating, rotating away from gunfire matters more than it used to.
Coverage of the change was broadly positive, with PC Gamer framing it as Embark moving to settle self-defence fears for good. Embark is treating it as a live test rather than a finished system, and says it will monitor matchmaking metrics and player feedback in the weeks ahead, so the weighting can still change.
What Counts as Starting a Fight
| Situation | Counts as starting? |
|---|---|
| You shoot a squad first | Yes |
| Another squad damages or downs you first, and you fight back | No |
| You join a firefight already underway between two other squads | Yes |
| A brief exchange where the other squad flees after minimal damage | Yes, but weighted far less |
| A long firefight with heavy damage and multiple downs | Yes, weighted heavily |
Balance and Item Changes
- Seeker Grenade and Wolfpack Grenade no longer deal inconsistent damage.
- The trinkets added in update 1.33.0 now stack like other trinkets, with drop rates adjusted for consistency across maps.
- The Dweller Outfit joined the store.
The stacking change is the quiet winner here. Those trinkets were eating stash slots one at a time since they arrived, and the fix pairs with the inventory shortcuts from the same era to make stash management much less tedious.
Audio, Maps, and Stability
Embark kept working on the sound design that players singled out earlier in the summer, and paired it with a heavy round of map repairs on Dam Battlegrounds and Buried City.
- Improved footstep audio in water.
- Added distinct Dodge Roll sound variations.
- Adjusted cinematic ambient audio.
- Dam Battlegrounds: multiple clipping, prop, landscape, and player-stuck spots resolved.
- Buried City: collision and clipping corrections, material fixes, a downed-player stuck spot, and an out-of-bounds Snap Hook exploit closed.
- Players no longer get trapped in the tunnel at End of Round.
- Fixed a startup crash that hit right after the photosensitivity warning screen.
Interface and Cosmetic Fixes
- Blindspot Set headset customization toggles are no longer mislabeled.
- Triumph and Scorta outfit toggle options updated, and Scorta colour naming corrected in the UI.
- Restored a missing UI string for the blue backpack.
- Fixed price display for items over 10,000 in Japanese and Simplified Chinese.
- The Projects UI now shows quest descriptions and groups entries, and a Project progression failure is fixed.
- New background video on the start screen, plus localization polish across supported languages.
Known Issues
Still On the List
- Xbox Series S crashes remain under investigation.
- Quick Wheel can still swap the wrong item when reopened quickly.
- Training dummies do not register damage from certain weapons.
- Animation glitches during weapon swaps and search interactions.
- Cosmetic clipping on specific outfits.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did ARC Raiders 1.39.0 release?
July 28, 2026, as Live Update 1.39.0. The full notes are on the official site.
Does defending myself still affect matchmaking in ARC Raiders?
No. As of 1.39.0, defensive PvP has no impact on your playstyle estimate at all. Only fights you choose to start are counted. Previously defensive actions carried reduced weight rather than none.
Who counts as the aggressor in a fight?
The squad that strikes first. If the other squad damages, downs, or knocks out any of your squadmates before you engage, your whole squad is classed as defending.
Does third-partying count against me?
Yes. Joining a fight that is already underway between other squads counts as starting a fight. If you want to keep your playstyle rating low, avoid rotating into other people's gunfights.
Do short fights count as much as long ones?
No. Embark weights encounters by severity. A drawn-out firefight with heavy damage and multiple downs weighs heavily, while a stray hit or a brief exchange before the other squad flees still counts as starting a fight but weighs far less.
Is the defensive PvP change permanent?
Embark is running it as a test. It said it will monitor matchmaking metrics, watch how PvP develops Topside, and gather feedback over the following weeks, so the rules may be adjusted.
What else changed in 1.39.0?
Seeker and Wolfpack Grenade damage consistency fixes, stackable trinkets from 1.33.0 with adjusted drop rates, water footstep and Dodge Roll audio work, map fixes on Dam Battlegrounds and Buried City, a startup crash fix, and a range of UI and cosmetic corrections.
Know the Machines Before You Rotate
If you are avoiding player fights to keep your rating quiet, ARC is still the fastest way to fill a bag.
Open the ARC Machines Database