ARC Raiders Update 1.45.0: Cred Deadline and Expedition 5
Cred expires October 8. Here's what to spend, when to sign up for Expedition 5, and how the new weight penalty and Aphelion changes affect your next raid.
ARC Raiders update 1.45.0 is live as of September 8, 2026, bringing the Ascending the Mountain project, Expedition 5, and an October 8 expiration date for Cred. Spend your remaining Cred before Frozen Trail arrives. Claimed Raider Deck rewards stay on your account, and existing deck rewards will remain available through the replacement system.
The official 1.45.0 patch notes also change how much loot you can carry before losing the ability to sprint or jump. Restart the game to download the update, then check your Expedition settings and quick-use bindings before heading back out.
Key Takeaways
- Unused Cred expires with Frozen Trail on October 8. Spend it with Shani or on remaining Raider Deck rewards beforehand.
- Expedition 5 registration runs from September 8 to September 29. Quest resets are optional, and there's no Last Call.
- The new severe over-encumbrance tier limits you to walking. Carrying far above your loadout limit disables sprinting and jumping.
- Aphelion gets steadier aim, Snitch Scanners change their reinforcements, and the game moves from Unreal Engine 5.3 to 5.7.
What should you do with Cred before October 8?
Spend it before Frozen Trail launches. Embark is retiring Cred and replacing the Raider Deck system with a broader reward system. Any Cred left on your account at the update will expire.
Check your unclaimed deck rewards first and pick the ones you actually want. You can also spend Cred with Shani. Our ARC Raiders trader guide covers the traders you'll find in Speranza.
There's no need to treat every unclaimed reward as a disappearing cosmetic. Embark says existing Raider Deck rewards will be available in the new system, while anything you've already claimed stays yours. The patch notes don't explain the new earning rates or reward costs, so a comparison of which system offers better value would be guesswork.
The notes give October 8 as the cutoff date without an exact expiration time. Clear the balance before that day rather than counting on a final login after the update starts rolling out.
Which dates matter before Frozen Trail?
Expedition registration closes before Cred expires. Embark's fifth Expedition announcement supplies the departure times and the Trials schedule below.
| Date in 2026 | What happens |
|---|---|
| September 8 | Expedition registration opens at 11:00 UTC, 7 a.m. EDT, or 4 a.m. PDT. |
| September 15 | The Boonie outfit becomes available. |
| September 22 | The current Trials season ends. Trials then pauses until October 8. |
| September 29 | The Expedition window closes at 08:00 UTC, 4 a.m. EDT, or 1 a.m. PDT. Signed-up Raiders depart that day. |
| October 8 | Frozen Trail arrives, remaining Cred expires, and Trials returns. |
How does Expedition 5 change quest resets?
Departing on an Expedition now keeps your quest progress by default. You can choose to reset quests when you depart, giving players who want to replay the chain that option.
Before signing up, check where you are in the quest list and decide whether you want to continue from there. Keeping quest progress is a specific Expedition setting, so don't read it as a promise that every part of your character carries over.
Completing the Caravan does not register you for departure. You still need to sign up during the window, and this Expedition has no Last Call. The window lasts three weeks, with everyone who signs up departing on September 29.
This is also the last scheduled Expedition before the system pauses until early 2027. Embark says earned consecutive buffs will stay active during that pause. If you intend to depart this round, make registration part of your next session.
What is Ascending the Mountain?
Ascending the Mountain is the new Raider Project tied to the phantom ARC signals Shani has been investigating. Those signals lead toward a mountain range beyond the Tube system's reach. Apollo is working on an experimental way to follow them and needs Raiders who can handle schematics.
The announcement gives the story setup but doesn't list the project's contribution requirements or a full reward table. Check the project in-game before selling materials you might need for it.
What changes in ARC Raiders update 1.45.0?
Heavy bags can now leave you walking
A new severe over-encumbrance tier activates when you're carrying well above your loadout weight limit. At that tier, sprinting and jumping are disabled. Embark hasn't published the exact threshold.
That matters when you're deciding whether to squeeze another stack into the bag before extraction. Check your weight before leaving cover, especially if your route needs a jump. Dropping part of a stack now updates the weight display immediately, making it easier to see what you've shed. Use the item database to help decide which loot is worth keeping.
Aphelion aim and Snitch Scanner reinforcements
Aphelion's weapon sway has been reduced. The confirmed change is steadier aiming; the notes give no new damage or fire-rate values.
Snitch Scanners now call in ARC in a similar way to a regular Snitch, with a lower chance of stronger reinforcements. Leave yourself room to retreat when using one, and check our ARC machine guide if you need a refresher on the enemies it could bring into a fight.
Quick-use controls and movement fixes
You can bind quick item cycling separately from the quick-use wheel, disable cycling, or assign both actions to the same key. If closing the wheel has been switching away from the item you meant to use, this is the setting to revisit.
Moving surfaces now carry you along once you land on them, fixing the behavior that affected players while still airborne. ARC Turbine mines can be pinged again. Embark also fixed Matriarch stomps damaging players through tall cover or while they stood on the Matriarch itself.
What else did the patch fix?
The engine upgrade takes ARC Raiders from Unreal Engine 5.3 to 5.7. Embark hasn't supplied frame-rate benchmarks for the change, so there isn't a confirmed FPS gain to quote.
- PS5 gets a fix for a crash shortly after starting a session. Another fix addresses crashes triggered by rapid presses of certain keys.
- Squads should no longer get stuck unable to ready up or matchmake after a teammate signs out and rejoins.
- Voice chat works with Raider Voice enabled, and holstering the Equalizer no longer incorrectly plays its firing sound.
- The Rawhide headgear toggle now hides the headgear correctly.
- Selected Skill Tree nodes receive visual changes, and some distance-based map markers display correctly again.
- Pickup prompts identify a full inventory, while matchmaking errors explain connection loss and incompatible crossplay settings more clearly.
Hornet Hunter, Boonie, and the community ducks
The Hornet Hunter Set is part of this update. Boonie follows on September 15, so don't expect both outfits to arrive together.
The community-designed rubber ducks are also in the game. Head to Bird City to look for them and bring them back for your Raider Den. The winning designs came from gekko.rar, im_AshCheeks, and nassguhl.
Which problems are still unresolved?
Players blocked from starting Phantom Targets Part 2 will receive compensation in a future update. Embark hasn't given a delivery date or said what that compensation contains.
Xbox Series S receives stability improvements, but Embark still asks players to report crashes. On PC, the team identifies Windows Update KB5121003 as connected to some crashes and links a workaround in the official notes. Epic players who lose keyboard input can try disabling active overlays or switching out of the game with Alt-Tab and returning.
The remaining known issues include Trigger 'Nade detonation animations, weapon swaps immediately after vaulting, and animations interrupted during a Baron Husk search. Shredders can float to Hidden Bunker ceilings, Leapers can jump through the ARC Turbine, and shots fired while riding ARC may fail to register. Flashlight beams passing through some doors and clipping on the Triumph, Reaver, and Azimuth outfits are still listed too.
Frequently asked questions
Does update 1.45.0 delete Cred immediately?
No. Cred remains usable before Frozen Trail arrives on October 8. Spend the balance ahead of that update.
Will I lose Raider Deck rewards I've already claimed?
No. Claimed rewards stay on your account. Embark also says existing Raider Deck rewards will be available in the new reward system.
Can I skip the Expedition quest reset?
Yes. Keeping quest progress is now the default. Resetting quests is a choice you make when departing.
Is another update coming before Frozen Trail?
Embark calls 1.45.0 its last Live Update before October 8, but says a smaller update is still planned before then. The notes don't give that smaller update a release date.
Header artwork and duck screenshot: Embark Studios.