ARC Raiders’ 1st 2026 Update, Headwinds, Arrives Tomorrow, January 27

Embark Studios has shared the release date for the first big ARC Raiders update of 2026, Headwinds.

Headwinds is releasing on January 27, 2026, as they posted on Twitter. This came with a picture of three Raiders facing a fourth, while the whole image is lit in a foreboding sepia tone.

Embark revealed last year that Headwinds is the first part of their initial 2026 roadmap, called Escalation.

They also revealed that Headwinds will come with a matchmaking option at level 40 and above, a new minor map condition, and a new player project (a special resource collecting event).

The spoiler image implies that Headwinds is themed around dust storms. A headwind is a wind that blows against the direction a person is moving towards, making it harder to move.

Those dust storms may be particularly dangerous in Topside. They could even cause deep hurting. But we’ll find out for sure when it launches tomorrow.