Arc Raiders' latest Riven Tides teaser hints that the terrifying UFO we've been seeing is actually the next mega-boss enemy
Over the past week or so, Arc Raiders has been teasing its biggest update yet on the roadmap, Riven Tides (coming April 28), by emailing players transcripts of a scout's report. Where is the scout, you ask? On the new map, which has long been rumoured as a beachfront and/or shipping yard.
From these emails and a new lore-based blog with more of the scout's findings, the new map coming next week does indeed appear to be a seaside paradise. And we've got a good glimpse of what I assume will be all of its major locations:
Panorama Azzuro
An abandoned hotel with a rooftop bar, which I'm sure will have lots of Residential-type loot. There's a tennis court nearby, though I doubt that it'll be a fruitful place to scavenge.
Pool/Beachfront
A waterpark with a slide to rival Dam Battleground's dam wall. It looks to be a very open area, and I can't imagine there being too many loot containers here.
Customs House/Stacking Yard
The Customs House is a large building near the harbour, likely crawling with Arc. Meanwhile, the Stacking Yard is a vertical area thanks to stacks of shipping containers. It was once an Exodus port according to the scout, so expect lots of Exodus loot and likely some Mechanical parts too.
Absent in the blog post but included in the third scout report email is a note that the scout has heard "Something overhead", so is "Finding cover" which seems to be hinting at Riven Tides' second most exciting addition: A new large Arc. This will be similar in scale and challenge to the Queen or Matriarch. From the sounds of it, it's not a land or sea-based Sharc, unfortunately, but likely another flying enemy. Most likely, it's the UFO players have reported seeing in the clouds since the Shrouded Sky update. If that's the case, then it's truly terrifying.
What in tarnation is that? from r/ArcRaiders
The existing large Arcs are both spider-like land enemies, so if it is a flying boss, that'll be a nice change for endgame PvE. However, there's no shortage of flying enemies in Arc Raiders—the recent Flashpoint update added the terrifying Vaporizers, for example. I think Embark should've gone with Sharcs to fit the theme, no?
ARC Raiders: Riven Tides update map teaser just got released ????????️ Releasing April 28 pic.twitter.com/haCc3Ac9qgApril 18, 2026
Potentially, whatever this looming large Arc enemy ends up being will have something to do with the new map condition, which will no doubt be exclusive to the beach. Maybe it's a storm or flooding event that changes the surroundings and draws out tougher machines.
While this major update is hot on the horizon, Arc Raiders has just won the Best Multiplayer award at the BAFTA Games Awards. Embark's done a great job with its social-sim-like extraction shooter so far, and it's not slowing down with Riven Tides.
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