Embark Studios has shared details of a major update for Frozen Trail for third-person shooter ARC Raiders. The update will be released on October 8th and will take players to the snowy lands outside the Rust Belt through the new map Pendola Pass. The site is located in an ancient Italian village that was once a transportation hub for the Exodus Project. After Celeste and Shani track the source of the mysterious signal, the raiders enter the valley, where they discover an abandoned supermarket, a lifeless town square, an observatory and a buried train station. The main target will be the fallen emperor, who contains rare technology within him. Sudden frost and ARC activity will complicate exploration in the area.
A new main enemy will appear on the territory in the form of frigates, one of the largest ARC ships. Raiders must enter the ship, open passages and fight ARC forces, while also facing off against other players who are also looking for valuable resources. Fighting at high altitudes and in narrow corridors requires different tactics than the usual conflicts on the ground.
Three new enemy types will appear in the update:
- Bully is an offensive machine that can quickly close distance and use multiple deadly attacks.
- Instead, the Lurker prefers to wait at the edge of visibility, strike by surprise, and hide when players cannot see him.
- The Hydra will be a fixed turret consisting of three separate sections, with its own weapons, and can be found on frigates. To fight it, you have to distract the machine, find cover and attack at the right moment.
The Raiders’ new base will be an outpost located between the Rust Belt and the Mountains. Players will be able to customize their hideouts with a variety of mods and furniture, and a research station installed inside will unlock higher levels of weapon customization and modifications. The developers say Outpost is the beginning of further development of personal spaces, but details of future expansions have not yet been revealed.
The research station will also form the basis for new and enhanced weapons systems. When the site is fully upgraded, 15 weapons will reach their fifth quality level, along with a host of improvements that significantly change the behavior of familiar firearms. As examples, the developers cited the fully automatic Burletta, the Renegade with a telescope, and the Rattler with incendiary rounds and a 64-round magazine. In the future, they plan to expand the system’s weapons list.
The armory will be replenished with two new models. The Stiletto will be a lightweight battle rifle chambered for small-caliber ammo and an early replacement for the Renegade, while the Bantam will be a short-barreled revolver chambered for heavy-duty ammo with a separate hip-fire mode. In addition to weapons, players will also receive a grappling hook, allowing them to climb into hard-to-reach places, descend from great heights, and overcome wide gaps.
Two other gadgets will be connected to the cable system. Cable launchers connect two points with wires, immobilize the target, and are also able to connect attackers to ARC vehicles. Traction grenades work similarly, but explode with a strong pull on nearby targets, which can be used against flying cars or players hiding behind cover.
Frozen will also feature a fully functional camera with zoom, aperture settings, manual and autofocus, and a selfie mode with a range of emotions. The image will be saved in the Codex. Two new instruments will be heard on the surface: the harmonica and the banjo, with the blueprint for the latter available in the Collector’s Download Pack. Weapon templates will be added to weapons, letting you change their appearance, but defeated attackers will be able to take the customized weapon for themselves.
Along with the update, a Reward Pass will also be launched, replacing the Predator deck. The free version includes rewards for completing the feat, including 200 Raider Tokens, five new outfits, in-game items, and 20 cosmetic rewards. The paid version will add premium clothing options, exclusive colors, weapon templates, hairstyles, and 1,150 Raider Tokens. The Collector’s Pack will also include the Renzo Cosmetic Set, Dragon’s Breath Weapon Template, Bob Hairstyle, and 2,400 Raider Tokens.
On September 25 at 19:00 Moscow time, the developers will hold a live broadcast to answer questions about the upcoming update.
