ARC Raiders Update Declares War On Cheaters With A Strict 3-Strike Ban Rule

The development team behind the wildly popular ARC Raiders has already set out its goals for this year, which include a new set of maps alongside tweaks to gameplay it hopes will challenge players in new and interesting ways. The latest update, however, is incremental and delivers several quality-of-life improvements, along with new rules to keep cheaters in check.

One of the more consequential additions included with this update addresses how rule breakers will be handled going forward. There will now be a system of three strikes as part of a progressive ban system. The first strike earns the offender a 30-day suspension. Strike number two nets a 60-day ban, and the third strike results in a permanent ban. Just as in baseball, three strikes and you're out!

Beyond attempts to thwart cheating, there’s also a new game mode for players to try out, dubbed Solo vs. Squads. This game mode is designed for "experienced and highly skilled players" who relish in the PvP aspect of ARC Raiders. Those who jump into this mode will get a 20% XP bonus at the end of a round whether successfully extracting or meeting defeat. This mode will only be available for solo raiders at level 40 or higher and can be enabled by toggling on Solo vs. Squads in matchmaking.


While there are no new maps, the developers implemented some welcomed improvements to the existing ones. Players are now more likely to score better weapons, containers that couldn’t be interacted with have been fixed, and a hatch timing bug has also been squashed. Additionally, Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and Stella Montis received their own specific fixes, such as the removal of an invisible wall in Buried City, that will make the experience more enjoyable.

Rounding out this update are various fixes including cleaning up clipping issues, a new option for mouse smoothing, making aim assist consistent across framerates, and lighting polish on different maps. Moreover, the user interface is spruced up with an option to invite squadmates and friends to a party alongside an "open party" option where anyone can join. There's also a new tab in the options menu to configure gamepads, and a more accurate inventory.