Arc Raiders 1.36 update: the real gameplay changes you need to know

Arc Raiders just received a weekly 1.36 update, and while this is not the big October content drop, it still brings several changes that can affect how you play day to day. The biggest takeaway is simple: this patch is more impactful than it looks. Some changes are visible right away, but the most important ones are hidden in matchmaking, loot balance, and anti-cheat improvements, along with ARC Raiders Items.

1. Expedition window is now open

The Expedition window is officially live, and players now have until July 21 to sign up. If you want to take part in the damage challenge and chase mystery rewards, this is your chance.

Important note: you must complete your caravan first before doing anything with Expedition. Many players may think they already finished it, so it is worth double-checking before you jump in.

2. Trials Season 5 has started

Trials Season 5 has begun and will run until September 30.

If you played last season, your rewards should already be waiting for you when you log in.

For players who do not care much about Trials, this is mostly a background update. But if you enjoy ranked-style progression and seasonal competition, this gives you a new climb for the next couple of months.

3. Store UI has been redesigned

The store interface has been cleaned up and grouped into clearer categories instead of showing a wall of square bundle icons. This makes it much easier to:

see what each bundle contains

compare shop options at a glance

understand what you are actually buying

It is a small change, but it improves the shop experience a lot.

4. New reward updates and a crossover skin

This week also added several smaller reward options, including:

Think About It emote

Patina 4s

Trailblazer blueprint

Rare Colorful Shoes

Light Bulbs

50 Merits

25 Raider Tokens

These are mostly cheaper trade options compared to larger Arc cores.

There is also a new crossover reward coming soon: the Azimuth bundle, tied to The Finals and Arc Raiders.

How it works:

Starting July 9, you can earn it in The Finals by completing contracts

On July 30, the event flips, and you can earn it in Arc Raiders through challenges

In the end, you can unlock the bundle in both games if you take part in both sides of the event.

5. Matchmaking is the biggest gameplay change

This is the most important part of the patch.

Arc Raiders now tracks your playstyle separately for solo, duo, and trio matches, and matches you accordingly.

What that means:

Before this change, playing solo in a friendly, quest-focused way could influence your trio lobbies. Likewise, if you played trio as a more aggressive PvP player, it could affect your solo experience too.

Now that overlap is gone:

solo behavior stays in solo

duo behavior stays in duo

trio behavior stays in trio

This is a huge improvement for players who switch between calm solo runs and more intense squad fights. Your matchmaking should now better reflect how you actually play in each mode.

6. Arc Turbine loot got buffed, but the route is narrower

The developers increased the loot value from Arc Turbines because players felt the reward was too low for the effort required.

That sounds great, but there is a catch:

Arc Turbine Parts no longer drop from couriers

This makes the item much more dependent on direct turbine fights. Since there are only a small number of turbines per match, expect more competition, more camping, and more pressure on teams trying to complete Expedition-related requirements.

7. Important bug fixes and combat adjustments

A few useful fixes were also included:

Arc Turbines no longer disappear right after spawning

Queen and Matriarch stomp knockback no longer goes through walls

Weapons dropped on the ground now show installed mods

Higher-value items now display more clearly in Radar Den

These are not flashy changes, but they improve readability and reduce frustrating bugs.

8. Anti-cheat and duplication prevention are getting stronger

The game has now fully rolled out Denuvo anti-cheat for all players. The team says results have been promising, and they are continuing to improve detection through:

hardware and software checks

machine learning analysis

input telemetry review

They are also actively fighting item duplication exploits, and recent data suggests unusual profit spikes have dropped sharply. That is good news for the economy and for fair play.

9. No Free Loadout may expand further

The developers are also looking at expanding No Free Loadout to more map conditions. Their goal is to reduce unfair situations where players with free kits enter high-value areas and disrupt the balance.

This is still under review, but it is clearly something they plan to keep tuning.

Final takeaway

Arc Raiders 1.36 is not a giant content patch, but it changes the foundation of the game in meaningful ways. If you care about matchmaking fairness, loot progression, and a cleaner game economy, this update matters more than it first appears, and players may also buy ARC Raiders Items.