ARC Raiders Player Count Soars After Frozen Trail Grappling Hook Update

ARC Raiders saw its Steam concurrent player count rise from about 39,900 in September to more than 185,000 after the Frozen Trail update. The update introduced a grappling hook that lets players swing through the environment in a Spider-Man-like fashion. The extraction shooter launched in October 2025 and had previously peaked at 481,966 concurrent Steam players in January.

ARC Raiders, a PvPvE extraction shooter, launched in October 2025. Its Steam concurrent record hit 481,966 in January, but September's high fell to about 39,900, averaging near 21,000. Frozen Trail arrived October 8 with a grappling hook for swinging across gaps and reaching high spots, prompting Spider-Man comparisons. Reddit users shared using it around Cargo Dock and above ARC patrols.

After the update, ARC Raiders reached a 24-hour Steam peak of 185,443, its strongest since March. Embark Studios also allowed free full-game access on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S through October 12, so the update and free period likely worked together. Returning players said the game felt fresh again.