ARC Raiders · Patch 1.22.0 · Released March 31, 2026 · Embark Studios

The Flashpoint Update is the latest major content patch, released on March 31, 2026 as Patch 1.22.0. This is one of those ARC Raiders updates where you'll actually feel the difference the moment you queue in. Flashpoint is the third update in the Escalation season — following Headwinds in January and Shrouded Sky in February — and it's the most content-heavy of the three. New ARC Operation, new enemy type, two new weapons, a deployable gadget, Scrappy progression overhaul, and Shredders on every map. Here's everything you need to know.

---

What's New in Flashpoint

Flashpoint adds: the Close Scrutiny ARC Operation map condition, the Vaporizer flying ARC enemy, the Dolabra legendary energy shotgun, the Canto rare SMG, the Surge Coil deployable, the High-Gain Antenna Player Project, Shredders added to all maps, Scrappy Feeding Boost, Wasp Hunter cosmetic set, and The Brigade cosmetic set.

---

Close Scrutiny — The New ARC Operation

Close Scrutiny is a new type of map event called an ARC Operation, which is distinct from standard map conditions. It's the biggest new gameplay addition in the patch and the one that will change how you approach every raid it appears in.

Close Scrutiny is built around a risk-versus-loot decision: breach containers for top-tier rewards, or avoid the red beam and let someone else trigger the chaos.

The Assessor

The Assessor is a new structure — a large object that descended with a fast, controlled landing. It stays put and shows no clear signs of aggression on its own. The ARC patrols accompanying it are unprecedented. Celeste calls it the Assessor.

The Assessor is an ARC main unit with valuable loot inside the Close Scrutiny operation. It does not move and cannot attack on its own, but you have to destroy its guards first.

When Close Scrutiny is active, overall loot across the affected map is reduced. The trade-off is the ARC Assessor — a heavily guarded unit that drops rare components and at least one blueprint for the new Dolabra shotgun. The Assessor is surrounded by increased ARC patrols and the new Vaporizer enemy, making any approach dangerous. Unlike the Harvester, you won't have a Queen nearby — but the reduced map loot means other squads will be funneled toward the same objective. Expect these zones to be contested heavily.

Should you run Close Scrutiny? Yes, but only if you're geared and ready to fight for it. The mode deliberately cuts general map loot and funnels value into the operation itself. Solo players and under-geared squads should weigh whether the risk is worth committing to before engaging.

---

The Vaporizer — New Flying ARC Enemy

A new flying ARC type has been spotted stalking the areas around the operation. Already earning notoriety among Raiders for its devastating laser attacks and idiosyncratic attack patterns — they call it the Vaporizer.

The Vaporizer is a new flying ARC unit that uses a laser weapon and travels in groups. Embark describes it as having "idiosyncratic attack patterns" — developer language for "it won't behave like anything you've fought before." The laser attack is a sustained beam rather than a burst, which means repositioning mid-fight matters more than it does against standard ARC.

The Vaporizer patrols the Assessor area, drains shields quickly, applies burn pressure, and makes cover unreliable by splashing lasers across geometry and igniting the ground around you. The key is the shield cycle — bait the shield with ordinary gunfire or grenades, then hit the ventral thrusters once the protection drops. That's why Dolabra, Hullcracker, and Aphelion have become strong recommendations.

Vaporizer kills matter because they drop Vaporizer Regulators, which are required for Dolabra crafting and High-Gain Antenna progression.

---

Shredders — Now on Every Map

Previously confined to Stella Montis, these tanky shotgun enemies now appear across Blue Gate, Buried City, Spaceport, and Dam Battlegrounds under certain map conditions. It takes two Hullcracker hits to drop a Shredder, and they were recently named the deadliest ARC type in the game by the official ARC Raiders account.

If you're running the Dolabra or any close-range Energy weapon, Shredders are a good target. Their bulk makes the wide-burst mode effective for stripping them down quickly.

This is the most contentious part of Flashpoint for the community. Players who used the other maps as relatively Shredder-free zones now have to account for them everywhere. The silver lining is that this appears to be tied to specific conditions rather than a permanent baseline spawn across all areas.

---

New Weapons

Dolabra — Legendary Energy Shotgun

The Dolabra gives Raiders a new way to punch through ARC armor plating at close range. This energy shotgun features a variable focus allowing you to fire off a wide burst or a focused funnel of electricity.

The Dolabra has two fire modes: wide hipfire and a focused ADS funnel for armor-heavy targets. It's the signature weapon of this update and the primary reason to engage the Close Scrutiny operation. Head to the Close Scrutiny ARC Operation for the best chance of finding the Dolabra Blueprint.

Crafting requires Vaporizer Regulators — dropped only by the new Vaporizer enemies — making ARC Operations mandatory for players who want to build this weapon.

Canto — Rare Medium Ammo SMG

The Canto is a submachine gun that still gives you a fighting chance against ARC in close quarters combat. Running on medium ammunition, this weapon keeps the machines and opportunistic Raiders at arm's length.

The Canto uses medium ammo, giving it better armor pressure than most weapons in its class. Blueprint source: world drops, especially First Wave Raider Caches during Hurricane and Night Raid.

---

New Gadget — Surge Coil

The Surge Coil is a deployable device that periodically electrifies its surroundings, shocking anything that drifts into its orbit. A defensive tool that creates a passive danger zone around a fixed point — useful for covering flanks while engaging the Assessor or looting locked rooms.

---

High-Gain Antenna — New Player Project

The High-Gain Antenna is a new player project that has Celeste and Shani building a device to track aerial threats.

Stage 3 is still unknown, but the reward pool already includes Torrente II, Bobcat III, weapon attachments, Vita Spray, Snap Hook, Photoelectric Cloak, and 500 Raider Coins. There is no known deadline on the project. Vaporizer kills and Assessor runs are the primary progression vectors for this project.

---

Scrappy Feeding — New Progression Loop

Flashpoint gives Scrappy a progression loop: feed him the right items and he starts bringing back more valuable categories of loot. Fruits, mushrooms, agave, crafted fruit mixes, and even pet-themed comfort items all feed into the system. Community reports say sustained feeding can eventually push Scrappy into high-end returns, including epic and legendary drops. The exact cooldown and thresholds are still being mapped by the community, but the system is worth engaging with if you play regularly.

---

Crafting Improvements

The crafting system has been streamlined. Players can now fulfill missing materials directly from the crafting interface through suggested actions. This is a significant quality-of-life change — instead of leaving the crafting menu to hunt for materials, the game surfaces what you need and how to get it without breaking the flow.

---

Matchmaking Change — Custom Loadouts Get Better Servers

Players who build their own loadout are more likely to join fresh servers. For most players, this is the most impactful change in Flashpoint. It directly improves match quality if you bring your own gear. This rewards preparation and investment in your loadout — players running custom builds no longer risk landing in late-join lobbies where the best loot has already been stripped.

---

Balance Changes

Rocketeers now take less damage from collisions and will no longer be instantly destroyed upon impact when stunned. The chance for multiple Fireflies to spawn together has been reduced. ARC now take less time to identify players that are very close in front of them.

Increased loot value in all locked rooms with a scaled increase depending on key rarity.

Remote Raider Flares can now be disarmed with the Mine Sweeper skill. Fixed an issue where players who joined near the end of the late-join window could have ARC spawn on them immediately. Added gamepad aim assist to Leaper legs and core.

---

Known Issues

Flashpoint shipped with known issues including: disappearing Fireflies, stuck or idle flying ARC, geometry spawns on The Dam, invisible collisions in parts of Buried City and Spaceport, transparent helmet visors after extraction, broken Baron Husk interruption animations, and a bug where firing on an empty mag can trigger a reload and then auto-fire a shot once the reload ends. Embark also shipped Hotfix 1.22.1 on April 1, 2026 to address a crash affecting some players.

---

New Cosmetics

Wasp Hunter Set — Crafted from ARC materials, the Wasp Shell armor is the premium cosmetic drop of the Flashpoint update.

The Brigade Set — A second cosmetic bundle included alongside the Wasp Hunter Set.

---

What's Coming Next

Flashpoint is the third of four Escalation updates. The final update, Riven Tides, arrives in April 2026 as the biggest of the season. It includes a brand-new map (rumored coastal biome), a boss-tier ARC enemy on the scale of the Queen or Matriarch, a Raider Deck battle pass, and the third expansion of the seasonal progression system.

---

Quick Summary

Feature	Details
Patch	1.22.0
Release	March 31, 2026
New ARC Operation	Close Scrutiny
New Enemy	Vaporizer (flying, laser)
New Weapons	Dolabra (legendary shotgun), Canto (rare SMG)
New Gadget	Surge Coil (electric deployable)
New Project	High-Gain Antenna
Shredders	Now on all maps
Scrappy	Feeding progression system
Matchmaking	Custom loadouts → fresh servers
Next Update	Riven Tides (April 2026)