Quick Answer
Pendola Pass is ARC Raiders' new map, arriving with the Frozen Trail update on October 8, 2026. It's a frozen, abandoned Italian village and old Exodus transport hub beyond the peaks of the Rust Belt, built around verticality, exploration, and a single huge prize: a fallen ARC Emperor with rare tech inside. The map introduces three new ARC enemies (Bully, Skulker, Hydra), a new endgame challenge called the Frigate, dynamic Flash Freeze weather with Avalanche Shelters, a new Ballistic Gondola extraction, the Redirection map condition, and your own persistent base — the Outpost. It also kicks off Trials Season 6. Frozen Trail lands in the game's first-anniversary window (ARC Raiders launched October 30, 2025), after it sold over 16 million copies in year one. This guide breaks down the layout, the threats, and exactly how to prep before you drop in.
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What Is Pendola Pass in ARC Raiders?
Pendola Pass is the centerpiece of Frozen Trail, Embark Studios' biggest post-launch content drop for ARC Raiders since the October 30, 2025 launch. After the "Ascending the Mountain" Raider Project in Live Update 1.45.0 pointed players north, the new map is where those phantom signals lead.
In Embark's own words from the official First Look, the setup is deliberately simple and high-stakes:
"But dominating everything else lies the reason Raiders are called to Pendola Pass — one of the Emperors has fallen. Rare technology lies within, and your job is simple — get there, and find a way inside." — ARC Raiders Frozen Trail First Look (arcraiders.com)
That framing matters for how you'll play the map. Pendola Pass is not just another loot rotation — it's a destination map with a marquee objective (the fallen Emperor) and brutal environmental pressure on top of the usual PvPvE tension.
Here's the fast breakdown of everything landing with the map:
| Feature | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Pendola Pass | New frozen village + Exodus transport hub map | The main new content zone of Frozen Trail |
| The Frigate | Massive ARC flying vessel sent to patrol Pendola Pass | New endgame challenge for high-skill Raiders |
| Bully / Skulker / Hydra | Three new ARC enemy types | Change the threat mix, mostly on Pendola Pass |
| Flash Freeze + Avalanche Shelters | Dynamic sub-zero weather condition + shelter loot pockets | Turns the valley itself into a threat and a lure |
| Ballistic Gondola | New callable extraction (3 seats) | Fast group exit on a lethal, exposed map |
| The Outpost | Persistent player base near the map | Research Station unlocks Weapon Amplification |
What Does the Pendola Pass Map Look Like?
Pendola Pass is a narrow, snow-locked stretch preserved by "icy air" and framed by the mountain peaks that ring the Rust Belt. According to the official preview, the old-world landmarks you'll navigate around include:
- A supermarket and a lifeless town square — classic civilian-district loot pockets.
- An observatory — an elevated point tied to the map's verticality focus.
- A buried train depot — the Exodus Project transit hub that gives the village its purpose.
- The fallen Emperor — the dominant landmark and the reason to be there at all.
Embark has repeatedly described the map's design language as verticality, exploration, and discovery — expect more climbing, elevation swaps, and layered sightlines than the flatter exterior maps. Combined with flash freezes cutting through the valley, positioning on Pendola Pass will be a bigger deal than on Dam Battlegrounds or Buried City. With Pendola Pass, ARC Raiders moves to seven live maps, joining Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Acerra Spaceport, Blue Gate, Stella Montis, and Riven Tides.
How Do Flash Freezes Work on Pendola Pass?
The signature environmental hazard on the new map is the Flash Freeze — a dynamic weather condition that, in Embark's words, "can sweep across the map at any time, forcing Raiders to seek shelter before the cold takes its toll."
Your answer to a freeze is the Avalanche Shelter. These "activate as a freeze approaches, offering both protection and the promise of loot," per Embark — but they also "draw the attention of opportunistic Raiders." That's the classic ARC Raiders trade-off in a new wrapper: ducking into a shelter keeps you alive and can pay out, but every other Raider on the map is running the same math toward the same door. Weather stops being background flavor and becomes a positioning problem you plan routes around, much like Night Raid and EM Storm already do on other maps.
What Is the Frigate in ARC Raiders?
The Frigate is the new high-end endgame challenge that debuts alongside Pendola Pass. When an Emperor falls, ARC reacts by dispatching one of its largest vessels to patrol the area — a massive airborne carrier that, in Embark's telling, "Raiders have started calling the Frigate."
Per the official First Look, this is a challenge aimed squarely at high-skill Raiders:
"The Frigate presents a substantial challenge to highly skilled Raiders who, despite the danger, see opportunity within. After finding a way to get on board, you'll need to navigate its internal passageways, unlock paths, and defend yourself against ARC new and old." — ARC Raiders Frozen Trail First Look (arcraiders.com)
Two things stand out. First, this reads as the "enormous new ARC Operation designed for experienced Raiders" that Embark teased back in August — though Embark hasn't formally applied that label, so treat the connection as strongly implied rather than confirmed. Second, fighting hundreds of feet in the air in tight corridors forces a different approach than ground-level raiding: cover is scarce, escape is harder, and you'll be forced to collaborate with or cut through other Raiders eyeing the same prize.
What Are the New ARC Enemies (Bully, Skulker, Hydra)?
Frozen Trail adds three new ARC machines, and Embark gave each a clear behavioral identity. These names are official (per the arcraiders.com First Look), so use them exactly:
- Bully — "Bully by name, bully by nature." An aggressive charger that closes distance fast and hits with a host of lethal attacks. Use cover, time your response, and land your shots — it's quick on its feet.
- Skulker — The opportunist. It lies in wait, skirts the edge of your vision, and strikes to get the drop on you, then retreats out of sight before you can punish it. Keep an eye on it or the next hit comes from behind.
- Hydra — Found aboard the Frigate, the Hydra "may not traverse, but it sure does move." It's split into three stacked, autonomous portions, functioning as a turret that "can handle entire squads with its triple-threat of weaponry." Embark confirms it can target multiple players at once and respawn, so the counterplay is to divert its attention, find cover quickly, and attack rapidly in the windows you get.
Of the three, only the Hydra has a stated home: Embark says it's "found upon the Frigate." Bully and Skulker don't have an official location yet, but since they're arriving with Pendola Pass, expect the new map to be where you meet them first. Embark hasn't published HP, weak points, or drops for any of the three — anyone quoting exact numbers before launch is guessing.
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What Is the Outpost and Weapon Research?
The Outpost is a new persistent player space — a Raider Den extension nestled between the Rust Belt and the mountain range, described as "the first step to reclaiming parts of the surface."
Beyond decorating it with modules and furniture, the Outpost's real gameplay hook is the Research Station (also called the Research Workstation), which unlocks higher levels of weapon customization and modding. This ties directly into Frozen Trail's new Weapon Amplification system — a late-game upgrade path that lets you push favorite guns beyond their current limit with special gameplay mechanics and new weapon skins, so the whole arsenal stays viable, not just the meta few.
What New Gadgets and Weapons Arrive With Pendola Pass?
Frozen Trail leans into Pendola Pass's verticality with new traversal and combat tools. The standout is the Grappling Hook. Per Embark, it lets you "climb hard to reach spots, abseil off buildings, and swing over large gaps" — a new mode of traversal built for a map about elevation and layered routes.
Two new tethers change how fights open. The Tether Launcher connects two points with a wire to root targets in place — or pins a Raider to an ARC machine and lets it drag them off. The Yank Grenade works the same way but yanks a nearby target with it on detonation, ideal for smashing flying ARC to the ground or ripping a rival out of cover.
On the guns, two new weapons debut alongside the map:
- Stiletto — a light-ammo battle rifle positioned as an early-game alternative to the Renegade; cheap to craft, accurate if you don't mash the trigger.
- Bantam — a snub-nosed heavy-ammo revolver with a unique hip-fire capability, effective against both ARC and Raiders.
There's also a fully-functioning Camera gadget that lets you take first-person photos — a lighter, non-combat addition for the map's more scenic corners.
How Do You Extract From Pendola Pass?
Alongside standard extraction, Pendola Pass adds the Ballistic Gondola — "a unique new extraction method that must be called in and boarded quickly, with space for just three Raiders." On a vertical, freeze-swept map where getting caught in the open is lethal, a callable group exit is a big deal: it gives a squad a fast collective escape instead of scrambling individually. The catch is the same as with everything good in ARC Raiders — calling it in is loud, the window is short, and only three seats means a full squad has to move together and clean.
There's also a new Pendola-Pass-exclusive map condition, Redirection. It lets you draw Harvester Payloads away from the Collector toward your own position — but the Transmitter you use to call in that valuable ARC loot "will attract both ARC and rival Raiders," so you're committing to hold and clear the area before you can claim the reward. High risk, high value, and unique to the new map.
How to Prep for Pendola Pass Before October 8
You can't drop in early, but you can arrive ready. A few high-value moves:
- Spend your Cred before Oct 8. Cred is being retired with the Frozen Trail Raider Deck rework — any leftover Cred expires when the update lands. Spend it with Shani or on Raider Deck rewards now.
- Bank your best weapons and blueprints. A new map means new fights against unfamiliar enemies. Go in with a proven loadout, not experiments.
- Stock materials for crafting and modding. The Outpost's Research Station and Weapon Amplification will want resources — a healthy stash of scrap and components means you can chase upgrades on day one instead of grinding from zero.
- Get comfortable with vertical fights. Practice elevation duels and cover discipline on existing maps; Pendola Pass rewards positioning more than most.
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FAQ
| When does Pendola Pass release in ARC Raiders? Pendola Pass launches with the Frozen Trail update on October 8, 2026 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X | S, GeForce NOW, free to all players). It arrives alongside the Frigate, three new ARC enemies (Bully, Skulker, Hydra), the Outpost, Weapon Amplification, new gadgets, Trials Season 6, and the new 60-level Reward Pass. |
|---|
Where is Pendola Pass located? It's an old Italian village and Exodus Project transport hub set beyond the mountain peaks that ring the Rust Belt, north of the existing play area — the destination of the "phantom signal" storyline that ran through Live Update 1.45.0.
What is the main objective on Pendola Pass? The map is built around a fallen ARC Emperor that holds rare technology. Your core job is to reach it and find a way inside, all while surviving flash freezes, new ARC enemies, and rival Raiders.
Where do the new enemies appear? Embark confirms the Hydra is "found upon the Frigate." The Bully and Skulker don't have an official location yet, but they arrive with Pendola Pass, so that's the likely place to encounter them first.
How do Flash Freezes work? Flash Freezes are a dynamic weather condition that can sweep across Pendola Pass at any time, forcing you to seek shelter before the cold takes its toll. Avalanche Shelters activate as a freeze approaches and offer both protection and loot — but they attract other Raiders doing the same thing, so sheltering is a risk-reward positioning call.
How do you extract from Pendola Pass? Standard extraction still applies, and Pendola Pass adds the Ballistic Gondola — a callable extraction with space for just three Raiders that must be boarded quickly once summoned.
What new gear comes with Frozen Trail? The headline traversal tool is the Grappling Hook (climb, abseil, swing). Frozen Trail also adds the Tether Launcher and Yank Grenade, two new weapons (the Stiletto light battle rifle and Bantam heavy revolver), a Camera gadget, and Weapon Amplification via the Outpost's Research Station.
