ARC Raiders Update 1.33.0 is live as of June 16, 2026, and two changes in it matter far more than the rest: a six-week PvE-flavored event chain (Converging Paths + Forgotten Relics) that hands out a full outfit and 300 Raider Tokens, and a quiet but consequential rule change — free loadouts are now disabled in Night Raid and Close Scrutiny, the two highest-loot scenarios in the game. The patch also ships a long bug-fix list (including a fix for the duplication exploit), a stack of inventory quality-of-life shortcuts, and an anti-cheat push built on Denuvo plus two new inbox notifications. This guide breaks down every change in 1.33.0, what's actually worth your time, and how the No-Free-Loadout test changes the way you gear up — cross-checked against the official ARC Raiders 1.33.0 patch notes.
Quick answer (TLDR): ARC Raiders 1.33.0 (June 16, 2026) launches the Converging Paths Project (a season-long objective chain running June 16 – July 27 that rewards a Red-Black Saltwalker outfit variant, a Sextant backpack charm, and 300 Raider Tokens) and the Forgotten Relics event (earn Merits by gaining XP and extracting with relics found in containers). The headline gameplay change: free loadouts are disabled in Night Raid and Close Scrutiny for a three-week test, so you now have to bring real gear into those high-loot runs. The patch also fixed the duplication exploit, added inventory shortcuts (Sell/Recycle/Repair/Salvage/Drop), changed Rocketeer drops to Launcher Ammo, and expanded Denuvo anti-cheat with new "Action Notice" and "Loot Compensation" inbox alerts. Read on for the full breakdown.
What is the biggest change in ARC Raiders 1.33.0?
If you only read one line of the patch notes, make it this one: free loadouts no longer work in Night Raid and Close Scrutiny. Embark is testing the idea that the highest-loot scenarios should also carry the highest commitment — you can't drop in on a freebie kit, hoover up Tier III blueprints or Assessor rolls, and walk away risking nothing. For a three-week window you bring your own gear or you don't run those conditions.
Everything else in 1.33.0 is additive — a new event chain, cosmetics, bug fixes, QoL, anti-cheat. The No-Free-Loadout test is the one change that alters how you actually play, and it's why this guide keeps coming back to how you source gear cheaply when the safety net is gone. The second-biggest story is the Converging Paths Project and its companion Forgotten Relics event — a six-week, low-friction reward chain worth chipping away at, because the payout (a full outfit plus 300 Raider Tokens) is genuinely good for time you were going to spend raiding anyway.
ARC Raiders 1.33.0 at a glance
Here's the whole update in one table, sorted by how much it affects your next session:
| Change | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| No Free Loadout | Free loadouts disabled in Night Raid & Close Scrutiny (3-week test) | You must bring real gear into the two highest-loot scenarios |
| Converging Paths Project | Season objective chain, June 16 – July 27 | Rewards outfit variant, Sextant charm, 300 Raider Tokens |
| Forgotten Relics event | Earn Merits from XP + extracting relics | Feeds Converging Paths; rewards the Saltwalker Outfit |
| The Reaver Set Bundle | New paid cosmetic bundle | Optional; cosmetic only |
| Dupe fix | Duplication exploit patched | Economy/PvP integrity — explained below |
| Rocketeer drop change | Now drops Launcher Ammo (was Heavy Ammo) | Ammo economy shift if you farm Rocketeers |
| Inventory shortcuts | Sell / Recycle / Repair / Salvage / Drop inputs | Faster stash management |
| Anti-cheat | Denuvo expansion + new inbox notices | Ban confirmations + auto loot returns |
What is the Converging Paths Project in ARC Raiders 1.33.0?
The Converging Paths Project is a season-long, community-flavored objective chain that runs June 16 through July 27, 2026 (arcraiders.com). The framing ties into the Nomadic Envoys storyline that arrived with the new trader: you secure safe passage for the nomads, gather vital supplies, and recover forgotten relics.
Mechanically, each stage you complete advances a Display Case that visibly fills with the relics you've recovered — a tangible progress meter rather than a bare quest log. Working through the chain pays out:
| Converging Paths reward | Detail |
|---|---|
| Red-Black Saltwalker Outfit | A color variant of the Saltwalker outfit |
| Sextant backpack charm | Cosmetic charm |
| Raider Tokens | 300 total earnable across the season |
Three hundred Raider Tokens is the real draw here. Tokens are the premium-track currency, and earning 300 for objectives you'd largely complete through normal play — raiding maps, extracting, gaining XP — is one of the better value-per-effort rewards ARC has offered in a live event. The Nomadic Envoys trader (Ermal) sells Raider Token bundles among his rotating offers, so 300 free tokens is a meaningful head start.
How does the Forgotten Relics event work?
The Forgotten Relics event is the engine that drives Converging Paths progress, and it runs on a currency called Merits. There are two ways to earn them:
- Gain XP on any map — Merits accrue automatically as you play, so every raid contributes whether or not you're hunting relics.
- Locate relics in containers — relics are scattered across maps inside lockers, drawers, and crates. Each relic's Merit value scales with its rarity, so a rarer relic is worth more.
The catch — and it's the one rule that trips people up — is that finding a relic isn't enough. You have to extract with it. Straight from the official patch notes:
"Each relic carries a different Merit value depending on its rarity, and to claim those Merits, Raiders must successfully extract with the relic in hand." — ARC Raiders 1.33.0 patch notes
In other words, a relic in your bag is a liability until you're out the door. Die topside and it's gone, along with the Merits it would have paid — the value isn't in the pickup, it's in getting it home. Completing the event line rewards the Saltwalker Outfit plus its toggles, and — crucially — the Merits you bank feed straight into the Converging Paths Project, so the two systems are one loop, not two separate grinds.
Best way to farm Merits fast
- Play normally first. The XP-based Merit drip means you're earning even on a bad run. Don't treat relic-hunting as a separate activity — fold it into your usual routes.
- Loot interiors, not open ground. Relics come from lockers, drawers, and crates inside buildings, the same containers that hold keys and blueprints. Prioritize building interiors as you move through a map.
- Prioritize rarer relics, but don't suicide for them. A high-rarity relic is worth more Merits, but only if you extract. A safe extraction with two commons beats a wipe holding one epic.
- Bank often. Because Merits only count on extraction, shorter, cleaner runs that you actually finish out-earn ambitious raids that end in a body cam.
Why does the No Free Loadout change matter?
This is the change that will shape your sessions for the next three weeks. Free loadouts are now disabled in two scenarios — Night Raid and Close Scrutiny — both of which are higher-loot, higher-tension conditions (arcraiders.com). Night Raid is the signature condition on Stella Montis and other maps that raises loot rarity across the board; Close Scrutiny is the rotating ARC Operation where the ARC Assessor lands and drops blueprint rolls. Both are exactly where players were dropping in on free kits to farm without risk.
Embark's stated goal is to increase commitment to the risk/reward of those scenarios. It's framed as a three-week limited test, with the door open to extending it to more map conditions depending on player feedback. So this is provisional — but for now, the practical reality is simple: if you want to run Night Raid or Close Scrutiny, you need a real loadout, every time.
That changes the math on gear. When you can't lean on a free kit for your high-value runs, the cost of dying climbs and the value of cheap, replaceable gear — blueprints you've already unlocked, a steady supply of crafting materials, a known-good budget loadout — goes up sharply. The players who adapt fastest are the ones who can re-kit between deaths without grinding for an hour first. (For the full budget-loadout breakdown, see our companion guide on how to gear up for Night Raid and Close Scrutiny.)
What cosmetics are in ARC Raiders Update 1.33.0?
Two cosmetic threads run through 1.33.0:
- The Reaver Set Bundle — a new paid cosmetic bundle added to the store. Cosmetic only; no gameplay impact.
- The Saltwalker Outfit (+ toggles) and its Red-Black variant — earned for free through the Forgotten Relics event and Converging Paths chain, respectively. These are the rewards you get just for playing the event.
If you're a free-track player, the Saltwalker outfit and its Red-Black variant are the ones to chase — a full event outfit for objectives you'd mostly complete anyway. The Reaver Set is there for players who want the paid look on day one.
All ARC Raiders 1.33.0 bug fixes
The patch carries a substantial fix list. The ones most likely to change your runs:
| Fix | Detail |
|---|---|
| Duplication exploit | The dupe glitch was addressed with detection + prevention safeguards |
| ADS accuracy | Corrected aiming-down-sights behavior that affected weapon accuracy |
| Falling through maps | Fixed falling through the map when stepping on Fireball and Pop parts; fixed a Pilgrim's Peak wall fall-through |
| Rocketeer drops | Rocketeer now drops Launcher Ammo instead of Heavy Ammo |
| Barricade expansion | Knocked-out players no longer block Barricade expansion after deployment |
| Ermal stack sizes | The Nomadic Envoys trader's offers now show accurate stack sizes (e.g. "Raider Tokens x25") |
| Quest order | Quest objectives no longer occasionally activate out of order |
| Queen & Matriarch | Improved terrain-standing behavior for both bosses |
| Audio | Fixed Barricade Kit dismantle audio; corrected extraction-call announcements |
The dupe fix is the headline, but keep it in perspective: the last confirmed working dupe method was already patched back in April 2026, so 1.33.0 adds further detection and prevention safeguards rather than killing a live exploit — hardening, not an emergency. There is no confirmed active dupe in ARC Raiders right now. The Rocketeer ammo change is the sleeper: if you farm Rocketeers, they now feed your Launcher instead of your heavy weapons — a small but real shift in how you plan ammo around an ARC-killing route.
What quality-of-life changes are in 1.33.0?
A clutch of inventory and UI improvements that, collectively, cut friction:
- Inventory shortcuts — dedicated Sell, Recycle, Repair, Salvage, and Drop inputs (gamepad), so you're not menu-diving to clear a stash after a run.
- Expedition damage tracker — now displays accurate numbers at high damage values (it previously broke on big hits).
- Map Condition countdowns — now visible only 60 minutes before a condition goes live, so the UI isn't cluttered with far-off timers.
- Raider Cache audio cues — improved for discoverability, making caches easier to find by sound.
- Loadout safety — your current loadout is no longer cleared until the round actually plays, and the readied inventory correctly shows the Free Loadout option where it applies.
None are headline features, but the inventory shortcuts in particular speed up the extract-sell-repair-re-kit loop — which matters more now that you can't free-kit into Night Raid or Close Scrutiny.
What anti-cheat changes shipped in ARC Raiders 1.33.0?
Embark is leaning harder on anti-cheat in 1.33.0:
- Denuvo Anti-Cheat expansion — wider deployment of Denuvo across the game.
- "Action Notice" — a new inbox notification that confirms when a player you reported has been banned. You finally get closure when a cheater you flagged gets actioned.
- "Loot Compensation" — a new inbox notification that automatically returns items you lost to a player later identified as a cheater. If a confirmed cheater killed you and took your gear, the game gives it back.
These two notifications are genuinely player-friendly: they close the loop by telling you when a ban actually lands, and by making you whole when you were robbed by someone who shouldn't have been in your lobby.
Tips: how to get the most out of ARC Raiders Update 1.33.0
- Bank Merits through normal play. The XP-based Merit drip means you progress Converging Paths just by raiding. Layer relic-hunting on top; don't grind it separately.
- Always extract with relics. A relic only counts when you get it out. Plan shorter, cleaner runs over greedy ones.
- Re-kit cheap for Night Raid & Close Scrutiny. With free loadouts gone in those two scenarios, a fast, affordable replacement loadout is now the difference between running them and skipping them.
- Re-route around Rocketeers if you need heavy ammo. They feed Launcher Ammo now, not Heavy.
- Use the new shortcuts. Bind Sell/Recycle/Repair/Salvage/Drop into your post-raid routine to clear stash faster between runs.
For the full event walkthrough, see our companion guide to the Forgotten Relics event and Converging Paths rewards, and for budget loadouts built for the new no-free-kit rule, the Night Raid & Close Scrutiny gear-up guide.
Gear up cheap for the No-Free-Loadout test
Now that free loadouts are gone in Night Raid and Close Scrutiny, the cheapest way to keep running them is to never be short on blueprints or materials. Re-kit fast, die less poor, and farm the Forgotten Relics event on gear you can actually replace:
- ARC Raiders Blueprints — from $0.99 — 60+ blueprints, unlock rare weapons, fast & secure delivery so your high-loot runs aren't gated by RNG drops
- ARC Raiders Materials — from $0.02 — all rarities, instant delivery, trusted — keep crafting and repairing between Night Raid deaths
- All ARC Raiders services — boosts, leveling and more for everything in Update 1.33.0
FAQ
When did ARC Raiders Update 1.33.0 release? ARC Raiders Live Update 1.33.0 went live on June 16, 2026. Its headline content — the Converging Paths Project and Forgotten Relics event — runs from June 16 through July 27, 2026 (arcraiders.com).
What are the Converging Paths rewards in ARC Raiders 1.33.0? Completing the Converging Paths Project rewards a Red-Black Saltwalker Outfit color variant, a Sextant backpack charm, and 300 Raider Tokens total earnable across the season. Progress is tracked on a Display Case that fills with the relics you recover.
How do you earn Merits in the Forgotten Relics event? You earn Merits two ways: automatically by gaining XP on any map, and by finding relics in containers (lockers, drawers, crates). Each relic's Merit value scales with its rarity, and — per the official patch notes — you must successfully extract with the relic to claim its Merits. Banked Merits feed the Converging Paths Project.
Why can't I use a free loadout in Night Raid or Close Scrutiny anymore? Update 1.33.0 disabled free loadouts in those two higher-loot scenarios as a three-week test to increase commitment to their risk/reward. You now have to bring your own gear into Night Raid and Close Scrutiny; Embark may extend the change to more map conditions based on feedback.
Did 1.33.0 fix the ARC Raiders dupe glitch? Yes — 1.33.0 added detection and prevention safeguards against item duplication. In practice this is hardening rather than an emergency fix: the last confirmed working dupe method was already patched in April 2026, and there is no confirmed active duplication exploit in the game right now.
What did the Rocketeer drop change in Update 1.33.0? The Rocketeer ARC enemy now drops Launcher Ammo instead of Heavy Ammo. If you farm Rocketeers for ammo, plan your loadout around feeding your Launcher rather than your heavy weapons.
_Sources: official ARC Raiders 1.33.0 patch notes (arcraiders.com), cross-checked against the ARC Raiders Wiki. Written by the Timesaver.gg Team, June 16, 2026._
