ARC Raiders Update 1.45.0 Patch Notes: Cred Retirement, Expedition 5 & New Raider Project

Quick answer

ARC Raiders Update 1.45.0 went live on September 8, 2026 (game version 1.000.055) and it is the last full Live Update before the Frozen Trail expansion on October 8 — Embark has said only a smaller update is planned in between. The headline change: Cred is being retired. Your Cred stays usable until October 8 and then expires with the Frozen Trail update, so spend it now. The patch also starts the new Raider Project "Ascending the Mountain," opens Expedition 5, adds the Hornet Hunter Set and community rubber ducks, upgrades the engine from Unreal Engine 5.3 to 5.7, and ships a stack of gameplay and stability fixes.

This guide breaks down every meaningful change in 1.45.0, what it means for how you play right now, and exactly what to do before October 8 so nothing you own goes to waste.

What is in ARC Raiders Update 1.45.0?

Update 1.45.0 is a content-and-fixes patch that bridges the gap to Frozen Trail. Embark's own note frames it plainly: "Update 1.45.0 is going live right now and with it a number of fixes, a new Raider Project, the start of the fifth Expedition, the Hornet Hunter Set and changes coming to Cred." Restart the game to pull the download.

Here is the highlight reel straight from the official patch notes:

Highlight	What it is	Why it matters
Ascending the Mountain	New Raider Project	Fresh community objective + rewards before the content pause
Cred Expiration	Cred retired Oct 8	You lose unspent Cred — spend it now
Expedition 5	Fifth Expedition opens	Last Expedition window until early 2027
Hornet Hunter Set	New cosmetic outfit set	New store/cosmetic content
Community Rubber Ducks	Player-designed duckies	Displayable in your Raider Den
Unreal Engine 5.7	Engine upgrade (from 5.3)	Under-the-hood performance/stability base

Cred is being retired — spend it before October 8

This is the change that actually costs you something if you ignore it.

Embark is retiring Cred as a currency ahead of Frozen Trail's Raider Deck rework. The exact terms from the official note:

• Cred remains usable until October 8.
• Any Cred left on your account expires with the Frozen Trail update.
• A more expansive reward system launches with Frozen Trail, and all existing Raider Deck rewards will also be available in that new system.
• You keep any rewards you have already claimed at the time of the update.

In plain terms: there is no benefit to hoarding Cred anymore. Head to Shani and spend down your balance on any remaining Raider Deck rewards or cosmetics you still want before the deadline. Players in the community are already doing the math — one raider realized they had been "hoarding my 2400/800 cred for absolutely no reason," which is exactly the trap to avoid. If you have thousands of Cred banked from event grinds like Fireworks, that is a claim-it-or-lose-it window closing on October 8.

Do this before October 8:

• Open the Raider Decks / Shani vendor.
• Claim every reward you still want that Cred can buy.
• Empty your balance — leftover Cred converts to nothing after Frozen Trail.

Ascending the Mountain: the new Raider Project

Update 1.45.0 launches a new community Raider Project called Ascending the Mountain. The setup, per Embark's fiction: raider efforts uncovered clues about phantom ARC signals that have Shani concerned, and those signals trace to the mountain range beyond the reach of the Tube system. Apollo is working on an experimental solution and has requested help from raiders who "understand schematics, and can keep their heads down."

Practically, that means this is a schematic/blueprint-flavored project — the kind of objective where knowing which blueprints to chase and which materials to stockpile pays off directly. It is also the last Raider Project before the content pause, so it is worth engaging with now while the community push is active.

Expedition 5 is live

The fifth Expedition opens with 1.45.0. If you are Expedition-focused, one gameplay change matters a lot here:

Starting an Expedition no longer resets your quests by default; you can now choose whether to reset them when departing.

Previously, departing on an Expedition wiped quest progress automatically. Now the reset is opt-in at departure, so you decide whether to keep your in-progress quests or start clean. This removes a long-standing "gotcha" for players who forgot the auto-reset and lost progress. Expedition 5 is the last Expedition window until early 2027, so it is a meaningful stretch of endgame content to clear before things go quiet.

Gameplay changes in 1.45.0

Beyond the headline items, 1.45.0 makes several real gameplay adjustments. These are from the official notes:

• Severe over-encumbrance tier added. Carry well above your loadout weight limit and you are now restricted to walking — sprinting and jumping are disabled. Greed has a new, harsher ceiling.
• Matriarch stomp fix. The Matriarch's stomp can no longer damage players through tall cover or when standing on top of the Matriarch. Cover actually protects you now.
• Aphelion sway reduced. Reduced weapon sway on the Aphelion for better aiming stability.
• Landing on moving surfaces now makes you follow that surface on landing, not while still airborne.
• ARC Turbine mines can now be pinged. Previously un-pingable turbine mines can be marked for your squad.
• Snitch Scanners now spawn ARC similarly to a regular Snitch, but with a lower chance for stronger ARC.
• Quick item cycling is now rebindable separately from the quick-use wheel (or can be disabled), and you can bind both to the same key — killing accidental item swaps after closing the wheel.

Map and UI fixes

The official notes include a handful of map and UI fixes worth knowing before you drop in. Chief among them: "Fixed an issue where some distance based map markers didn't appear correctly" — so extract and objective markers should read accurately again. Embark also added a "loadout full" pickup prompt, made your loadout weight update live when you drop parts of a stack, cleaned up Skill Tree node visuals, and improved matchmaking error messaging so you get a clear reason if you go offline in queue or hit a crossplay-settings mismatch.

Why raiders care: on maps like Buried City, misreading a distance marker and taking the wrong stairs to an already-closed extract is a classic way to lose a full kit. As one player put it, "that's literally how I lost my last Hullcracker and Survivor — I thought I had time." Accurate markers plus the "loadout full" prompt cut down on those avoidable, kit-costing mistakes mid-raid.

Performance, stability and other fixes

Under the hood, 1.45.0 is a substantial technical update:

• Unreal Engine upgraded from 5.3 to 5.7 — the foundation for future performance and stability work.
• Fixed a PS5 crash that could occur shortly after starting a session.
• Fixed a crash from rapidly pressing certain keys during gameplay.
• Fixed a squad-stuck bug where a squadmate signing out and back in blocked ready-up and matchmaking.
• Audio: fixed the Equalizer playing its firing SFX when holstering; fixed voice chat not working when Raider Voice was enabled.
• Customization: fixed Rawhide headgear staying on when toggled off; the Boonie outfit becomes available September 15.
• UI: clearer matchmaking error messaging, live loadout-weight updates when dropping parts of a stack, a "loadout full" pickup prompt, and Skill Tree node visual tweaks.

Known issues to watch

Embark flagged several known issues with 1.45.0. The most important for PC players: a crash tied to Windows Update KB5121003 (Embark has posted a workaround on their Discord while a fix is in progress), and Epic players may hit a sudden loss of keyboard input (disabling overlays or alt-tabbing helps for now). Other logged issues include weapon-swap and throw animation glitches, Shredders floating to the ceiling in parts of the Hidden Bunker, Leapers jumping through the ARC Turbine, and shots not registering while riding ARC.

What to prioritize before Frozen Trail (October 8)

With a content pause coming, 1.45.0 is really a "get your house in order" patch. Your pre–Frozen Trail checklist:

• Spend all your Cred with Shani / on Raider Deck rewards — it expires October 8.
• Push the Ascending the Mountain project while the community is actively contributing.
• Clear Expedition 5 — it is the last Expedition until early 2027.
• Stock materials and blueprints you will want for the Frozen Trail launch grind, since the schematic-heavy Raider Project rewards knowing what to build first.

Skip the grind and jump straight to the good stuff:

- ARC Raiders Blueprints — from $0.99 — 80+ blueprints, unlock rare weapons, fast & secure delivery

- ARC Raiders Materials — from $0.02 — all rarities, instant delivery, trusted

- All ARC Raiders services — carries, leveling and more

FAQ

When did ARC Raiders Update 1.45.0 release? Update 1.45.0 went live on September 8, 2026 as game version 1.000.055. Restart the game to download it. It is the last full Live Update before the Frozen Trail expansion on October 8, with only a smaller update planned in between.

Is Cred being removed in ARC Raiders? Yes. Cred is being retired. It stays usable until October 8, then any remaining Cred expires with the Frozen Trail update. A more expansive reward system launches with Frozen Trail, all existing Raider Deck rewards carry over into it, and you keep anything you have already claimed. Spend your Cred with Shani before October 8 so it does not go to waste.

What is the new Raider Project in 1.45.0? It is called Ascending the Mountain. In the story, phantom ARC signals lead to the mountain range beyond the Tube system, and Apollo asks raiders who understand schematics to help with an experimental solution. It is the last Raider Project before the content pause.

Do Expeditions still reset my quests? No longer by default. As of 1.45.0, starting an Expedition does not automatically reset your quests — you now choose whether to reset them when departing. Expedition 5 is the last Expedition window until early 2027.

What engine does ARC Raiders run on after 1.45.0? Update 1.45.0 upgraded ARC Raiders from Unreal Engine 5.3 to Unreal Engine 5.7, which is the base for future performance and stability improvements.

Why is my game crashing after Update 1.45.0? Embark has flagged a known PC crash linked to Windows Update KB5121003 and has posted a workaround on their official Discord. Epic players may also experience a sudden loss of keyboard input — disabling active overlays or alt-tabbing out and back in can help while a fix is developed.