Arc Raiders Frozen Trail Release Time — October 8 Countdown
Frozen Trail, the biggest Arc Raiders update since launch, comes out on Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 09:00 UTC. That is 2:00 AM PT, 5:00 AM ET, 10:00 AM BST and 11:00 AM CEST. Arc Raiders is also free to play on every platform from the moment the update launches until October 12. Below: a live countdown, the release time in every region, the free weekend details and what to do before the servers update.
Frozen Trail Countdown
Counting down to October 8, 2026, 09:00 UTC.
Frozen Trail Release Time in Your Time Zone
The update is expected at the same moment worldwide. There is no rolling regional launch, so Raiders in the Americas get it overnight and Raiders in Asia and Oceania get it in the evening.
| Region | Cities | Release Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US West (PDT) | Los Angeles, Seattle | 2:00 AM | Thu, Oct 8 |
| US Mountain (MDT) | Denver | 3:00 AM | Thu, Oct 8 |
| US Central (CDT) | Chicago, Dallas | 4:00 AM | Thu, Oct 8 |
| US East (EDT) | New York, Toronto | 5:00 AM | Thu, Oct 8 |
| Brazil (BRT) | São Paulo | 6:00 AM | Thu, Oct 8 |
| UTC | Official reference time | 09:00 | Thu, Oct 8 |
| UK & Ireland (BST) | London, Dublin | 10:00 AM | Thu, Oct 8 |
| Central Europe (CEST) | Berlin, Paris, Stockholm | 11:00 AM | Thu, Oct 8 |
| Eastern Europe (EEST) | Helsinki, Athens | 12:00 PM | Thu, Oct 8 |
| Gulf (GST) | Dubai | 1:00 PM | Thu, Oct 8 |
| India (IST) | Mumbai, Delhi | 2:30 PM | Thu, Oct 8 |
| China & Singapore | Beijing, Singapore | 5:00 PM | Thu, Oct 8 |
| Japan & Korea (JST/KST) | Tokyo, Seoul | 6:00 PM | Thu, Oct 8 |
| Australia East (AEDT) | Sydney, Melbourne | 8:00 PM | Thu, Oct 8 |
| New Zealand (NZDT) | Auckland | 10:00 PM | Thu, Oct 8 |
How Official Is 09:00 UTC?
Embark confirmed the date, October 8, in the Frozen Trail First Look. The time comes from Embark's free weekend announcement, which starts the free play period at 09:00 UTC on October 8 to coincide with the update, and it matches the slot Arc Raiders updates usually deploy in. Embark has not announced a separate maintenance or downtime window, a download size or a pre-load, so allow for a short delay or a brief login queue around launch.
Arc Raiders Is Free to Play October 8-12
To celebrate Frozen Trail, Embark is opening the full game to everyone for four days. If you have friends who never bought Arc Raiders, this is the weekend to bring them topside.
Starting fresh this weekend? Our Beginner's Guide and Extraction Tips cover the first hours.
What to Do Before Frozen Trail Launches
Spend Your Cred
Cred is retired with Frozen Trail and anything left on your account expires on October 8. Spend it with Shani or on outstanding Raider Deck rewards. Rewards you already claimed stay yours and carry over to the free Legacy Pass. Details in Live Update 1.45.0.
Claim Your Rubber Ducks
The inbox message with the three community-made Rubber Ducks stops being sent after October 8. Log in and claim them first.
The Skill Tree Is Being Reworked
Frozen Trail brings new and improved skills, so current builds will change. Our Skill Tree guide covers the pre-update tree and will be refreshed once the rework is live.
PvE Toggle Test Follows on October 13
Five days after launch, Embark runs a one-week PvE matchmaking test from October 13 to 20. The Frigate stays PvPvE only. See the PvE toggle test breakdown.
What Is in the Frozen Trail Update?
The short version. For every detail, read our full Frozen Trail breakdown.
Celeste Gets a New Face
Full Performance Capture for Celeste
Frozen Trail is the first time Arc Raiders uses full performance capture in its cinematics. Embark's Chief Creative Officer Stefan Strandberg explained that Celeste's limited expressions had been immersion-breaking, so she has been rebuilt to match the face and performance of Diana Gardner, the actor who has voiced her since the beginning. The new Celeste debuted in the Frozen Trail trailer on October 6 and appears in-game when the update launches. More characters are planned to follow in later updates.
Frozen Trail Release FAQ
When does Arc Raiders Frozen Trail come out?
Frozen Trail releases on Thursday, October 8, 2026. The official free play period that launches with it starts at 09:00 UTC, which is 2:00 AM PDT, 5:00 AM EDT, 10:00 AM BST and 11:00 AM CEST.
What time does the Frozen Trail update go live?
Expect it around 09:00 UTC on October 8, 2026. That is the start time Embark published for the Frozen Trail free play period and it matches the slot Arc Raiders updates usually deploy in. Embark has not announced a separate downtime window, so the exact minute can shift.
Is Arc Raiders free this weekend?
Yes. Arc Raiders is free to play from October 8 (09:00 UTC) to October 12 (08:00 UTC), 2026 on Steam, Xbox and PlayStation, with access to the full game.
Is Frozen Trail a free update?
Yes. Frozen Trail is a free update for everyone who owns Arc Raiders. Only the Premium Reward Pass (1,150 Raider Tokens) and the Collector Set DLC are paid extras.
What is new in Arc Raiders Frozen Trail?
A new map called Pendola Pass, the ARC Frigate, three new ARC (Bully, Skulker and Hydra), the Outpost, Amplified Weapons, the Stiletto and Bantam, a Grappling Hook, the Tether Launcher, the Yank Grenade, a Camera, a reworked Skill Tree and the Reward Pass that replaces Raider Decks.
What happens to my Cred when Frozen Trail launches?
Unspent Cred expires on October 8, 2026 when the update goes live. Spend it with Shani or on Raider Deck rewards beforehand. Rewards you already claimed stay on your account and move into the free Legacy Pass.
Can free weekend players play the new map Pendola Pass?
Yes, with help. Embark says new players can access Pendola Pass when they team up with players who have already unlocked it.