ARC Raiders Riven Tides Update: New Map, Boss & Expedition Changes

The next big update for ARC Raiders is just a couple of weeks away from dropping, and it’s already making noise. Under the name Riven Tides, it’s set to arrive at the end of April and promises to completely shake up the experience with a brand-new map, a new boss, and the introduction of another map condition.

This article is packed with leaks about the upcoming update, so if you’d rather go in blind and experience everything for yourself when it launches, I recommend not reading any further.

You may be interested our Guide:

A New Coastal Map

The Riven Tides update is set to arrive at the end of April, and it will introduce a completely brand-new map. Everything points to this being a totally different kind of zone compared to anything we’ve seen so far: a devastated luxury resort. A city packed with high-end vacation hotels, massive shopping centers, tennis courts, pools, and more areas that genuinely build a lot of hype.

Where will this new map be located?

Leaks have already revealed its exact location, confirming that this new map sits near Buried City specifically to the lower-left side of the main map. This new city will be right by the sea, but the big question is: will we actually be able to interact with the water in any way?

Need the Canto or Dolabra blueprint fast and safe? Take a look at our CATALOG.

The New ARC Boss

Another major addition coming with this update is a new large-scale ARC, similar to the Queen or the Matriarch. This one is known as the Bishop, and it will feature attacks similar to the Vaporizer, with what looks like a high level of agility.

Main features:

Multiple legs with yellow weak points, similar to the Queen
A vulnerable core located in its head
Energy-based laser attacks

That said, while the concept of this new boss is solid, it would’ve been more refreshing to see something completely different from what we already have. Still, it’s all speculation for now we’ll have to wait and see how it actually plays when the update goes live.

Changes to the New Expedition

Riven Tides also brings a brand-new expedition window for all Raiders. It will be available from April 28 to May 3, but it comes with some changes that many players probably won’t like.

How it worked before vs now

🟢 Before: To unlock the 5 extra skill points after doing a wipe, you needed to reach 3M coins either in liquid cash or total stash value.

🔴 Now: Skill points (up to a maximum of 5) will be earned by completing damage-based challenges, and your coin total won’t matter anymore. It’s still unclear how much damage will be required, or if there will be two separate progress bars one for damage against Raiders and another against ARCs.

This change is likely going to be very controversial. You’ll only have a fixed 5-day window to complete these damage challenges. So what happens if you can’t play during that time?

You simply won’t get the 5 extra skill points which feels frustrating and, honestly, a bit unfair.

Expedition Rewards

New additions to the expedition skin and cosmetics (outfits, helmet, accessories)
Expedition icons
12 new stash slots
5 new skill points (if you complete the damage challenges)
Improved XP gain (up to 15%)
More materials
Better repair efficiency (up to 80%)

New Feature: “Last Call”

If you completed the expedition but didn’t register, you’ll now get a last-chance prompt when you log in the day after the expedition window closes. This gives you one final opportunity to perform your first, second, or third wipe.

You can read more about this on the official ARC Raiders website.

The Next Map Condition

Finally, the only thing we have zero information about so far is the new map condition. A lot of players are theorizing it could be something similar to an electrical storm or some kind of acid rain.

But with the arrival of this new coastal map, I’d personally lean more toward a map-specific condition something like flooding or even a tsunami, taking full advantage of its location by the sea.