Arc Raiders' Frozen Trail update pushes Steam players past 131,000
Arc Raiders hit a 24-hour peak of 131,388 players on Steam on Thursday after its big Frozen Trail update went live. That is the online shooter's best showing since April, after months of hovering between about 30,000 and 50,000 players. A free-to-play window runs through October 12, and the game is half off on Steam.
Arc Raiders is having its biggest moment in months, as the online shooter from Embark Studios reached a 24-hour peak of 131,388 players on Steam on Thursday, the day its Frozen Trail update arrived, Insider Gaming reported.
That is the game's highest peak since its last big update, Riven Tides, in April. GamersExtra reported the game had not topped 100,000 players on Steam since May, and spent recent months between roughly 30,000 and 50,000. Steam counts only PC players on Valve's store, so the full number of players across PlayStation and Xbox is higher but not public.
Embark calls Frozen Trail the biggest update since the game launched a year ago. It adds a snowy new map, Pendola Pass, built around an old Italian village where a giant machine called an Emperor has crashed, Digital Trends reported. The update also brings the Frigate, a huge flying enemy ship that players can board and fight through, along with three new enemies, two new weapons and a grappling hook.
The update also replaces how players earn rewards. A new Reward Pass with 60 levels takes the place of the old Raider Decks, Digital Citizen reported.
The timing came with deals. Anyone can play free on Steam, PlayStation and Xbox until October 12, and the game is 50% off on Steam, cutting the U.S. price from $39.99 to $19.99, Digital Citizen reported.
That raises the question of whether the crowd will last, because free weekends and sales often bring short spikes, and the real test is how many players stay once the free window closes. Embark's executive producer, Aleksander Grondal, said the push felt like a relaunch in some ways, GamersExtra reported.
Players on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X and S can download the update now.
What we know: Steam play hit 131,388 at its peak on launch day.
What we don't: How many players will stay after the free window ends October 12.
Where outlets agree Insider Gaming, GamersExtra and Digital Citizen all report Arc Raiders hit a 131,388-player daily peak on Steam on October 8.
Where they differ Insider Gaming credits the jump to the Frozen Trail update reviving the game, while GamersExtra says the free-play window and 50% discount deserve much of the credit.