Embark Studios is running two live games, ARC Raiders and THE FINALS, with ARC Raiders' largest update to date, Frozen Trail, arriving October 8 under a new twice-a-year content cadence, and THE FINALS in Season 11: Galaxy Masters.
Embark Studios is in a period of major change for both of its live games. In May 2026, the studio shifted ARC Raiders' major content cadence from monthly to twice a year. The first release under that new policy, Frozen Trail, arrives October 8 and is the game's largest update to date. It adds a new frozen map at the edge of the Last Belt, new ARC machines, skill tree and Raider deck adjustments, new weapons and gadgets, and a story that approaches the origins of the ARC machines. The update is meant to answer long-standing community questions about the game's direction.
THE FINALS, meanwhile, entered Season 11: Galaxy Masters on July 9, 2026. The space-themed season adds the Galaxy Estate arena with speed tunnels and anti-gravity zones, overhauls melee combat with defense, stamina, and precision strike systems, and introduces a Bot mode for Cashout. The game's esports scene is active, with Korean team HIBOO winning the APAC League Cycle 2 finals on June 28, earning $2,000 and 100 points toward the TGM Grand Final 2026 in Stockholm.
Behind the scenes, Embark's machine learning lead Martin detailed at NDC26 how the studio uses ML for recommendations, quest generation, and enemy behavior. A simple EASE recommendation model increased purchasers by 400% in THE FINALS, but organizational hurdles nearly killed the project until an engineer moved desks to the commercial team. The talk highlighted that the hardest part of deploying ML in games is not the algorithm but the organizational structure around it.
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Aug 14
Embark Studios announced on August 12 that ARC Raiders will receive its largest update to date, titled Frozen Trail, on October 8. The update follows a May 2026 policy shift that moved the game's major content cadence from monthly to twice a year, with Frozen Trail being the first major release under that new schedule. The update introduces a new map set in a frozen settlement at the edge of the Last Belt, featuring abandoned villages, factories, research facilities, and observatories, with greater verticality and exploration opportunities. New high-level challenges are designed for experienced Raiders, demanding meaningful choices, dynamic encounters, and cooperation. The update also adds new ARC machines, ranging from small nuisances to massive threats, plus adjustments to skill trees and the Raider deck system. Additional content includes new weapons, gadgets, cosmetic items, instruments, and improvements to matchmaking, anti-cheat, stability, and quality of life. The story will approach the origins of the ARC machines, as Raiders investigate an unidentified signal from beyond the mountains. The game is available on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store, as well as PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Jul 10
Embark Studios launched Season 11: Galaxy Masters for THE FINALS on July 9, 2026. The space-themed update adds the Galaxy Estate arena with speed tunnels and anti-gravity zones, overhauls melee combat with defense, stamina, and precision strike systems, and introduces a Bot mode for Cashout. A space-themed battle pass and convenience improvements like an improved respawn system and expanded pins are also included.
Jun 30
Korean team HIBOO won the APAC League Cycle 2 finals of THE FINALS esports tournament The Grand Major Online Series on June 28, 2026. HIBOO came from behind to defeat Chinese team KZ in the final match. The win earns HIBOO $2,000 and 100 points toward qualification for the TGM Grand Final 2026 in Stockholm.
Jun 16
At NDC26, Embark Studios machine learning lead Martin detailed how the studio uses ML for recommendations, quest generation, and enemy behavior. A key takeaway was that a simple EASE recommendation model increased purchasers by 400% in The Finals, but organizational hurdles nearly killed the project until an engineer physically moved desks to the commercial team.