ARC Raiders’ Frozen Trail Reward Pass fixes one weakness of Raider Decks—players could save Cred and instantly clear a new Deck—but its launch bug and continuing balance changes exposed the same underlying question: when does repeatable progression stop feeling rewarding and start feeling like a grind? Launched October 8, 2026, the new system asks players to complete Feats across 60 levels instead of spending a hoarded currency balance. Embark fixed the most serious progression-display errors in Update 2.1.0 on October 13, but later patches still adjusted Feats, milestones and interface screens. The system now works very differently from Raider Decks, yet the debate about how much repetition players should endure remains unresolved.
Why did ARC Raiders replace Raider Decks with a Reward Pass?
Embark said Raider Decks had become too easy to finish immediately. Players accumulated Cred faster than the Decks could meaningfully consume it, then used their saved balance as soon as a new Deck launched. That made the rewards feel less earned and reduced the reason to keep completing Feats between releases.
The Frozen Trail Reward Pass changes the currency-and-checkout model into a milestone journey. Feats now provide the activity that moves players through the pass, while a Legacy Pass preserves previously earned Raider Deck rewards and offers a route to unfinished ones.
| System | How progress works | Design trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Raider Decks | Spend accumulated Cred when a Deck becomes available | Fast access, but saved currency could erase the progression journey |
| Frozen Trail Reward Pass | Complete Feats and milestones across 60 levels | More sustained activity, but repeated tasks can feel like a grind |
| Legacy Pass | Retains earlier Raider Deck rewards and unfinished routes | Preserves past progress without making the new pass an instant clear |
What is included in the 60-level Frozen Trail pass?
The pass has separate Free and Premium tracks. Embark places gameplay-relevant rewards on the Free track and reserves customization-focused items for Premium.
Free track
- New base outfits and other cosmetics
- Weapons and gadgets
- Items and up to 200 Raider Tokens
Premium track
- Outfit toggles, modifications and colorways
- Exclusive legendary weapon stencils
- Hairstyles and up to 1,150 Raider Tokens when the track is completed
Premium costs 1,150 Raider Tokens. Completing the Premium track can therefore return the entry currency, but that outcome depends on reaching every reward level; it is not an automatic discount at purchase. Premium does not add weapons or gadgets, so it is optional for gameplay power.
Was the Reward Pass bugged at launch?
Yes. On October 9, Embark acknowledged that the Reward Pass was not progressing correctly for some players. The issue involved incorrect milestone counting, overstated completed levels and inaccurate progression displays, making it difficult to tell whether Feats had actually advanced the pass.
Update 2.1.0, released October 13, fixed those counting and display errors. That addressed the core “Reward Pass not progressing” reports, but it did not end the broader progression discussion. Update 2.2.0 on October 20 rebalanced Feats and removed a leftover Cred icon, while Update 2.3.0 on October 27 refined the Feats and Milestones panels and the Reward Pass upgrade screen.
What changed after the main bug fix?
The later updates matter because they show that the problem was not only a broken counter. Embark is still adjusting the workload, presentation and upgrade flow that determine whether progress feels understandable and worthwhile.
- Update 2.1.0 — October 13: corrected milestone counting, inflated completed-level displays and Reward Pass progression.
- Update 2.2.0 — October 20: rebalanced Feats and removed a remaining Cred icon.
- Update 2.3.0 — October 27: refined the Feats and Milestones panels and the Reward Pass upgrade screen.
The latest official state is a repaired and rebalanced system, not proof that every player’s earlier display error was automatically restored. Embark has not published a verified completion-time figure for all 60 levels, and its announcements do not promise automatic retroactive recovery for every affected account.
Does Premium change the gameplay?
No. The Free track contains the weapons, gadgets and other gameplay items listed by Embark. Premium’s additions are cosmetic customization and token rewards, so buying it changes appearance options rather than combat capability.
Its practical value is therefore tied to how much a player wants the exclusive cosmetics and whether they expect to finish the track. The possible return of up to 1,150 Raider Tokens makes a completed pass currency-neutral at the stated entry cost, but players who stop partway through will not receive the full listed return.
What does the pass mean for the old grind problem?
The Reward Pass solves the instant-completion problem by removing Cred hoarding as the main route through new content. It also makes repetition more visible: every level depends on Feats, and every Feat rebalance changes the amount or type of activity required to reach the next milestone.
That is the central trade-off. Raider Decks could feel unrewarding because progress was over before it began; the Reward Pass can feel unrewarding if the journey stretches without enough variety or clarity. The launch display errors intensified that concern because players could not trust the progress shown on screen. Fixes to Feats and menus improve the mechanism, but they do not by themselves answer how much repeated play is satisfying.
What should players do if their progress still looks wrong?
- Confirm that the game is running the current build, including Updates 2.1.0, 2.2.0 and 2.3.0 where available for your platform.
- Open the Feats and Milestones panels and compare the displayed completion state rather than relying on an older pre-update value.
- If a milestone remains incorrect after updating, record the affected Feat, level and displayed counter before contacting official support.
- Do not assume that a missing historical level will be restored automatically; Embark has not guaranteed universal retroactive restoration.
Is the Frozen Trail Collector Set relevant to the pass?
The Collector Set is a separate bundle that includes Premium access, the Renzo cosmetic set, the Dragon’s Breath weapon stencil, the Bob hairstyle, 2,400 Raider Tokens, an Outpost sofa and the Banjo blueprint. It can combine pass access with additional cosmetics and currency, but it does not change the underlying Feat-based progression rules.
Because the official announcement does not establish affiliate terms or a universal regional offer, availability and value should be checked in the platform’s current store listing rather than assumed from another market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Embark publish how long all 60 levels take to complete?
No verified completion-time estimate has been published for the full Frozen Trail track. The amount of time will depend on the Feats assigned and any future rebalancing, so older player estimates may become outdated.
Will players affected by the launch bug automatically receive missing progress?
Embark’s published updates fix counting and display errors, but they do not promise automatic retroactive restoration for every affected account. If your record still looks wrong, keep the specific Feat and milestone details for a support report.
Can the Premium track be bought with tokens earned in the same pass?
The Premium entry price is 1,150 Raider Tokens, while the completed Premium track lists up to 1,150 Tokens in returns. Players need access to the pass before earning those rewards, and the full return requires completing the track.
What happens to Raider Deck rewards I never claimed?
The Legacy Pass is the system’s route for previously earned Raider Deck rewards and unfinished Deck progress. It runs alongside Frozen Trail rather than converting every old reward into a new Feat milestone.