Arc Raiders just tested the biggest change yet to how it decides who you fight. Live Update 1.39.0 went live on July 28, and while it barely adds any new content, it fundamentally changes how defending yourself in a fight affects your matches.
Here’s exactly what changed and what it means for how you play.
Table of Contents
What Changed in Live Update 1.39.0
Arc Raiders is now testing a system where defending yourself in PvP has zero effect on your matchmaking, full stop.
Live Update 1.39.0 landed on July 28 as part of the game’s 3-week live update cadence, and it’s a notably light patch in terms of new content. In fact, it’s a net content decrease: the update closed out both the Forgotten Relics event and the Converging Paths project, and nothing new took their place except a store rotation.
That makes the matchmaking change the entire story of this patch. It’s a meaningful shift in how the game decides which players end up in your lobbies, and it builds directly on adjustments Embark has been rolling out over the past few months.
How the New Defensive PvP Test Works
Starting now, only fights you choose to start affect your playstyle estimate.
Defending yourself, including knocking out someone who attacked you first, has no impact on your matchmaking at all during the test.
This goes further than the change Embark introduced back in May, which reduced the weight of defensive PvP but didn’t remove it entirely. That earlier adjustment meant cautious players could still get nudged toward more aggressive lobbies just for fighting back.
The community’s most common follow-up request was to cut that impact to zero, and that’s exactly what’s being tested now.
Who Counts as Defending
Embark laid out specific rules for how the system reads an encounter.
If the other squad damages, downs, or knocks out any of your squadmates first, your entire squad counts as defending, not just the player who got hit. The squad that strikes first is the one that started the fight.
How Severity Is Weighed
Not every fight counts the same. A drawn-out firefight with multiple downs weighs heavily on your playstyle estimate.
A stray shot or a brief exchange where the other squad flees after minimal damage still technically counts as starting a fight, but it barely moves the needle.
Third-Partying Still Counts as Starting a Fight
Jumping into a fight that’s already happening between two other squads counts as initiating combat, even if you didn’t fire the first shot of the encounter overall.
You can’t use an existing fight as cover to avoid the aggression hit.
What This Means for Solos, Duos, and Trios
Because the new rule applies to your whole squad, it’s likely to matter more in duos and trios than in solos.
If one squadmate starts a fight, that counts against the whole group’s playstyle estimate, even if the rest of the squad never fired a shot. In solos, the calculation is simpler: it’s just about your own actions.
Solo, duo, and trio matchmaking already track independently, a change introduced in an earlier update, and that separation is unaffected by this test. Playing aggressively in a trio won’t bleed into how your solos get matched, and vice versa.
Practically, this test is aimed at letting players fight back against griefers and rats without being punished for it in future matchmaking. It doesn’t turn Arc Raiders into a PvE mode, since ARC threats alone still aren’t the whole game, but it does mean self-defense finally carries zero downside.
Is This Permanent?
Embark has framed this explicitly as a test, not a confirmed permanent change, and says it will monitor matchmaking metrics and player feedback over the coming weeks before deciding what happens next.
There’s also a player survey live now if you want to weigh in directly.
Given how far this builds on the positive reception to May’s partial change, a full reversal back to weighing defensive PvP at all seems unlikely. But nothing here is locked in yet, so treat it as the current state of the system rather than a guaranteed permanent one.
New Dweller Set and Store Changes
The other content in this patch is a store rotation: the new Dweller Set, which includes an outfit, a burn scarf face style, and a radio mountaineer backpack in four color options.
The full bundle runs 1,700 Raider Tokens, with a discount applied if you already own one of the included items individually.
What’s the Phantom Targets Tease?
A new loading screen reads “Phantom Targets have been spotted on Shaunie’s radar. Something is off,” but Embark hasn’t explained what it means anywhere in the patch notes.
It’s not clear yet whether this points to a new enemy type, a returning thread from earlier in the year, or something else entirely.
Community theories range from a new cloaked Arc enemy possibly connected to the UFO-style Arcs seen during the earlier Hurricane event, to a more out-there idea that Phantom Targets could be a detection method aimed at flagging cheaters rather than a feature for regular players. None of this is confirmed, so treat it as speculation.
What is confirmed: Embark’s next major update, Frozen Trail, is set for October and is being positioned as the studio’s biggest content drop since launch, with a new map, a new Arc enemy, and a reworked progression system.
Given the timing, a tease landing in the run-up to October isn’t a stretch, though Embark hasn’t linked the two directly.
Bug Fixes and Other Changes in 1.39.0
Beyond matchmaking, the patch includes a handful of gameplay and quality-of-life fixes.
The Seeker and Wolfpack grenades no longer deal inconsistent damage, addressing a bug that had been widely reported since the Converging Paths project launched.
Trinkets introduced during that project can now stack like other trinkets, a change many players had been asking for throughout its run, and their drop rates were adjusted for more consistent looting across maps.
The rest of the patch covers smaller polish: improved footstep audio in water, a more distinct dodge roll sound, several map collision and clipping fixes on Dam Battlegrounds and Buried City, and a handful of UI updates including a new, more zoomed-out Projects screen.
THE FINALS Crossover Reminder
Players have until July 30 at 3PM CEST to complete the required contracts in THE FINALS to unlock the Azimuth outfit and Archaeologist Backpack bundle in Arc Raiders.
After that window closes, the bundle becomes earnable in THE FINALS by playing Arc Raiders instead.
Key Takeaways
- Defending yourself in PvP now has zero impact on matchmaking during Embark’s new test, a step beyond May’s partial weight reduction
- Your whole squad counts as defending if the enemy squad damages, downs, or knocks out any teammate first
- Third-partying an existing fight still counts as starting one
- The change likely matters more in duos and trios than solos, since one squadmate’s aggression affects the whole squad’s rating
- This is explicitly a test, not a confirmed permanent change
- Seeker and Wolfpack grenades now deal consistent damage, and Converging Paths trinkets finally stack
- Phantom Targets remains unexplained, though it may connect to the confirmed October Frozen Trail update
FAQ
What changed in Arc Raiders Live Update 1.39.0?
The biggest change is to matchmaking: defending yourself in PvP no longer affects your playstyle estimate at all during a new test. The patch also fixed inconsistent Seeker and Wolfpack grenade damage and made Converging Paths trinkets stackable.
Does defending myself still hurt my matchmaking in Arc Raiders?
No, not during this test. As long as the other squad damaged, downed, or knocked out your teammate first, fighting back has zero impact on your playstyle estimate.
What counts as starting a fight in Arc Raiders?
Whichever squad damages, downs, or knocks out a member of the other squad first is considered to have started the fight. Third-partying an existing fight also counts as starting one.
Is the defensive PvP matchmaking change permanent?
Not yet confirmed. Embark has called it a test and says it will monitor metrics and player feedback before deciding whether to keep it.
Does this matchmaking change affect solo players differently than duos or trios?
It’s likely to matter more in duos and trios, since the whole squad is judged as defending or attacking together. In solos, it only reflects your own actions.
Are Solo, Duo, and Trio matchmaking still tracked separately?
Yes, that separation from an earlier update remains active and isn’t affected by this test.
What is Phantom Targets in Arc Raiders?
A new loading screen tease reading “Phantom Targets have been spotted on Shaunie’s radar.” Embark hasn’t explained what it refers to, and it’s currently unconfirmed whether it’s a new enemy type or something else.
When is the next major Arc Raiders update?
Frozen Trail is confirmed for October, described as Embark’s largest content drop since launch, with a new map, new Arc enemy, and a reworked progression system.
What was fixed with the Seeker and Wolfpack grenades?
Update 1.39.0 fixed inconsistent damage output from both grenade types, a bug players had reported frequently since the Converging Paths project launched.
How much does the new Dweller Set cost?
The bundle costs 1,700 Raider Tokens, with a discount if you already own one of the included items individually.
Until when can I earn the Azimuth bundle through THE FINALS crossover?
The contracts in THE FINALS must be completed by July 30 at 3PM CEST. After that, the bundle becomes earnable in Arc Raiders by playing instead.
