ARC Raiders Frigate is a high-level map condition introduced with Frozen Trail. When it is active, the huge ARC vessel patrols one of several maps and can be boarded for cargo, ARC components and quest progress. It is not tied only to Pendola Pass: Embark’s live map-condition schedule rotates the Frigate through maps including Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, The Blue Gate and Pendola Pass.
The encounter is built around getting onto the ship, moving through its cramped interior and surviving both ARC machines and other Raiders chasing the same loot. The ARC Raiders Frigate is also excluded from the current PvE Toggle beta, so if you want to board it during the October 13–20 test you need to use the normal PvPvE queue.
ARC Raiders Frigate changes in Update 2.3.0
Update 2.3.0, released 27 October 2026, makes deeper sections of the Frigate more valuable. Embark changed the cargo distribution so that higher-tier loot has a better chance of appearing further inside the vessel. Farming only easy cases on the outside is now less rewarding than pushing through the cargo puzzles, although no precise new drop percentages have been announced.
The Frigate cargo gate has been replaced with a newer version. Progress through the ship’s puzzle is easier to read because new visual hatches show its state, and clearer sounds distinguish when power-core vents and hatches are progressing, finished or destroyed. If you were stuck trying to work out whether a phase registered, watch the hatches and listen for the state-change cue before moving on.
Boarding and extraction also received repairs: Embark fixed missing wing collision and hiding spots inside the geometry, allows long-distance pings while the vessel is entering the area, and makes pings on or near the Frigate mark the actual location instead of replacing it with the ship’s name. Memory and stability improvements reduce crashes around the cargo hold and on Xbox Series S, but Reclaimers sometimes still fail to dock and can push players off while vaulting. Don’t treat those two boarding problems as fixed by the patch.
Where to find ARC Raiders Frigate
Check the map-condition panel before launching a raid. If ARC Raiders Frigate is active, the condition name appears alongside the map currently hosting the vessel. Embark also runs a live schedule on the official ARC Raiders site, which is useful because the host map changes throughout the day.
The condition currently rotates across multiple locations rather than staying over Pendola Pass. Its schedule can also differ by server region, so a static list of today’s times will become stale quickly. The live ARC Frigate map-condition page is the better place to check the next active window.
How to board the ARC Raiders Frigate
You cannot reach the ARC Raiders Frigate by simply climbing from the ground. The usual route uses the smaller ARC Reclaimers that descend from the ship. Get onto a Reclaimer while it is low enough to reach, disrupt it, then stay aboard as it returns towards the vessel.
Once the Reclaimer gets close enough, transfer onto the Frigate and move onto the upper structure. A Grappling Hook or Snap Hook can make awkward boarding angles easier, especially if another Raider has already disturbed the area or the Reclaimer does not line up cleanly.
If you are doing Celeste’s first Frigate assignment, our ARC Raiders Boarding the Frigate walkthrough covers the exact Hydra, Vaporizer and Rocketeer damage objectives separately.
What to do once you are on the Frigate
The ARC Raiders Frigate is more than an exposed top deck. Embark describes it as a vessel with internal passageways, locked routes and close-quarters fights where the usual open-ground approach stops working well.
Move through the ship carefully, open the routes ahead and expect both familiar ARC units and Frozen Trail enemies around the encounter. Other Raiders can board at the same time, so clearing one section never guarantees the rest of the vessel is safe.
The later Disrupting the Frigate quest goes further than the introductory boarding job. It sends you after three Power Cores, the cargo area and additional ARC kills, so use that walkthrough if you are trying to complete the full sabotage assignment instead of just looting the ship.
Hydra on the ARC Raiders Frigate
Hydra is one of the major threats aboard the ARC Raiders Frigate. It is a large stationary ARC turret built from three independently operating weapon sections, which lets it pressure more than one angle during a fight.
Use the Frigate’s solid cover and avoid standing in a long exposed lane while Hydra has sight of you. The ship’s cramped geometry can work in your favour if you move between cover, but it can also trap you if another Raider or ARC unit pushes from the opposite direction.
For the Boarding the Frigate quest, you only need to deal the required damage to Hydra rather than destroy the whole machine. That makes it possible to finish the quest objective and leave without committing to the longest version of the fight.
ARC Raiders Frigate loot and cargo
The reason experienced players keep returning to the ARC Raiders Frigate is the technology aboard it. The ship’s cargo sections can hold valuable ARC loot and Frozen Trail materials, including items tied to the higher-end weapon and Outpost progression introduced with the update.
The best haul is still worthless if you die before extraction. Once you have the item or quest progress you came for, judge whether another room is worth the risk rather than clearing the entire vessel automatically. Frigate runs attract other Raiders precisely because everyone knows the cargo is valuable.
Can you play ARC Raiders Frigate in PvE mode?
No. Embark lists ARC Raiders Frigate among the major map conditions disabled on PvE servers during the October 13–20 PvE Toggle beta. Night Raid, Locked Gate, Hidden Bunker and Redirection are excluded as well.
If you switch to PvE matchmaking and cannot find a Frigate condition, that is expected behaviour rather than a missing schedule entry. Return to the standard PvPvE queue if the Frigate is your target.
How often does ARC Raiders Frigate appear?
The ARC Raiders Frigate is a rotating condition with multiple windows across the day. Embark’s official schedule shows the vessel moving between eligible maps in one-hour blocks, but the exact sequence changes and depends on the selected server region.
For that reason, avoid planning around an old screenshot or yesterday’s timetable. Check the live map-condition page shortly before playing, then choose whichever current Frigate map suits the rest of your objectives.
Best way to prepare for a Frigate run
Go into the ARC Raiders Frigate with enough ammunition for sustained ARC fights and enough free inventory space to make the boarding risk worthwhile. A movement tool such as the Grappling Hook can help aboard the ship, while healing and a reliable weapon for armoured ARC units are more useful than carrying a bag already full of low-value scavenging loot.
It is also worth deciding your objective before you board. A quest run, cargo run and full sabotage attempt each need a different amount of time and risk. If you only need the introductory damage objectives, there is little value in turning that into a full clear after the quest has already updated.
Related Guides
Embark’s Frozen Trail first look describes the Frigate as a high-level boarding challenge, while the live ARC Frigate schedule shows the current host map and upcoming windows.
Official source: Embark Studios, ARC Raiders Update 2.3.0 patch notes.
