The air crackled with anticipation as I logged in, my fingers flying across the keyboard. Would it be different this time? The battlefield hadn’t felt fair lately, but today, the update had finally dropped.
For what felt like an age, the Kettle rifle and Trigger ‘Nade have been the undisputed champions of ARC Raiders PvP. Now, with the arrival of the ARC Raiders 1.11.0 update, Embark Studios has addressed the community’s pleas, delivering some much-needed balance tweaks.
Keep reading for the key changes from Embark Studios.
The Day the Meta Shifted
Remember when everyone ran the same decks in Hearthstone? The staleness crept in, didn’t it? Now, in ARC Raiders, some weapons and gadgets are getting a shake-up. This isn’t just a patch; it’s a re-evaluation of power.
- Kettle
- Reduced fire rate from 600 to 450.
- “The previous fire rate was only realistically reachable by players using macros, which creates an unfair dynamic that favors using third party software,” Embark Studios says.
- Reduced fire rate from 600 to 450.
- Trigger ‘Nade
- Damage falloff has been rebalanced to concentrate the damage closer to the center of the explosion and deal less damage further away.
- Delay between triggering the grenade and it detonating has been increased from 0.7s to 1.5s.
- “Trigger ‘Nade currently dominates PVP encounters, and players favor picking it over all our other grenades,” said Embark. “This aims to make it less usable as a ‘trigger-in-air’ grenade while keeping its usefulness as a sticky bomb.”
- Fixed a key card exploit that allowed players to keep room keys after using them.
- Lighting has been lowered in some areas on Stella Montis Night Raid, making flashlights and listening more relevant.
Will the Kettle Rifle Still Be Viable?
The reduced fire rate on the Kettle definitely stings. It’s like taking a sledgehammer to a mosquito. The change is intended to level the playing field, stopping the use of macros that gave some players an unfair advantage. But the real question now is: will the Kettle become a relic, or will players adapt and find new ways to make it sing?
How Will the Trigger ‘Nade Changes Impact Gameplay?
That Trigger ‘Nade nerf… ouch. Increasing the delay and tweaking the damage falloff changes its utility completely. No more easy, mid-air detonations to clear a room; you’ll have to be far more strategic with its placement. If the Kettle nerf was a sledgehammer, this is a scalpel. What new grenade tactics will emerge in its place?
What Other Changes Should I Expect?
Beyond the weapon tweaks, the update also tackles a key card exploit. Good riddance. This sort of fix is the bare minimum for keeping your gameplay above board. Moreover, the adjustments to lighting in Stella Montis Night Raid should shake up the visual dynamics, encouraging players to use stealth.
As of today, the update is live. Time to download and revisit the Topside.
To celebrate surpassing 12 million copies sold in just over two months since release, Embark is giving away the Gilded Pickaxe Raider Tool to everyone who has played since launch.
With these changes implemented, will ARC Raiders find a new balance, or will a different weapon rise to take the throne?