ARC Raiders: Update 1.39.0 Changes Matchmaking and Brings New Bugfixes

Embark Studios continues to fine-tune things: Live Update 1.39.0 was released on July 28 for ARC Raiders, currently one of the most played extraction shooters out there. This time, the focus is less on new content and more on matchmaking balancing and some long-overdue bugfixes.

What's Changing with Update 1.39.0

We've summarized the most important points from the official patch notes for you:

• Defense encounters will now contribute significantly less to the matchmaking aggression rating than fights you initiate yourself.
• Enemy types Seeker and Wolfpack no longer deal inconsistent, sometimes excessive damage.
• Trinkets from the older Update 1.33.0 can now be stacked instead of only being worn individually.
• New “Dweller” outfit is now available in the store.
• Revised underwater footstep audio for better stealth feedback.
• Collision fixes on the Dam Battlegrounds and Buried City maps.
• General clean-up on UI and progression screens.

Why the Matchmaking Change is More Significant Than It Sounds

The new weighting for defense encounters is actually the most relevant change in the patch. Previously, players who merely defended themselves against aggressive opponents were ranked just as high in their aggression rating as players actively hunting other Raiders – and thus ended up in stronger lobbies, even though they just wanted to survive. For the community, which has been complaining about unfair matchmaking lobbies for weeks, this is a direct signal that Embark is listening. Whether it's enough to solve the fundamental problem will only become clear in the coming days once enough data from real matches is available.

ARC Raiders has been on the rise in player numbers for weeks: According to SteamDB, concurrent player counts have climbed by around 37 percent in the last 30 days. Frequent, granular updates like 1.39.0 are part of Embark's strategy to prevent the game from flattening out after the release hype – a pattern familiar from other extraction shooters, where the first few months after launch determine long-term success.

Source: ARC Raiders (official), MP1st

Are you already noticing the new matchmaking in your rounds? Let us know in the comments!