Arc Raiders peaks at 166,670 concurrent PC players after Frozen Trail update
Arc Raiders hit 166,670 concurrent PC players after the Frozen Trail/2.0 update and a free weekend, according to IGN.
- The surge followed the Frozen Trail/2.0 update on 8 October 2026 and a free weekend running at the same time.
- Another source cites a 24-hour Steam peak of 185,443 players for the same period; the measurement method is not explained in the same way.
What happened
According to IGN, Arc Raiders saw a strong rebound in player numbers after the Frozen Trail/2.0 update. The site reported on 10 October 2026 that the game reached 166,670 concurrent PC players, its highest level in seven months. IGN linked the increase to a combination of new content and a free weekend, without pointing to a single decisive cause.
The update arrived on 8 October 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Coverage mentions a new grappling hook and a new map. In social posts from the source set, the grapple mechanic is described as a way to “swing like Spider-Man,” but that is a community description rather than an official name from Embark Studios.
The available sources also show that the figures are not presented the same way everywhere. Alongside the IGN report, another publication cites a 24-hour Steam peak of 185,443 players after Frozen Trail. Because this comes from a different source and may use a different measurement method or time window, the numbers are not directly comparable.
Timeline
July 2026: according to IGN, Arc Raiders struggled to stay above 35,000 concurrent players on PC.
September 2026: IGN says Steam numbers fell back to around 10,000 concurrent players.
8 October 2026: the Frozen Trail/2.0 update launched on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
8 to 12 October 2026: a free weekend ran alongside the update.
9 October 2026: social posts in the source set shared clips of the new grapple mechanic and compared it to Spider-Man-like movement.
10 October 2026: IGN reported 166,670 concurrent PC players at the time of publication.
October 2026: another source cited a 24-hour Steam peak of 185,443 players after Frozen Trail.
Background
The coverage ties the rebound to several factors at once: the Frozen Trail update, the free weekend and attention around the new grapple mechanic. The sources do not make clear which element mattered most, so it is safer to describe the rise as a combined effect.
The historical numbers also need some context. IGN cites nearly 500,000 concurrent players on Steam as an earlier reference point, while the recent drop to around 10,000 in September shows how much interest had cooled before the update. The source set also references SteamDB for player charts, but does not provide a full technical explanation of the measurement method.
Related GAME-scanner articles
- Arc Raiders climbs to No. 5 on Steam after Frozen Trail and 106,000 concurrent players
- Steam free weekend with ARC Raiders, Core Keeper and Squad 44 from 8 to 12 October 2026
Sources
- IGN: Arc Raiders' 2.0 Update and 'Spider-Man' Grappling Hook Drive Player Count to Reach 7-Month High
- SteamDB: ARC Raiders · SteamDB
- Twitter/X: @ArcRaiderAlerts
- Twitter/X: @ArcRaidersNow