Arc Raiders just got its fourth monthly update, Riven Tides, roughly a week ago, with many players praising the new coastal map. The update brought back some players who had left the game, but it remains to be seen whether Arc Raiders can retain them this time. The update wasn’t just new content and changes, as a new bug has also made its way into Arc Raiders. Here’s everything about whether Riven Tides broke crossplay on Arc Raiders, and what Embark Studios did to fix the issue.
Did Riven Tides Break Arc Raiders’ Crossplay?
Yes, the latest Arc Raiders update, Riven Tides, reportedly broke the game’s crossplay feature. Reports started coming in as soon as the update was launched, with many players complaining that crossplay matchmaking between PC, PS5, and Xbox X/S wasn’t working. Players reported that the crossplay option was disabled, and there was no way to turn it back on. Some players shared that their crossplay feature was enabled, but according to reports, the functionality was broken universally.
Embark Studios was quick to release a statement, confirming it was investigating the issue. The developer had shared a temporary fix, where players could reset all settings to enable crossplay. However, many players were wary about resetting, as that would force them to modify their settings again.
Embark Studios Released Arc Raiders Hotfix for Crossplay Bug
The Arc Raiders 1.26.1 hotfix was released shortly after Embark’s statement about investigating the crossplay bug. The hotfix was automatically installed for all players when they booted their game, and it fixed crossplay functionality for affected players. This wasn’t the only change in the patch, and there are more things that it fixes.
According to the patch notes, the hotfix also fixed more frequent causes for crashes on all platforms. This doesn’t mean that you won’t encounter any crashes in the game, but it may help with major crashes. The hotfix also fixed the issue where some backpacks didn’t have all their color variants available after the Riven Tides update. This patch allows players to use all the backpack cosmetics.
The hotfix was a minor patch for Arc Raiders, but reports suggest Embark is working on more substantial updates for the game.
Reaction to Riven Tides Update
Riven Tides launched to mixed reactions among fans, with some liking the new map and harder ARC enemy. However, others criticized the weapon durability change, claiming that Embark was making the game more tedious. Some players even joked that Embark saw that players were enjoying the game, so they ruined the fun. Weapon nerfs were the biggest complaints, with many calling for Embark to revert the changes.
Embark had touted Riven Tides to be the biggest update for the game since Arc Raiders’ October 2025 launch, but it failed to become a hit. According to some reports, Steam reviews also shifted negatively after the launch of the new update, with there being 364 negative reviews compared to 221 positive ones. This trend changed in May, and the game has since maintained a positive overall rating.
Will Riven Tides Help with Arc Raiders’ Player Count Drop?
The Riven Tides update caused a short spike in players, but this was mainly those who wanted to see the changes and additions. The player count growth was temporary and waned after just a couple of days. Players talked about it on social forums, with many saying they returned to see if the update fixed things, but left disappointed.
Streamer Ninja, who was one of the largest creators to promote the game, also returned from his break to test the Riven Tides update. Unfortunately, he lasted roughly three hours, returning to his indefinite break. The streamer blamed it on cheaters and stream snipers, stating that the game may be good for normal players, but isn’t playable by streamers.
What Embark Has Planned for Arc Raiders’ Future
The Riven Tides update was the fourth and final update in the Escalation roadmap. Each update was released monthly, with new content, including map conditions, player projects, enemies, and more. Riven Tides was the first update to include a new map, which was Arc Raiders’ first new map since Stella Montis.
Embark has acknowledged that Arc Raiders is lacking in some departments, such as progression and skill design. The developer has also hinted that players will see substantial balance and system changes in the future.
Players are hopeful that Embark’s consistent support of the game may fix things, but many want to know what the developer will do about cheaters. While not the only reason for players leaving the game, cheaters are a big concern in the community, with even top streamers listing them as a huge problem. Riven Tides has effectively ended the Escalation updates, and fans are looking forward to what Embark can cook up now.
