The ARC Raiders Headwinds update, also referred to as the January update, has officially gone live. While initially positioned as a relatively light patch ahead of February's larger content update, Headwinds delivers far more than expected. Beneath its headline features lies a wide range of gameplay adjustments, new progression systems, augments, quests, and quality-of-life improvements that meaningfully impact the day-to-day ARC Raiders Materials experience.
Here's a full breakdown of everything included in the Headwinds update.
Solos vs Squads Matchmaking: High Risk, High Reward
One of the headline features of the update is a new Solos vs Squads matchmaking condition, a surprising addition given how punishing solo play can be in ARC Raiders.
Key details:
Available only to level 40+ players
Solo players are placed into squad matchmaking queues
Grants a 20% XP bonus, regardless of extraction success or failure
While solo players remain at a natural disadvantage, the flat XP bonus makes this mode attractive for fast leveling or passive progression. Since the bonus is performance-based rather than combat-dependent, players can avoid fights entirely or aggressively hunt squads depending on playstyle. Though niche, the system offers a flexible risk–reward option that could be especially appealing in calmer trio lobbies.
Trophy Display Project: Long-Term Progression with Big Rewards
The new Trophy Display Project introduces a permanent, long-term progression system that tasks players with hunting increasingly dangerous ARC groups and submitting their parts.
Highlights include:
A multi-stage display case upgrade path (five steps)
Rewards such as blueprints, Raider Tokens, and currency
Full completion rewards:
A new emote
A Jupiter weapon with ammo
A guitar decoration
300,000 coins
Notably, the project has no fixed end date and will not reset with future expeditions, giving players plenty of time to complete it at their own pace.
Bird City: New Buried City Map Condition
A new permanent map condition called Bird City has been added to Buried City and rotates into the weekly map cycle.
What changes:
Flocks of birds nest in chimneys across rooftops
Nests may contain shiny loot items
Increased rooftop combat
More flying ARC enemies
Additional bird traps and zip lines
While visually interesting, the eight-hour rotation timing has raised questions, as it makes the condition relatively infrequent despite being a major update feature.
Sand Walker Cosmetic Set
The Sand Walker skin set is now available for 1,300 Raider Tokens, featuring:
Uniform with variants
Face paint
Emote
It's the primary cosmetic addition tied to the Headwinds update.
New Epic Augments: Mark III Arrives
Two powerful Mark III epic augments have been introduced, both available exclusively through blueprints.
Safekeeper Mark III (Looting Augment)
Allows any item, including weapons and shields, to be stored in safe pockets
Reduced inventory capacity and fewer safe pocket slots
Compatible with heavy shields (a first for looting augments)
This augment fundamentally changes loot security, making it possible to protect high-value weapons extracted from enemy players or cases.
Tactical Revival Mark III
Passive healing: restores 1 HP every 5 seconds
Healing pauses for 30 seconds after taking damage
Reduced inventory space
Two safe pockets
Limited to Tier 1 shields
This augment favors survivability and sustained play but requires sacrificing loot potential.
New Quests Added
The update adds seven new quests, including:
Two available immediately
Five unlocked through quest progression
One confirmed six-part quest chain
More quest guides are expected as players progress through them.
Major Quality-of-Life Improvements
Party and Squad Enhancements
Open Party option allows friends to join without invites
Squad members can now invite players, not just the party leader
Stream Sniping Protection
Optional matchmaking delay added for content creators
Gamepad Rebinding
Freebinding for most controller buttons now supported
Bug Fixes
Stella Montis Seed Vault extract exploit fixed
Over 40 stuck locations corrected
Improved wall damage mitigation
Achievement fixes
Loot and Economy Adjustments
Several notable loot changes were introduced:
Improved
Higher-tier weapons more likely in weapon cases
Reduced
Condition-specific blueprint spawns during:
Electromagnetic storms
Hidden bunkers
Locked gates
Controversial Changes
Lower drop rates for Matriarch and Queen unique parts
Potentially discourages boss attempts and may increase griefing
These changes aim to push players toward engaging directly with event locations, though early reactions are mixed.
Stealth Changes and Unlisted Adjustments
Players have already discovered several undocumented changes:
New rubber duck variants (Doodly Duck, Flashy Duck)
Ducks sell for more currency and work as den decorations
Looting speed appears slightly slower overall
Fire rate reductions to the Kettle Beretta and Venador
Raider hatches animation fixed (no more sliding glitches)
Updated Anti-Cheat System: Progressive Bans
The anti-cheat system now uses a three-strike ban structure:
30-day ban
60-day ban
Permanent ban
While designed to reduce false positives, this change has sparked debate. Some players feel repeat offenders should be removed immediately, especially if the anti-cheat system is reliable.
Final Thoughts
The Headwinds update is far more substantial than initially advertised. Between matchmaking modifiers, permanent progression systems, new augments, loot rebalancing, QoL upgrades, and anti-cheat changes, it meaningfully reshapes how ARC Raiders BluePrints plays on a daily basis.
While some balance and loot decisions remain controversial, Headwinds lays strong groundwork ahead of February's larger content update—and proves ARC Raiders continues to evolve in depth and complexity.