Players can now have Raider Dens all ducked out.
Arc Raiders players are waking up to a fresh round of balance tweaks, as Embark Studios rolls out an update aimed at calming one of the game’s most notorious weapons, while also granting fans a surprising quality-of-life upgrade involving hundreds of rubber ducks.
The studio has pushed live update 1.3.0, a patch filled with the usual stability adjustments and bug fixes, but two changes stand out. First is the long-expected adjustment to the Venator, a semi-automatic pistol that has dominated firefights to the point where even Embark now officially acknowledges that it has “been over-performing recently.”
The second is a light-hearted addition, responding to a community request that has sat near the top of the forums for weeks: the ability for players to properly show off their ever-expanding rubber duck collections inside their Raider Dens.
Venator finally reined in, as Embark issues balancing pass
Although Embark has spent the past few patches addressing matchmaking issues and cosmetics pricing, players have also been calling for a closer look at the Venator. Regarded as one of Arc Raiders’ strongest sidearms, the pistol’s blistering fire rate allowed it to shred entire groups at close range, giving even seasoned squads little room to react.
Embark now concedes that the weapon had reached the point where it was effectively “capable of outgunning full squads using close-range weapons,” a situation which the studio considers far from ideal for long-term balance.
Update 1.3.0 reduces the fire-rate bonuses gained through upgrades, slowing the weapon’s tempo without touching its core damage profile. According to the developers, the aim is to reward accuracy over rapid dumping of the magazine, pushing players to make more deliberate shots. Weight values have also been corrected, after the community noticed discrepancies with other pistols in the same class.
The ducks are getting more love
While the Venator changes may be the headline item for competitive players, the most cheerful addition comes in the form of much-improved duck display options. One player recently pleaded with Embark to let them showcase more than 600 rubber ducks they had accumulated, and the studio has now responded by giving Raider Dens “a full ducking makeover.”
The update expands how many decorative ducks can appear at once, ensuring that collectors can proudly exhibit their hoards without objects disappearing or clipping out of sight.
With the Venator toned down and Raider Dens now overflowing with ducks, Arc Raiders players have plenty to test out as the next round of updates approaches.
