Embark Studios Launches the First ARC Raiders Trials of 2026
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Embark Studios has released the first ARC Raiders Trials challenges of 2026, offering players new weekly objectives and loot tiers as Season 2 continues following the recent Expedition reset.
The new year is officially underway, and Embark Studios has rolled out the very first set of Trials challenges for ARC Raiders in 2026. Following the massive shift at the end of 2025 when players completed their first Expedition and experienced a full progression reset, Season 2 is now in full gear. These weekly objectives serve as a primary loop for players looking to secure gear before heading Topside, keeping the live service ecosystem fresh for veterans and newcomers alike who grabbed the title during recent winter sales.
For those jumping in, Trials function as rotating weekly tasks that challenge players with specific goals, such as hunting down particular ARC machine types, exploring designated zones, or interacting with items in the field. Players earn up to three stars per challenge by hitting score thresholds of 1000, 2500, and 4000 points in a single match, which translates directly into Uncommon, Rare, and Epic loot drops. While the community has occasionally pushed back against repetitive challenge structures, Embark has shown a willingness to experiment, recently introducing creative tasks like throwing snowballs at Rocketeers to inject some levity and extra challenge into the rotation.
Live service games live and die by how well they maintain player engagement between major content drops, and structured weekly objectives are a proven way to keep squads logging in. As ARC Raiders continues to build out its economy and player progression loops, keeping these challenges dynamic will be key to retaining both casual players and dedicated grinders. You can read the full breakdown of this week's specific objectives and completion strategies over at Game Rant.
Tags: ARC Raiders, Embark Studios, PC Gaming, Console Gaming, Live Service
Original article: Game Rant