ARC Raiders update adds a useful backpack light toggle

ARC Raiders’ Frozen Trail 2.0 update adds a small but useful stealth option: players can now switch off the light sources on compatible backpacks. The Emissive Toggle is tucked inside a much larger update that also adds a new map, enemies, weapons, a revamped skill tree and a new Reward Pass system.¹

A quieter way to carry your loot

The official patch notes describe the change plainly: backpacks with light sources now have an Emissive Toggle, letting players turn those lights off when they want to go into stealth mode.¹ That matters in a game where visibility can give away a Raider’s position while they are moving through a dangerous area or carrying valuable loot.

This is not a new stealth system or a replacement for careful movement. It is a quality-of-life option that removes one unnecessary source of visibility. Players can still make noise, expose themselves in the open or attract attention in plenty of other ways, but the backpack light no longer has to be part of the problem.

Frozen Trail is a substantial update

The backpack toggle is one line in the Frozen Trail 2.0 patch notes, but it arrives alongside a sizeable set of changes. The update introduces Pendola Pass, new map conditions, the Bully, Skulker and Hydra enemies, and the Bantam and Stiletto weapons.¹

Embark Studios has also reworked the Raider Skill Tree. Several choices are now more deliberately focused on building a playstyle, including binary choices in the middle of branches and larger end-of-branch decisions where players select from three skills.¹ The update also adds the Outpost, a Research Bench, new quests, Weapon Stencils and a Reward Pass system that replaces Cred with Reward Points.

For players who prefer longer-term progression, the new system adds a Frozen Trail Pass with free and premium tracks, while existing Raider Decks move into a Legacy Pass. That gives the update a much larger impact than the backpack setting alone, even if the toggle may be the change players notice during every raid.

Why the toggle is worth noticing

Extraction shooters are built around risk, information and the possibility of losing what you carry. A backpack light that cannot be disabled can make a player visible for reasons unrelated to their tactical decision-making. Giving players control over it does not make ARC Raiders easier in any dramatic sense; it simply means visibility can be managed more intentionally.

The change is also a good example of why quality-of-life fixes matter. New maps and weapons are the obvious headline features, but small interface and equipment improvements can affect every session. The Emissive Toggle should be especially welcome to players who already prefer avoiding unnecessary fights, rather than relying on firepower to solve every encounter.

Our opinion

ARC Raiders’ backpack-light toggle is not the star of Frozen Trail 2.0, but it is exactly the kind of low-key improvement that can make a live-service game feel more considered. It gives players a clear choice, solves an irritating visibility problem and does not ask them to learn another complicated system. The larger update has more content to explore, but this tiny switch may be one of its most immediately practical additions.

ARC Raiders is available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Emissive Toggle is part of the Frozen Trail 2.0 update, which went live on October 8, 2026.¹