Patch 1.29.0 went live this morning. The update introduces the new trader Ermal, a grenade launcher sidearm called the Rascal, and a reversal of durability changes that raiders had been calling out.
We will continue to listen to your feedback and monitor for any pain points that come up around durability in the coming weeks, and continue to adjust accordingly.
Embark Studios
I’m sleep deprived right now and thought I must have been hallucinating, but no, they really did it.
a raider after the update
Ermal, a Nomadic Envoy, has set up camp in Speranza. Raiders at level 25 can barter ARC components and rare weapons for expanded stash space and an expedition vault. The vault holds up to five items you can retrieve after a run. Ermal's stock rotates weekly: blueprints, cosmetics, Raider Tokens. The first week offers one stash expansion and five vault slots. Field chatter suggests the trades require items like Queen reactors and Matriarch reactors, valued at 200,000 or more. A Tempest blueprint reportedly costs one million tokens' worth of gear.
Launcher render from patch 1.29
The Rascal is a lightweight launcher. It fires anti-ARC grenades, reloads slowly, and its aim is described as unreliable. Embark calls it a sidearm that lets you pack firepower without carrying a Hullcracker. The render shows a crude, brass-barreled pistol with a wooden grip, labeled 'Fire Break Reload.'
Nomadic Envoy trader arrival in Speranza
The durability changes from the April patch have been partially walked back. Embark said some weapons were breaking too quickly and increased their lifetimes. The Renegade saw a 54% boost to Tier 1 durability, according to one analysis.
Denuvo Anti-Cheat is rolling out, initially to a limited pool. Embark stressed that no DRM component is included, only the anti-cheat layer. The studio already uses it in The Finals.
Other changes: Photoelectric Cloak power cost halved from 10 to 5 per second. Bettina fire rate up from 235 to 250. Tactical Mk.3 (Healing) now triggers an AoE heal, Cloud of Renewal, after revival. Combat Mk.3 (Flanking) accepts Medium Shields. ARC perception improved: vision through bushes and smoke is more granular, and indoor sound sensitivity reduced. Queen and Matriarch step over obstacles more often.
Raider on the Surface near a downed ARC
Raider reaction has been largely positive. The BBS lit up with raiders calculating the exchange rates and debating the most efficient ARC hunts. One player, still groggy, doubted the durability fix was real until logging in.
Season 4 quietly extended two weeks, a detail absent from the patch notes. The end date moved from June 22 to July 7, with two new trial weeks inserted before the expedition window opens.
The patch is live. Ermal is in Speranza. Durability matters less than it did last week.
Update 1.29 New Trader and CosmeticsMAY 20, 2026
Patch 1.29.0 Lands with a New Trader, a Pocket Launcher, and the Durability Fix Raiders Demanded
The Nomadic Envoy sets up shop in Speranza. Weapon durability walks back. Denuvo anti-cheat begins rollout.
Patch 1.29.0 went live this morning. The update introduces the new trader Ermal, a grenade launcher sidearm called the Rascal, and a reversal of durability changes that raiders had been calling out.
We will continue to listen to your feedback and monitor for any pain points that come up around durability in the coming weeks, and continue to adjust accordingly.
Embark Studios
I’m sleep deprived right now and thought I must have been hallucinating, but no, they really did it.
a raider after the update
Ermal, a Nomadic Envoy, has set up camp in Speranza. Raiders at level 25 can barter ARC components and rare weapons for expanded stash space and an expedition vault. The vault holds up to five items you can retrieve after a run. Ermal's stock rotates weekly: blueprints, cosmetics, Raider Tokens. The first week offers one stash expansion and five vault slots. Field chatter suggests the trades require items like Queen reactors and Matriarch reactors, valued at 200,000 or more. A Tempest blueprint reportedly costs one million tokens' worth of gear.
Launcher render from patch 1.29
The Rascal is a lightweight launcher. It fires anti-ARC grenades, reloads slowly, and its aim is described as unreliable. Embark calls it a sidearm that lets you pack firepower without carrying a Hullcracker. The render shows a crude, brass-barreled pistol with a wooden grip, labeled 'Fire Break Reload.'
Nomadic Envoy trader arrival in Speranza
The durability changes from the April patch have been partially walked back. Embark said some weapons were breaking too quickly and increased their lifetimes. The Renegade saw a 54% boost to Tier 1 durability, according to one analysis.
Denuvo Anti-Cheat is rolling out, initially to a limited pool. Embark stressed that no DRM component is included, only the anti-cheat layer. The studio already uses it in The Finals.
Other changes: Photoelectric Cloak power cost halved from 10 to 5 per second. Bettina fire rate up from 235 to 250. Tactical Mk.3 (Healing) now triggers an AoE heal, Cloud of Renewal, after revival. Combat Mk.3 (Flanking) accepts Medium Shields. ARC perception improved: vision through bushes and smoke is more granular, and indoor sound sensitivity reduced. Queen and Matriarch step over obstacles more often.
Raider on the Surface near a downed ARC
Raider reaction has been largely positive. The BBS lit up with raiders calculating the exchange rates and debating the most efficient ARC hunts. One player, still groggy, doubted the durability fix was real until logging in.
Season 4 quietly extended two weeks, a detail absent from the patch notes. The end date moved from June 22 to July 7, with two new trial weeks inserted before the expedition window opens.
The patch is live. Ermal is in Speranza. Durability matters less than it did last week.
