New ARC Raiders patch nerfs the bejesus out of Hurricane caches – here’s what to expect

ARC Raiders devs have moved to quickly squash down the number of rare blueprints being doled out in hurricane caches.

Shrouded Sky dropped last week, so this is more of a hotfix-type patch to correct and rebalance issues that have arisen in the new content. So, while ot a huge update, there are some substantial changes included with the devs highlighting the reason for the nerf:

“The main reason for this change is that the First Wave Caches have been handing out a lot of blueprints, especially given how good players have been at tracking them down and looting them. To help balance that out, we’re bumping up the drop rates for higher-tier materials inside the caches. So while you might see a few fewer blueprints overall, you’ll be getting better materials in return. Caches will still be a solid way to find blueprints, just not to the point where you can reliably walk away from every session with 3–5 of them.”

With Marathon about to arrive any day now, you can see how the two compare while you are waiting for the patch to download.

Arc Raiders Patch Notes 1.18.0

Arc Raiders update 1.18.0 is a tidy but meaningful stability and balance patch, with Embark targeting a couple of exploits and smoothing out progression. The big fixes close loopholes that let players stash weapons, and even the Snaphook mid-use, in a safe pocket without the Safekeeper Augment.

Loot balance has also been adjusted on the Hurricane map condition, with First Wave Caches now dropping slightly fewer rare blueprints but more high-tier materials, a response to players farming blueprints a little too efficiently.

Elsewhere, there’s a hotfix for the Dam Controlled Access Zone, performance improvements tied to certain ARC encounters, and quest progression has been patched so “Worth Your Salt” can’t be blocked if another player completes it first.

A rare crash tied to the Player Proximity menu has also been resolved — so overall, less drama, fewer exploits, and a steadier Rust Belt.

Raiders!

There’s a new update rolling out right now. Restart your client to download.

• Fixed an exploit that allowed players to put weapons in a safe pocket without the Safekeeper Augment.
• Fixed an issue that allowed players to put the Snaphook into a safe pocket while in use.
• Lowered the drop rate of rare blueprints slightly and raised the drop rate for high tier materials in First Wave Caches on the Hurricane map condition.
  • Dev note: The main reason for this change is that the First Wave Caches have been handing out a lot of blueprints, especially given how good players have been at tracking them down and looting them. To help balance that out, we’re bumping up the drop rates for higher-tier materials inside the caches. So while you might see a few fewer blueprints overall, you’ll be getting better materials in return. Caches will still be a solid way to find blueprints, just not to the point where you can reliably walk away from every session with 3–5 of them.
• Added a very hot fix for the Dam Controlled Access Zone. 
• Fixed an issue where some ARC would occasionally cause performance drops.
• Fixed an issue where the final stage of the quest “Worth Your Salt” could not be completed if someone else had already done it in the same raid.
• Fixed a rare issue where players would crash when navigating to the Player Proximity menu.