ARC Raiders Reward Pass: Does Premium Pay for Itself?

The ARC Raiders reward pass replaces Raider Decks on October 8 with a free track, a paid Premium track and a Legacy Pass for your old unlocks.

Premium costs 1,150 Raider Tokens, and Embark says finishing the pass pays that price back.

We broke down what each track includes, what the token math really says, and what Embark hasn’t confirmed yet.

Table of Contents

• What Is the ARC Raiders Reward Pass?
• Why Did Embark Replace Raider Decks?
• ARC Raiders Reward Pass: Free vs Premium
• Does the Premium Pass Pay for Itself?
• What Happens to Your Old Raider Decks?
• What Is in the Frozen Trail Collector Set?
• Which Outfits Has Embark Shown for the Pass?
• Should You Buy the Premium Pass?
• What Embark Hasn’t Confirmed Yet
• Key Takeaways
• FAQ

What Is the ARC Raiders Reward Pass?

The ARC Raiders reward pass is a progression system where you complete Feats to unlock outfits, cosmetic items, gadgets, weapons, items and Raider Tokens.

Embark calls it a natural evolution of Raider Decks. It launches with the Frozen Trail update on Thursday, October 8, 2026.

Each pass is tied to the update it ships with. Frozen Trail launches with two:

• The Frozen Trail Reward Pass, which has 60 levels and a Free and a Premium track
• The Legacy Reward Pass, for old Raider Deck rewards

Embark’s Reward Passes announcement says the design lets every player try the update’s new items, weapons and content just by playing.

Our take: this is how most live-service games run progression now, and Embark’s version is easy to follow.

Everything that affects gameplay sits on the free track, so we don’t see the paid track as a problem for the game.

Why Did Embark Replace Raider Decks?

Embark replaced Raider Decks because players stockpiled Cred faster than they could spend it.

When a new deck launched, many players finished it right away with saved Cred. That made the rewards feel smaller and left little reason to keep doing Feats.

We agree with that diagnosis. A reward track you can finish on launch day gives you little to chase, and a pass tied to each major update gives it a longer runway.

The switch also retires Cred. Embark’s Live Update 1.45.0 notes say:

• Cred stops being a currency
• Leftover Cred expires with the Frozen Trail update
• Rewards you already claimed stay yours

Spend what you have with Shani or on remaining Raider Deck rewards before October 8. See our Cred expiration guide for the details.

ARC Raiders Reward Pass: Free vs Premium

The Frozen Trail pass has 60 levels and two tracks.

The Free Pass comes with the game and holds every gameplay reward. The Premium Pass costs 1,150 Raider Tokens and adds cosmetics and more tokens.

The figures come from Embark’s First Look post, its Reward Passes announcement and the Steam listing for the Collector Set.

What the Free Pass Includes

The Free Pass includes the new base outfits, new weapons, gadgets and other items, and up to 200 Raider Tokens.

Embark’s First Look counts five new outfits and 20 cosmetic items. You progress the pass by completing Feats.

Our best weapons guide covers how the existing guns compare while you wait for the new ones.

What the Premium Pass Adds

The Premium Pass adds premium toggles, modifications and colorways for the new outfits. It also adds exclusive legendary weapon stencils, hairstyles and up to 1,150 Raider Tokens.

The Steam listing counts up to 50 additional rewards on this track.

It contains no weapons or gadgets. Weapon stencils change how a gun looks and leave its stats alone, according to Embark’s press release as reported by GamesRadar.

Executive producer Aleksander Grøndal told the same outlet the premium path is “purely cosmetics and things that make you look different.”

Does the Premium Pass Pay for Itself?

Yes, if you finish all 60 levels. Embark’s numbers add up to a net gain of 200 Raider Tokens.

Premium costs 1,150 and returns up to 1,150, while the Free Pass returns up to 200.

Embark’s announcement states that completing Premium earns back the currency it costs. GamesRadar reports the same 1,350-token total across both tracks.

This is the loop we find most interesting. Buy Premium once, finish it, keep the tokens, and the next Premium Pass is paid for.

Taken at face value, only the first pass costs you anything.

That loop rests on three conditions:

• You have to finish every level
• You have to keep the tokens instead of spending them elsewhere
• The next pass has to cost the same

Embark hasn’t said how much Feat progress each level needs, so we can’t tell you how long a full run takes. GamesRadar also notes that it’s unclear if or when a pass expires.

What Happens to Your Old Raider Decks?

Your old Raider Deck rewards move into the Legacy Reward Pass, which is free for every Raider.

It combines the cosmetic rewards and Raider Tokens from the old decks into one track, so anything you already earned stays unlocked.

Leveling the Legacy Pass earns the rewards you missed. That includes tokens you never reached in the old decks, so we’d check the Legacy Pass first.

Players who joined recently get a way to catch up on decks that launched before they started. If you’re new to the game, our ARC Raiders beginner guide covers the basics.

What Is in the Frozen Trail Collector Set?

The Frozen Trail Collector Set is a paid DLC that bundles Premium Pass access, the Renzo outfit and 2,400 Raider Tokens, plus several smaller items.

Embark says it is also the only way to get a blueprint for the new Banjo.

According to the Steam listing, the set contains:

• Access to the Frozen Trail Reward Pass Premium Track
• Renzo outfit in Gold, Green, Black Silver and Ice Blue
• Renzo Helm Scrappy cosmetic
• Bob hairstyle
• Dragon’s Breath weapon stencil
• Scasso Raider tool
• Renegade Censer backpack attachment
• Kabuki Face Paint
• Retro Sofa Outpost furniture recipe
• Banjo blueprint
• 2,400 Raider Tokens

The set requires the base game and releases on October 8. The Steam page showed no price when we checked on October 1.

Our take: the set looks good, and the Renzo outfit stood out in the bundle art.

Locking the Banjo blueprint behind a bundle is the part we like least. We’d rather see a second route, such as a rare raid find, but Embark’s announcement describes the bundle as the only way.

An instrument won’t change anyone’s raid, so it’s a small complaint. As things stand, though, anyone you hear playing a Banjo bought the set.

For the standard routes to other blueprints, see our how to get blueprints guide.

We’d compare the Collector Set to Call of Duty’s BlackCell: the all-in bundle for players who want everything on day one.

Which Outfits Has Embark Shown for the Pass?

Embark’s preview images show five outfits: Ice Giant, Caposta, Carriga, Deadwire and Banshee. The Collector Set adds the Renzo outfit on top of those.

Deadwire is our favorite of the group. Ice Giant fits the frozen theme of the update, and Carriga also looks good to us.

The names come from preview images as labeled by community trackers, so treat the spellings as provisional until October 8.

Embark says the Free Pass holds all the new base outfits and Premium adds toggles and colorways for them, so the images may show base or premium versions.

Should You Buy the Premium Pass?

Buy the Premium Pass if you want the cosmetics and expect to finish all 60 levels. Skip it if you only care about gameplay rewards, since weapons and gadgets sit on the free track.

• You only care about gear: the Free Pass holds the weapons, gadgets and items, so Premium adds nothing you need.
• You play often and like cosmetics: Premium costs 1,150 tokens and returns up to 1,150 plus the 200 free tokens, so a full run leaves you ahead.
• You want everything on day one: the Collector Set bundles Premium access, the Renzo set, the Banjo blueprint and 2,400 tokens.

Our own read is that the self-funding loop is the strongest argument for Premium, and it only works if you actually finish the pass.

What Embark Hasn’t Confirmed Yet

Several details will only be clear once Frozen Trail is live:

• How much Feat progress each of the 60 levels needs, and how long a full run takes
• Whether a pass expires, and when
• The complete list of rewards at each level
• The Collector Set price
• The date of the next major update, and with it the next pass

If you want a calmer way to grind Feats, the PvE toggle test runs October 13-20 and removes player damage entirely.

Key Takeaways

• The reward pass replaces Raider Decks with the Frozen Trail update on October 8, 2026.
• The Frozen Trail pass has 60 levels, progressed by completing Feats.
• The Free Pass holds all gameplay rewards: weapons, gadgets and items.
• Premium costs 1,150 Raider Tokens and is cosmetic-only.
• A full pass returns 1,350 tokens, a net gain of 200 over the Premium price.
• Legacy Pass is free and keeps your old Raider Deck rewards.
• Cred expires with the update, so spend it before October 8.
• The Collector Set is the only way to get the Banjo blueprint.

FAQ

When does the ARC Raiders reward pass come out?

The ARC Raiders reward pass launches on Thursday, October 8, 2026, with the Frozen Trail update.

Embark’s store update confirms the date and says there is no update the Tuesday before it. Embark hasn’t published an exact launch time.

How many levels does the reward pass have?

The Frozen Trail Reward Pass has 60 levels. Both the Free and Premium tracks run along those same 60 levels.

Embark hasn’t published how much progress each level needs.

Is the ARC Raiders reward pass free?

The Free Pass is free for everyone who owns ARC Raiders. It includes the new base outfits, weapons, gadgets and up to 200 Raider Tokens.

The Premium Pass is an optional paid track on top of it.

How much does the Premium Reward Pass cost?

The Premium Reward Pass costs 1,150 Raider Tokens through the in-game store. You also get it with the Frozen Trail Collector Set.

Embark prices the pass in tokens, and we haven’t seen a real-money price from Embark.

Does the Premium Pass give a gameplay advantage?

No. Embark says the Premium Pass doesn’t contain items that benefit gameplay, such as weapons or gadgets.

Those sit on the Free Pass, and the executive producer called the premium path purely cosmetic.

Can the Premium Pass pay for the next one?

Yes, on Embark’s numbers. A full pass returns up to 1,350 Raider Tokens across both tracks, and Premium costs 1,150.

That only holds if you finish every level, keep the tokens and the next pass costs the same.

What happens to my old Raider Decks?

Your Raider Deck rewards move into the free Legacy Reward Pass. Rewards you already earned stay unlocked.

Leveling the Legacy Pass earns the ones you missed, including old Raider Tokens.

What happens to my Cred?

Cred is being retired. Embark says leftover Cred expires with the Frozen Trail update on October 8, and you keep rewards you already claimed.

Spend it with Shani or on remaining Raider Deck rewards before then.

How do you level up the reward pass?

You level the reward pass by completing Feats. Embark describes the pass as a mechanic where completing Feats unlocks rewards.

The exact amount of progress per level hasn’t been announced.

What is in the Frozen Trail Collector Set?

The Collector Set includes Premium Pass access, the Renzo outfit in four colors, the Bob hairstyle and the Dragon’s Breath weapon stencil.

It also adds the Scasso tool, Renegade Censer, Kabuki Face Paint, a Retro Sofa recipe, the Banjo blueprint and 2,400 Raider Tokens. Steam showed no price when we checked.

Does the reward pass expire?

Embark hasn’t confirmed whether or when a reward pass expires. GamesRadar flagged the same open question.

Until Embark says otherwise, we’d assume you should finish the pass while it’s current. The Legacy Pass is the one track Embark describes as keeping old rewards available.