Every new weapon arrives with guesswork and a pile of recycled preview text. The Arc Raiders Stiletto is no exception:
Embark has described its role, but damage numbers and crafting costs are still thin. This guide separates what is confirmed from what is not, so you know what to expect before you spend materials on it.
Table of Contents
What Is the Arc Raiders Stiletto?
The Stiletto is a light-ammo battle rifle added with the Frozen Trail update on October 8, 2026.
Embark’s launch patch notes list it as one of two new weapons, alongside the Bantam. Our Frozen Trail update guide covers the rest of the patch.
Embark’s Frozen Trail First Look calls it an early-game alternative to the Renegade.
It is described as cheap to craft and easy to wield.
The target user is a Raider with a steady shot who wants to attack from distance.
Confirmed Stiletto Specs
The only public stat sheet at launch is the ARC Raiders Wiki’s Stiletto page, which was still a stub when last edited on October 7.
Renegade figures come from the wiki’s Renegade page, last edited September 25. The Frozen Trail patch notes list no Renegade changes.
| Stat | Stiletto | Renegade (reference) |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon type | Battle rifle | Battle rifle |
| Ammo | Light | Medium |
| Firing mode | Semi-automatic | Lever-action |
| Rarity | Uncommon | Rare |
| Magazine size | 16 | 8 |
| ARC armor penetration | Weak | Moderate |
| Weight | 7 | 10 |
| Mod slots | Muzzle, underbarrel, stock | Muzzle, medium mag, stock |
| Damage | Not published | 35 |
| Fire rate | Not published | 21 |
| Range | Not published | 68.8 |
| Durability | Not published | 269 to 384 shots by level |
The wiki describes the Stiletto as accurate with good handling and low starting recoil, but harder to control during sustained fire.
Treat every Stiletto number here as early data.
How the Stiletto Plays
For hands-on impressions from preview sessions, see our new weapons guide. The Stiletto was tested on Pendola Pass, where 20 to 30 meter fights are common.
Embark’s own guidance is short: fire rate can be fast, but button mashing sacrifices accuracy.
The wiki’s description points the same way. Recoil starts low, but handling gets harder under sustained fire.
Based on those two descriptions, the rifle rewards a steady rhythm over spam.
Taps at a controlled pace should keep shots on target when you fight from a distance.
The wiki lists three mod slots: muzzle, underbarrel and stock. No attachment rankings were published at launch.
Stiletto vs Renegade
Embark frames the Stiletto as an alternative to the Renegade.
The differences that are confirmed:
- Ammo: light for the Stiletto, medium for the Renegade.
- Rarity: Uncommon against Rare, per the wiki.
- Magazine: 16 rounds against 8.
- ARC armor penetration: weak against moderate.
The Renegade’s wiki page says it does poorly against heavily armored ARC such as Bastions. A weaker penetration rating on the Stiletto points the same direction.
Verdict on armor: expect the Stiletto to be the worse tool against heavy ARC.
Verdict on damage: none yet, because the Stiletto’s damage is unpublished.
For scale, the wiki lists the Renegade’s crafting recipe as 2 Advanced Mechanical Components, 3 Medium Gun Parts and 5 Oil at Gunsmith 3 (see our workbench upgrade guide). That is the bar “cheap to craft” is being measured against. The Stiletto recipe is not public.
How to Get the Stiletto
Embark says the Stiletto is cheap to craft. That points to a crafting route.
The blueprint source, workbench level and material list were not published in the patch notes or the wiki stub on launch day.
Until they are:
- Open the crafting list at your Gunsmith and look for the Stiletto.
- Note the workbench level and materials it shows.
- Compare against the wiki once the Stiletto page gets a crafting table.
Our crafting guide explains how recipes work. Do not confuse this with Amplified Weapons. Embark ties that system to the fully upgraded Research Workstation in the new Outpost, and it has not said the Stiletto needs it.
What Is Still Unknown
- Damage, fire rate and range values.
- The blueprint source and the crafting recipe.
- Durability in shots.
- Whether the Stiletto is one of the 15 weapons that support amplification.
- How it performs in PvP and against ARC in real raids.
- Which attachments suit it best. Our weapon mod guide covers the existing system.
Expect this list to shrink as the wiki and patch notes fill in. Until then, our best weapons guide and budget loadout show what else fits an early-game kit.
Key Takeaways
- The Stiletto is a light-ammo battle rifle that arrived with Frozen Trail on October 8, 2026.
- Embark calls it a cheap, easy early-game alternative to the Renegade.
- The wiki lists it as Uncommon, semi-automatic, 16 rounds, weak ARC armor penetration.
- Button mashing costs accuracy. Controlled fire is the intended style.
- Damage, blueprint source and crafting costs were not public on launch day.
- Expect it to struggle against heavily armored ARC.
FAQ
What is the Stiletto in Arc Raiders?
The Stiletto is a light-ammo battle rifle added with the Frozen Trail update. Embark positions it as an early-game alternative to the Renegade. It is described as cheap to craft and easy to use, built for steady shooting from a distance. The ARC Raiders Wiki lists it as a semi-automatic rifle.
When did the Stiletto come out?
The Stiletto launched on October 8, 2026 with the Frozen Trail update. Embark’s launch patch notes list it as one of two new weapons, alongside the Bantam. Embark first previewed it on September 23, 2026.
What ammo does the Stiletto use?
The Stiletto uses light ammo. The Renegade it is meant to stand in for uses medium ammo, so the two draw on different ammo types. Embark has not published an ammo cost comparison between them.
How much damage does the Stiletto do?
Damage is not published in the Embark sources or the ARC Raiders Wiki stub checked on October 8, 2026. The wiki lists a 16-round magazine and weak ARC armor penetration, but no damage value. For reference, the wiki lists the Renegade at 35 damage.
Is the Stiletto better than the Renegade?
Embark does not pitch it as better. It calls the Stiletto an early-game alternative, while the wiki lists the Renegade as a Rare weapon with moderate ARC armor penetration. The Stiletto holds 16 rounds against the Renegade’s 8, but without damage numbers there is no head-to-head verdict yet.
How do you get the Stiletto?
Embark says the Stiletto is cheap to craft, which points to a crafting route. The blueprint source, workbench level and materials were not published in the patch notes or the wiki stub on October 8, 2026. Check your crafting menu in game, then compare it against the wiki once the page is filled in.
Is the Stiletto good against ARC?
The wiki lists weak ARC armor penetration for the Stiletto. Its Renegade page says the moderately rated Renegade struggles against heavily armored ARC such as Bastions. That points to the Stiletto being a poor pick against heavy armor, though no in-game testing data is published yet.
What rarity is the Stiletto?
The ARC Raiders Wiki lists the Stiletto as Uncommon. Embark’s patch notes do not state its rarity, although they call the Bantam the uncommon hand cannon. Treat the Stiletto’s rarity as unconfirmed until it is checked in game.
Can I try the Stiletto for free?
Embark announced a free play period from October 8 to 12. It runs alongside the Frozen Trail launch. Embark has not published, in the sources checked, how weapon crafting applies to free-play accounts.
Does the Stiletto work with Amplified Weapons?
That is unconfirmed. Embark says amplification adds a fifth quality level to 15 weapons at launch, but the sources checked do not list which 15. Amplification also requires the fully upgraded Research Workstation in the Outpost.
