April 28, 2026 is shaping up to be a big reset for ARC Raiders, and not in a small patch kind of way. Riven Tides looks set to change how people move, fight, and plan from the first minute of a run. The new map brings places like the Exodus Hotel, the Sea Wall, and the Customs House into play, but the real pressure comes from the water itself. Harbourside routes won't stay reliable for long, so if you've been sticking to safe habits while farming ARC Raiders Items, you're probably going to have to break them fast. Once the flooding starts, the map stops feeling fixed. You adapt or you get trapped.

A map that won't sit still

That changing terrain is what makes this update feel different from a normal content drop. In a lot of extraction shooters, once players learn the best path, they just run it over and over. That doesn't seem likely here. Water cutting through the harbourside means your route can fall apart mid-match, and suddenly the long way round is the only way left. You'll notice it pretty quickly in squad play too. One teammate pushes ahead, another gets slowed by the flood, and the whole team spacing goes bad. Add in the new ARC machine, the one scout reports say is drifting overhead, and now people have to think vertically as well. If that thing starts pressuring open ground, loadouts built only for street fights may feel a bit outdated.

Progression is now about pressure

The old Expedition setup is gone, and honestly, that's going to change player behaviour more than some people expect. No more leaning on stash value or coins. Now it's all damage. Deal 5,000 and you get 1 skill point, then 25,000 gets 2, 50,000 gets 3, 75,000 gets 4, and 100,000 gives the full 5. It's simple, but it pushes everyone toward action. Weapons count, gadgets count, and it works anywhere outside the practice area. There's also a safety net if you missed sign-up after finishing the caravan. Last Call lets you join the next time you log in, no damage needed. The catch is fair enough: you won't earn skill points that way. So if progression matters to you, you can't really coast anymore.

Where Bastion fights get messy

If you're hunting Bastion Cells, there's a right order and a wrong one. Start with the chassis and core if you want the best returns. After that, check the broken armour plates, then finish with the ruined legs. Sounds straightforward, but Bastion fights are never quiet. The moment one kicks off, nearby players are going to hear it and start drifting in. That's why these encounters turn into little events. Some squads will commit and defend the loot. Others will wait, let somebody else burn ammo and healing, then crash the fight late. You'll see both. There's no clean answer, only what fits your squad and nerves on that run.

A Rising Tide quest route

Anyone still stuck on Celeste's A Rising Tide quest can clear it without too much wandering if they stay focused. First, head to the Buried City south of Piazza Roma and look for the foreman's apartment. The direct path is blocked, so take the zipline north of the Grandioso apartments to the platform, then ride the cable car into the room and download the logbook data. Second, move to the Dam battlefields and find the generator complex. Take the cable car down into the flooded access zone, grab the fuel cell near the bottom of the zip line, and place it in the power box upstairs to get the lights back. Third, step into the next room, photograph the project tablet, and return to Celeste. You don't even have to extract, which is nice. And with more players preparing builds and hunting ARC Raiders Items for sale before the patch lands, knowing these routes early could save you a lot of wasted runs.