ARC Raiders Live Update 1.45.0 is live with the start of Expedition 5, the Ascending the Mountain Raider Project, the Hornet Hunter Set, community-designed rubber ducks, an Unreal Engine upgrade, and a deadline for the Cred currency. Embark says this is the last Live Update before Frozen Trail arrives on October 8, although a smaller update is planned before then.
The Patch Impact Score is 60. The Reinstall Signal is 48, or Check What Changed. That makes 1.45.0 a strong return checkpoint for active players and a useful runway for anyone deciding whether to come back before Frozen Trail. It is not the new map itself, and the official notes do not justify treating it as one. This assessment uses the published notes and includes no hands-on testing.
Expedition 5 is the useful new work
Expedition 5 gives current Raiders a fresh progression frame, while the Ascending the Mountain Raider Project sends the community after clues tied to the phantom ARC signals beyond the current Tube system. That is the update’s most durable content: a reason to log in, gather materials, and follow a project rather than simply inspect a new cosmetic tab.
The distinction matters for lapsed players. 1.45.0 does not add Frozen Trail’s promised new map, ARC Operation, or Outpost. It adds the preparation layer before that October expansion. Players who return now can rebuild their inventory habits and spend the next weeks working through Expedition content without pretending the October destination is already available.
Cred now has an expiration date
Embark is retiring Cred as a currency when Frozen Trail launches. Existing Cred remains usable until October 8, and players are told to spend it with Shani or on any remaining Raider Deck rewards before the update. Rewards already claimed will remain, and Embark says the new system will carry existing Raider Deck rewards into the broader reward structure.
This is the practical headline for anyone who has not played recently. Check the balance first. If you have Cred, it is no longer a passive resource that can wait for a better-looking menu. The official notes describe a deadline, not a conversion guarantee for unspent currency. Returning players should therefore decide what to claim before exploring the new project.
Small changes clean up the route between raids
Quick-item cycling can now be rebound separately from the quick-use wheel, or disabled, which should reduce accidental item swaps after closing the wheel. Expedition departures no longer reset quests by default; players can choose whether to reset them. The Aphelion receives reduced weapon sway, improving the stability of its aiming behavior on paper.
There are also practical repairs: voice chat no longer fails when Raider Voice is enabled, ARC Turbine mines can be pinged, a PS5 crash shortly after starting a session is fixed, and another crash caused by rapidly pressing certain keys is addressed. Landing on moving surfaces now follows the surface after landing, and Matriarch stomp damage no longer passes through tall cover or affects players standing on top of the boss. Embark also upgraded the game from Unreal Engine 5.3 to 5.7, which is a technical change with more reach than the individual fixes.
The notes also add the community’s selected rubber ducks to Bird City and make the Hornet Hunter Set part of the current update. Those are welcome personality touches, but they are not the reason to reinstall. The reason is the combination of Expedition 5, the Raider Project, and the Cred deadline.
Returning Player Tax: C
The Returning Player Tax is C. First inspect Cred and spend what you want before October 8. Then review whether Expedition departures should reset quests, rebind quick-item cycling if your old control scheme feels awkward, and read the current ARC and Matriarch changes before assuming the previous fight patterns still apply.
There is also a useful timing distinction in Embark’s wording. The studio calls 1.45.0 the last Live Update before October 8, but it separately says a smaller update is still planned. Returning players should therefore treat the current notes as the complete preparation checklist for this phase, not as a guarantee that every pre-Frozen Trail problem is now closed. The public notes establish what changed; they do not establish how every extraction route will behave after the next patch.
For active squads, the deadline can be more valuable than the cosmetics. A player who spends Cred now can make a deliberate choice about Raider Deck rewards, while a player who waits risks carrying a currency that has no stated post-October use. That makes 1.45.0 a good inventory and progression check even for someone who is not interested in the rubber ducks or the Hornet Hunter Set.
The important problems are not all gone. Embark says some players cannot start the second part of Phantom Targets and that compensation is planned. The notes also continue to track Xbox Series S crashes, a PC crash connected to Windows Update KB5121003, possible keyboard-input loss on Epic, and a Rawhide headgear toggle problem. Compared with Live Update 1.39.0’s narrower matchmaking and combat cleanup, 1.45.0 has a clearer progression hook, a meaningful currency transition, and a deeper technical change. Compared with the upcoming Frozen Trail preview, it is still the staging update. It is a credible reason to return for a deadline-driven cleanup and a new Expedition, but players looking for a new map should save their biggest reinstall decision for October 8.