What Time Will ARC Raiders Headwinds Update Release?

Embark has massive plans for ARC Raiders going into 2026, as evident by the roadmap for the first quarter that was revealed a few days ago. The first update teased in the Roadmap, termed "Headwinds," will be released tomorrow for all platforms. The update will bring a new minor map condition, a player project, and a matchmaking option to the game. Let's check out when the ARC Raiders Headwinds update will be released for you.

ARC Raiders 2026 Roadmap Reveals New Matchmaking System That Could Be a Game Changer

Embark Studios reveals the official 2026 roadmap for its hit extraction shooter, ARC Raiders, with tons of new content coming between now and April.

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By Kyle Knight

When Will the ARC Raiders Headwinds Update Release? (Global Release Times)

The first update for the quarter, the ARC Raiders Headwinds update, will release on January 26, 2026. While it isn’t as content-heavy as other updates in the lineup, it brings some new mechanics to the game. It'll keep the game fresh for players until the next update, "Shrouded Sky," drops in February.

If you're wondering when the new ARC Raiders update will be available for you, here are the release times for Headwinds.

Region	Timezone	Release Times & Dates
United States	PST (UTC-8)	1:30 AM on January 27th, 2026
	MST (UTC-7)	2:30 AM on January 27th, 2026
	CST (UTC-6)	3:30 AM on January 27th, 2026
	EST (UTC-5)	4:30 AM on January 27th, 2026
Brazil	BRT (UTC-3)	6:30 AM on January 27th, 2026
United Kingdom (UK)	GMT (UTC+0)	9:30 AM on January 27th, 2026
Germany	CET (UTC+1)	10:30 AM on January 27th, 2026
Russia	MSK (UTC+3)	12:30 PM on January 27th, 2026
United Arab Emirates (UAE)	(UTC+4)	1:30 PM on January 27th, 2026
Pakistan	PKT (UTC+5)	2:30 PM on January 27th, 2026
India	IST (UTC+5:30)	3:00 PM on January 27th, 2026
China, Singapore, Hong Kong	CST (UTC+8)	5:30 PM on January 27th, 2026
Japan	JST (UTC+9)	6:30 PM on January 27th, 2026
Australia	AEDT (UTC+11)	8:30 PM on January 27th, 2026
New Zealand (Auckland)	NZDT (UTC+13)	10:30 PM on January 27th, 2026

What's Coming in ARC Raiders Headwinds Update

ARC Raiders Sandwalker Cosmetic Set with watermark

Embark has listed a few new things that will be coming to ARC Raiders as part of the Headwinds update. Here's a complete breakdown of new content that players will get to experience in the update.

Solo vs Squads Matchmaking: A new matchmaking option will be added to the game for level 40+ players. This will allow solo players to matchmake with full squads for higher XP.
The "Bird City" Minor Map Condition: This is a Buried City exclusive minor map condition. Players will be able to find loot-packed nests in Buried City, which might allow them to find high-quality loot.
ARC Trophy Display Project: This will be the new donation-based project called "ARC Trophy Display," which will be coming in the new ARC Raiders headwinds update. From the project's name, it might be safe to assume that players will need to hunt down ARCs and donate their various components for rewards.
New "Sandwalker" Cosmetic Set: A new Sandwalker cosmetic set will also be added to the game. Now, if it'll be part of a reward track or whether players will need to spend Raider Tokens to acquire it is yet to be seen.