ARC Raiders Players Protest Riven Tides Nerfs, Call Changes 'Beyond Frustrating'

The Riven Tides update, the largest content drop since ARC Raiders launched, rolled out this morning—but player reactions are overwhelmingly negative. Alongside a new map and additional features, the update included sweeping balancing changes to weapons and items that have left many gamers frustrated.

Photoelectric Cloak Nerf Draws Sharp Criticism

The most contentious change targets the Photoelectric Cloak, a key stealth tool that allows players to evade detection by AI ARC enemies. The update tripled its weight value and quadrupled its power consumption rate, effectively gutting its usability.

"When are devs going to understand making the game tedious does not equal more fun or more engagement? This is beyond frustrating."

Embark Studios defended the decision, stating:

The Photoelectric Cloak has been quite aggressively over-performing, especially in regards to the length of time it can be activated. This change is intended to add more intentionality between uses; it still has the same strength while activated, but now you might need to find cover sooner, or think more about how you approach areas heavily contested by ARC.

Weapon Durability Changes Spark Debate

Another major adjustment involves weapon durability. Common rarity guns now suffer a 75% increase in durability loss per shot, drastically reducing their lifespan. Conversely, the rarest weapons received durability buffs, further polarizing player opinions.

"Durability is such a dumb game mechanic that for some reason people think they need in their games. It doesn’t actually add anything to the experience or the realism, it just makes you grind to keep things you already worked for."

New Map Praised, But Overshadowed by Controversy

The update also introduced a new map, which has been well-received. However, discussions on Reddit and other platforms are dominated by complaints about the nerfs, despite a reported surge in active players on Steam.

The patch notes have left a distinctly negative impression on the community, with many arguing that the changes undermine the game’s accessibility and enjoyment.

Source: Reddit