The Flashpoint update dropped on March 31, 2026, and it’s the most content-heavy patch Arc Raiders has seen since launch. As the third installment of the Escalation season, it doesn’t just add new stuff on top of the old loop — it reshapes how a raid actually plays out.
This guide covers everything in patch 1.22.0: the new ARC Operation, the Vaporizer enemy, both new weapons and how to get them, the High Gain Antenna project, Scrappy’s feeding system, and all the balance and QoL changes that actually matter.
If you’ve already seen the update announcement and want specifics on one thing, jump straight to the section you need.
What's New in the Arc Raiders Flashpoint Update at a Glance
| New Content | What It Is |
|---|---|
| Close Scrutiny | New ARC Operation map condition |
| ARC Assessor | New high-value target that lands on the map |
| Vaporizer | New flying ARC enemy with laser attacks |
| Dolabra | Legendary energy shotgun (variable fire modes) |
| Canto | Rare medium-ammo SMG |
| Surge Coil | New deployable that electrifies an area |
| High Gain Antenna | New three-stage player project |
| Scrappy Feeding Boost | Feed your rooster to influence loot returns |
| Shredders on all maps | Previously Stella Montis only |
| Crafting improvements | Fulfill missing materials without tab-switching |
| Wasp Hunter Set | New cosmetic bundle (second one ever) |
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How the New Close Scrutiny ARC Operation Works
This is the biggest addition in Flashpoint — and it changes how you approach an entire raid session.
Close Scrutiny is a new type of map condition called an ARC Operation. When it’s active, the usual ambient loot across the map is noticeably reduced. That’s intentional. The tradeoff is the Assessor — a massive, unarmed machine that descends from the sky and lands on the map. You’ll spot it by the large red beam it emits once it touches down. Multiple Assessors spawn and rotate throughout a single session, each staying active for around an hour like other heavy map conditions.
The Assessor itself doesn’t attack you. The problem is everything around it. The ARC patrols guarding it are unlike anything in the game right now — and on top of that, the Vaporizer spawns specifically in these areas.
What’s Inside the Assessor and How to Get It
Each Assessor has three separate containers you can breach. You need to fight your way to each one individually, because more ARC — including Vaporizers — spawn every time you crack one open. It’s a wave-style pressure loop: the deeper you push, the harder it gets.
What you’re looking for inside:
- Dolabra Blueprint — not a guaranteed drop, but the Assessor is the only place it can be found, and the drop rate appears reasonably consistent compared to other Legendary blueprints
- Assessor Matrix — needed for the High Gain Antenna project and for crafting the Canto SMG
- High-tier general loot
One important matchmaking change came with this patch: players who bring their own custom loadout are now prioritized for fresh servers. This matters a lot for Close Scrutiny — you want a fresh server with full Assessor spawns, not a lobby that’s been running for 40 minutes.
The Vaporizer: How to Fight Arc Raiders' Scariest New Enemy
The Vaporizer is a large aerial ARC unit, and it almost always shows up in groups of two or three. It’s fast, highly maneuverable, and has two things that make it genuinely dangerous: a delayed single-target laser blast and an energy shield it can activate at will.
The laser works similarly to the Sentinel’s targeting mechanic — it locks onto you, charges up, then fires. It will obliterate your shield and set you on fire in one hit if you’re caught in the open. The shield is its second trick: when active, the Vaporizer stops attacking, but it’s also your window to deal the real damage.
Vaporizer Weak Spots and Best Weapons
- Aphelion — precision-focused, excellent for rotor shots; largely considered underused before this patch
- Anvil — high burst damage per shot, two or three clean hits destroy a rotor
- Ferro — sniper range and strong ARC armor penetration, works well if you can keep distance
What the Vaporizer Drops
The Vaporizer Regulator is the drop you’re after. It’s a crafting material exclusive to this enemy and one of the three components needed to craft the Dolabra shotgun. You’ll need two of them per craft, so plan on killing several.
New Weapons in Flashpoint: Dolabra, Canto, and Surge Coil
Dolabra — Legendary Energy Shotgun
The Dolabra is the headline weapon of this update, and its core mechanic is straightforward: hipfire sends out a wide cone of electricity, good for crowd control and clearing multiple targets; aiming down sights narrows it into a focused beam that punches through ARC armor plating. One gun, two very different use cases depending on what’s in front of you.
It requires a Level 3 Gunsmith Station to craft. Here’s what you need:
| Material | Amount | How to Get It |
|---|---|---|
| Shredder Gyro | 3x | Kill Shredders (now available on all maps) |
| Magnetic Accelerator | 3x | Craft from Advanced Mechanical Components + ARC Motion Cores |
| Vaporizer Regulator | 2x | Drop from Vaporizer (Close Scrutiny only) |
The crafting cost is steep, especially the Vaporizer Regulators. Since Vaporizers only spawn during Close Scrutiny, you’re looking at multiple runs of that map condition before you can craft this weapon. The Shredder Gyros are much easier now that Shredders have spread to all maps.
Canto — Rare Medium Ammo SMG
The Canto fills a practical gap: a close-quarters SMG that runs on medium ammo. That last part is the real selling point — you’re not burning through rare ammo reserves every time you fire it. It’s built for fighting both ARC and other Raiders at close range.
The blueprint location isn’t as clearly tied to one event as the Dolabra. Assessor Matrix is required to craft it, so Close Scrutiny is still where you’ll be spending time regardless.
Surge Coil — New Deployable
Drop it, and it periodically electrifies everything nearby. The main use case is holding ground while you’re looting — especially relevant inside the Assessor, where you need a few uninterrupted seconds to breach containers. It also works well in any corridor or tight space where flanking is a threat.
High Gain Antenna Project Guide: All Stages and Rewards
Celeste and Shani need eyes on whatever’s moving through the sky during Hurricanes. That’s the narrative setup for this project — and it’s clearly building toward something for the next update, Riven Tides.
The High Gain Antenna project has three stages, each with four material requirements. Like previous projects, you can see the rewards upfront, which makes it easier to decide whether to prioritize it. The primary material you’ll be farming is Assessor Matrix, which drops inside Assessors during Close Scrutiny runs.
There’s currently no visible expiration date on the project — but the previous Weather Monitor project shut down without warning. If the rewards matter to you, don’t sit on it.
Rewards across the three stages include gameplay items, a legendary Snap Hook, and Raider Tokens. Given the project requires Assessor Matrix, you’ll naturally be running Close Scrutiny anyway, so the progression ties together cleanly.
Scrappy Feeding Boost: How to Use It and What You Get
This one flew a bit under the radar compared to the bigger additions, but it’s actually a meaningful change to how Scrappy works.
Head to the Workshop, open Scrappy’s menu, and find the Feed tab. From there, you queue up specific food items, and Scrappy adjusts the type of resources he focuses on collecting to match. The more consistently you feed him, the better his bonus drop is after each raid.
Higher Scrappy level means better rewards from the feeding system — so if you’ve been neglecting your rooster upgrades, now’s the time to catch up. This is an ongoing cycle, not a one-time setup. Keep feeding him regularly and he’ll keep rewarding you.
Shredders Are Now on Every Map — Here's Why That Matters for Crafting
Before Flashpoint, Shredders were locked to Stella Montis. Now they appear on Blue Gate, Buried City, and Spaceport as a permanent presence, and on Dam Battlegrounds during certain map conditions.
For most players, the practical impact is straightforward: Shredder Gyros — one of the three materials needed to craft the Dolabra — can now be farmed on whichever map you’re already playing. You don’t need to route your sessions specifically around Stella Montis anymore. If you’re grinding for the Dolabra, this makes the early material phase significantly faster.
Patch 1.22.0 Balance and QoL Changes That Actually Affect Your Runs
The full patch notes are long. Here’s what’s actually worth knowing.
Enemy changes:
- Rocketeers no longer instantly die from a single collision when stunned — they survive more abuse now
- Fireflies spawn together in groups less often
- ARC detects players at very close range slightly faster than before
Loot changes:
- Locked rooms now have higher-value loot, scaled by key rarity — higher tier key means meaningfully better rewards
- Baron Husk drops more loot than before
Crafting: The crafting overhaul is genuinely useful. When you’re missing materials to complete a craft, the game now shows you exactly how to get them — recycle, refine, or purchase — all from the same window. The old version required jumping between tabs manually and was unnecessarily tedious.
Matchmaking: Players with custom loadouts are now prioritized for fresh servers. This is a subtle but significant shift toward rewarding risk. If you’re consistently using free loadouts as a safety net, expect to see more lobbies with time on the clock.
Wasp Hunter Set and New Cosmetics Coming in April
The Wasp Hunter Set is available right now on all platforms. It’s the second cosmetic bundle in the game’s history and comes with:
- Four unique colorways
- Diver Backpack (White)
- Scrappy Helmet
- Thruster Hammer Raider Tool
- 2,400 Raider Tokens included
Throughout April, three additional outfits will drop separately: the Brigade Set (centurion-inspired, bomber jacket, blue irises), the Vanguard Set (armored, built for high-contact situations), and the Nascosto Set (ghillie-hood and shoulder pads, designed for players who like to disappear between shots).
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What Flashpoint Is Setting Up for Riven Tides
The High Gain Antenna project, the Assessor’s mysterious scanning activity, the unexplained aerial shapes spotted during Hurricanes — Embark is clearly building toward something. The Flashpoint narrative has Celeste and Shani trying to track a threat they can’t fully identify yet.
Riven Tides arrives in April as the fourth and final Escalation update. Based on what’s been confirmed, it’s the biggest update of the season — a brand-new map, a boss-tier ARC on the scale of the Queen or Matriarch, and a new Raider Deck. Everything in Flashpoint, from the antenna project to the Vaporizer activity data, appears to be groundwork for that.
For now, Close Scrutiny is the core loop. You need it for the Dolabra Blueprint, the Vaporizer Regulators, the Assessor Matrix, and the High Gain Antenna project. Run it often, bring your best gear, and keep Scrappy fed.
