ARC Raiders 1.29.0 Patch Notes: Nomadic Envoys Balance Pass

What Changed

• Bettina base fire rate raised from 235 to 250 RPM, its second buff in two patches.
• Weapons cut in the 1.26.0 durability pass received lifetime increases; the Renegade is community-confirmed as one of them.
• Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing) Cloud of Renewal changed from single-target to AoE, heal raised 20 to 45, cooldown extended 30s to 45s.
• Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking) now accepts Medium Shields in addition to Light.
• Photoelectric Cloak power cost halved from 10/s to 5/s; weight unchanged at 3.
• Extended Barrel renamed to Extended Barrel III with new I and II variants; III gives 30% bullet velocity and 15% falloff distance.
• ARC perception reworked: sharper outdoor sound detection, dampened indoor sound, more granular vision through cover.
• New weapon: the Rascal, a break-action anti-ARC grenade launcher (75 damage, single-shot, 4.0 weight) that only detonates on ARC.
• New trader Ermal (Nomadic Envoy) at Raider Level 25+ with expanded stash, an Expedition Vault, and weekly trades.
• Denuvo Anti-Cheat entered a limited rollout with no DRM component.

Build Impact

• Bettina's second straight buff cements it as the top primary for ARC-damage builds and keeps it competitive in PvP.
• Photoelectric Cloak returns to solo stealth and looter loadouts now that the power drain is halved to 5/s.
• Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking) opens a faster, more survivable PvP lane by accepting a Medium Shield's 0.31 mitigation.
• Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing) becomes the strongest squad-support healer; its AoE Cloud of Renewal tops off a full squad in one cast.
• The Rascal is a niche anti-ARC sidearm with three-hit Shredder kills; it complements the Hullcracker rather than replacing it.
• The ARC perception rework tilts stealth loadouts toward indoor routes and demands more cover discipline outdoors.

Updated Tier Lists