Embark Concludes ARC Raiders Duplication Probe, Issues Warnings and Suspensions

Embark Studios concluded its investigation into a widespread item duplication exploit in ARC Raiders in mid-February 2026 and began enforcing penalties that include warnings, suspensions, and deletion of coins earned through the glitches on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The Swedish studio said it would act only against accounts it could confirm had taken advantage of the exploits.

The sequence began when an item duplication glitch was discovered and hotfixed relatively quickly; within days a related exploit surfaced that granted free repairs, infinite ammo, broke magazine sizes, and affected gun durability. Eurogamer reported that the follow-up exploit “completely demolished Arc Raiders' in-game economy and the loop of looting and making do with whatever you can scavenge and preserve,” prompting the studio to widen its investigation after what PC Gamer called “a lot for one week.”

Embark framed the delay in enforcement as a deliberate, evidence-driven choice. The studio wrote, “That investigation has now concluded. Thank you for your patience while we took the time to do this properly. Though these exploits stemmed from a design flaw on our part, the way they were used had a real impact on the game’s economy and the way the community experienced ARC Raiders. It’s on us to address that and work to restore balance.” GameRant noted Embark also ran validation reports against data, confirming exploit usage and impact, and sought to remove accidental or edge-case behaviors so it could act on what it could “define, prove, and stand behind.”

Enforcement will be calibrated rather than one-size-fits-all. Embark said it will issue warnings for low-severity or limited abuse, and impose suspensions for more severe cases, while deleting any coins obtained through exploits. The studio said it would take action “based on severity, intent, frequency, and impact.” Embark added, “Over the course of this week, we will begin issuing enforcement actions to accounts that we can confirm took advantage of these exploits. We understand the desire for fast action, especially when both gameplay and the economy suffer. At the same time, our responsibility is, and must be, to act with fairness and accuracy.”

ARC Raiders launched on October 7, 2025 and has been commercially successful; GameRant called it a “smash hit” and Eurogamer reported the game saw nearly 1,000,000 concurrent players last month. Embark told players it has already improved detection and tracking systems, safeguards, and internal review tools, and it encouraged responsible reporting through the game’s official Discord as it prepares for upcoming content. VICE noted there were no Arc Raiders patch notes the week of February 17, 2026 because the studio used that window to announce the probe’s conclusion and the start of enforcement rather than ship an update.

As enforcement begins, Embark said its priorities are restoring balance and preventing repeat incidents while the team continues work toward the Shrouded Sky update and the events and regular updates planned through April.