Players of Embark Studios' Arc Raiders have swiftly unlocked the new Stella Montis map through a community resource donation event. The event, part of the game's first major update North Line, was completed in less than 38 hours despite developers increasing the requirements. Stella Montis offers a cold, pristine exploration area with new enemies and items.
Event Overview
Arc Raiders' North Line update introduced the Stella Montis map, locked behind a community event where players donated resources to tunnel through to the location in the Rust Belt. Launched earlier this week, the event required substantial contributions, but the community exceeded expectations. Embark Studios raised the donation thresholds on Discord after players progressed faster than anticipated, yet the map was unlocked in under 38 hours.
Map and New Content
Stella Montis is described as a cold, pristine area with eerily pristine ruins that are sterile and steeped in mystery. Players can now explore it to earn XP while battling ARC enemies, including two new types: the Matriarch, a giant aggressive robot, and the Shredder. The update also adds an energy burst battle rifle and quick-use items like impulse mine, timed mine, and gas jump mine. New playstyles, Lone Wolf and Trailblazer, enhance gameplay options.
Community and Game Impact
This rapid unlock highlights the game's strong player engagement, with over four million copies sold and a Steam concurrent peak of 462,488 players. The event follows recent additions like duo queue, responding to player feedback. While the community has praised the cooperative spirit, the game faces criticism for using AI-generated voices. Eurogamer's review notes the approachable PvE combat and friendly community but calls the AI voices a black mark.