Only a week after Embark Studios announced they would be scaling back the frequency of major updates for Arc Raiders, a massive new patch has arrived. While the update includes weapon additions and durability adjustments, the real star of the show is a brand-new trader arriving in Speranza.

Meet Ermal: The New Topside Trader

The standout addition to the game is Ermal, a member of a group of nomadic envoys who roam Topside. He will appear in Speranza on a weekly rotation, offering a massive variety of goods to players who have reached level 25 or higher.

The new trader brings a diverse catalog of items to the table, including:

  • Cosmetics and character skins
  • Rare Blueprints
  • Raider Tokens (the game's premium currency)
  • Progression items for current Raider projects
  • Expanded stash space (resets post-expedition)
  • Expedition Vault access, allowing players to store up to five items for retrieval

High-Stakes Trading in Arc Raiders

Acquiring these rewards isn't a simple task. To secure items from the new trader, players must trade "high-value Arc materials and stockpiled rare weapons." The economy for these goods is steep; for instance, a single cosmetic can cost a total item value of 500,000 coins, requiring high-tier components like Queen Reactors, Matriarch Reactors, and Rocketeer Drivers.

While some players hoped for a direct player-to-player trading system, this new mechanic provides a much-needed economy within the game. The community reaction has been overwhelmingly positive regarding how this shifts the gameplay loop.

A Major Shift in Gameplay Loop

The introduction of Ermal changes the incentive structure for combat. By rewarding high-value kills with currency and skins, the update reinforces the core loop of hunting massive threats. As one player noted on social media, the ability to earn coins and blueprints simply by taking down big Arc targets makes this one of the best updates for gameplay longevity.

Arc Raiders has always excelled when players are incentivized to work together against overwhelming odds. With this new trader, there is now a much more compelling reason to head into Topside to hunt Arcs rather than just engaging in player versus player combat.