Let's be real: repairing weapons in games is rarely a fun activity. Unless you are meticulously cleaning guns with oil in Red Dead Redemption 2, upkeep usually feels like administrative chores. This is why the recent Arc Raiders' weapon durability changes are so frustrating; it essentially adds more "admin" to an already tedious process.

As our very own Evan Lahti argued, weapon upkeep is a necessary way to spend resources in a loot-centric game. However, Embark Studios clearly felt we weren't spending enough. In the most recent Riven Tides update, they implemented significant nerfs to weapon longevity.

The Details of the Riven Tides Update

Embark's reasoning for these Arc Raiders' weapon durability changes focuses on balancing the economy between different player types:

"The weapon economy has increasingly started looking more and more unbalanced, where players engaging in heavy PVP have to make a lot of difficult decisions around their weapons while the most friendly players have ended up in a chronic state of weapon accumulation. We want to balance this out so that all players are challenged by weapon attrition, as well as introducing new ways to combat it."

The patch notes highlight several key shifts:

  • Common, Uncommon, and Rare weapons now suffer increased durability loss per shot.
  • Durability on weapons found outside of locked rooms has been reduced.
  • Upgrading a weapon now restores 25% weapon durability.
  • Durability loss is reduced for weapons acquired from downed raiders.

The Problem with "Weapon Accumulation"

Is a "chronic state of weapon accumulation" actually an issue? Many players have hundreds of hours in the game, including myself, but since resets are optional, hoarding shouldn't be a balance concern. If Embark wanted to clear out player vaults, a forced reset would be the way to do it—but they are far too late for that.

If players want to keep 100 Bobcats in their stash, that should be their choice. We previously argued that white weapons were too powerful and that high-tier gear was being countered by Kettle and Stitcher users. These new changes might actually make finding rare loot less rewarding since the initial durability on spawn is likely decreased now.

Better Ways to Manage Attrition

The patch notes mention "introducing new ways to combat" attrition, but no clear tools have been provided yet. Upgrading a gun costs just as much as repairing it, so there's no real relief here. To make the Arc Raiders' weapon durability changes feel less like a penalty, Embark could consider several alternatives:

  • Make upgrades more expensive but offer significantly lower durability burn rates to reward investment.
  • Introduce new attachments specifically designed to reduce the rate of wear.
  • Add mechanical consequences, such as weapons jamming when durability is low, similar to Far Cry 2.

Ultimately, these tweaks feel like a way to force more PvP by making every run feel like a tax. When I'm repairing my Anvil after every single outing, I'm not having fun—I'm just paying a toll to play.