Embark Studios will remove Cred, one of Arc Raiders’ in-game currencies, on October 8, 2026, replacing it with what the developer calls a more expansive reward system launching alongside the Frozen Trail update, according to the game’s patch notes as reported by PCGamesN.
Embark frames the move as a retirement rather than a shutdown, stating that Cred is being phased out to make way for the new system tied to Frozen Trail’s launch. That timing lines up with the broader October 8 rollout, meaning the currency swap and the update’s other content changes land on the same day.
Here’s the context: Cred is Arc Raiders’ free currency, distinct from the premium Raider Tokens players can buy. It’s typically earned by completing quests and extracting successfully, with certain in-game events also contributing to a player’s balance.
Players can spend down their remaining Cred before it disappears by visiting Shani, a vendor in Speranza, or by working through the current Raider Decks that use Cred as their unlock currency. Anything already claimed from those decks stays attached to a player’s account regardless of the transition, and Embark has confirmed that existing Raider Deck rewards will also be available in the new system once Frozen Trail arrives. That’s the safety net here: the currency goes away, but the loot tied to it doesn’t. The change also fits a pattern GameLuster has tracked in our breakdown of Arc Raiders’ update cadence, where Embark has repeatedly used major patches to reshape systems rather than just add content.
Honestly, the practical stake here is a deadline, not a mystery. Embark has been direct about wanting players to burn through leftover Cred before October 8, and the patch notes are equally direct that anything left unspent won’t carry over. What the notes don’t say is how the new system will actually distribute rewards, price them, or pace progression once Cred is gone – that’s the part players are being asked to take on faith for now.
The transition points worth tracking:
- October 8, 2026 – Cred is removed from the game entirely.
- Before the deadline – players are advised to spend any remaining Cred balance.
- Already-claimed rewards – stay tied to the account regardless of the currency change.
- New reward system – existing Raider Deck rewards will remain available within it.
- Cred vs. Raider Tokens – Cred is free-to-earn; Raider Tokens remain the premium currency and are unaffected.
What remains unclear is how the replacement system will actually function. Embark hasn’t detailed how rewards will be distributed or priced, what progression rates players can expect, or where the line sits between free and premium content in the new structure. It’s also not clear how future Raider Deck content will relate to whatever this new system becomes – whether decks continue in some form or get folded into the broader overhaul entirely.
What to watch: October 8, 2026 is the confirmed date for both the Cred retirement and the Frozen Trail launch, so that’s the hard deadline for anyone sitting on a balance. Expect Embark to fill in more of the new system’s mechanics before or at launch, since the patch notes so far only confirm the currency swap and the reward-carryover promise. In the meantime, checking your Cred total and spending it down is the only concrete action available to players right now.
Is keeping your claimed Raider Deck rewards enough to offset losing whatever Cred you haven’t spent by October 8? And does Embark’s track record on past updates give you confidence the new system will be worth the trade, or is this one you’re waiting to judge until Frozen Trail actually lands?
