ARC Raiders · systems · Frozen Trail / 2.1 review
ARC Raiders 2.0 Skill Tree: Why You Cannot Buy Every Branch Choice
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The revamped tree uses a one-of-two choice in the middle of a branch and up to two choices from three skills at its end, after the required point investment. A locked alternative can therefore be an intended choice limit, not missing XP. The developer says a tree reset lets you make the binary choice again.
Published October 18, 2026 · Official sources checked against the October 13 update
Plan the next useful capability before spending points across every attractive icon. The job of a build is to support your chosen loadout and repeated activity. It is not simply to maximize the number of visible nodes that look desirable.
What to do, in order
- Name the problem the build must solve: carrying the planned loadout, sustaining its movement demands, or supporting the combat action you repeatedly use.
- Inspect the branch investment requirement and the type of choice at the node. A prerequisite and a mutually exclusive alternative are different restrictions.
- At a middle binary node, compare the two available functions against that problem. Do not reserve points for an impossible plan that buys both choices simultaneously.
- At an end choice, rank the three functions and leave one out deliberately. Check the cost and current consequences before performing a reset to change the plan.
Choose the check that matches the problem
| Situation | What it means | Useful next decision |
|---|---|---|
| A middle alternative stays locked | The node can be a one-of-two choice. | Check the selected sibling rather than repeatedly earning another point. |
| The third end skill is unavailable | The end choice permits up to two of three. | Decide which two support the actual loadout. |
| A newly unlocked skill appears not to work | Check the version and the specific known issue. | Do not assume an expensive reset is the only way to test the problem. |
Check the 2.1 fixes before rebuilding a functioning plan
The follow-up update addresses Broad Shoulders not activating on spawn, Field Repair failing after it was unlocked during the same session, and Field Salvaging showing the wrong items. Those are specific fixes. They do not establish that every capacity, repair or salvage complaint has the same cause.
A practical way to apply the rule
Suppose a branch offers three end functions and your plan already relies on two. Adding the third to a shopping list does not make it attainable under the described choice limit. First decide which existing function the new one would replace. Only then compare the reset and the revised route, rather than treating the skill tree as an unlimited checklist.
Common misreadings and failure checks
My build copied an older tree screenshot
The layout was substantially reworked in 2.0. Reconstruct the required functions using the current tree.
I cannot sprint despite being under my expected limit
Review the 2.1 Broad Shoulders and weight corrections before assuming a new hidden carry rule.
Resetting must unlock every alternative
A reset allows a new choice; it does not remove the published one-of-two and two-of-three limits.
Sources and version
The rules above come from the linked developer publications. The check order, comparisons and planning examples are independent editorial guidance. Images are unchanged publisher media, not captures of a personal playtest; no drop rate, hidden formula or measured build performance is claimed.