Arc Raiders Community Abuzz as Mysterious UFO Sighting Sparks Speculation of New Threat

Arc Raiders players exploring the new Shrouded Sky update are donning their tin foil hats after footage of an unidentified flying object began circulating online. Just as clips of the Firefly and Comet Arc threats started trending on social media, so did video of a mysterious entity not mentioned in the patch notes. Originally shared by Reddit user Bewarden with the caption, "What in tarnation is that?", the 20-second clip shows their character navigating a Hurricane near the Spaceport launch tower, where a cluster of bright blue lights can be seen moving overhead.

Mysterious UFOs have been spotted in ARC Raiders during the Hurricane map condition. This might be a teaser for the new ARC unit coming in March. 😳 pic.twitter.com/xjkKN6pJPf

It's unsettling at best and downright frightening at worst, but the mystery deepens upon closer inspection. The low visibility caused by the Hurricane makes it difficult to get a clear view, initially suggesting the Raider might be observing two groups of drones moving unusually fast. However, a second look reveals these lights are attached to a massive ship, silently gliding through the storm.

The AI entity known as the Arc is capable of many things. From drones and death orbs to giant spider-like robots, the enemy types are diverse, but players have never encountered anything quite like this UFO. Studying it has proven challenging, as only a handful of others have managed to capture and share their sightings, while developer Embark Studios remains tight-lipped.

This scenario echoes when Arrowhead Studios quietly introduced flying bug enemies in Helldivers 2 without mentioning them in patch notes, leading to rampant player theories before the team denied their existence. Now, Embark appears to be adopting a similar approach, leaving the community to speculate on what a building-sized UFO could mean for Arc Raiders' future. Some even believe these sightings might be linked to the new large Arc teased for the Riven Tides update in April.

"Is that the f***ing mothership???" one player speculated.

"No explaining the thing will be murdering people probably in April," another theorized. "Who knows it could be the new 'large arc threat' they roadmapped. That would be cool af. A flying gigantic arc matriarch/queen type battle."

pic.twitter.com/26peRCUUtK

We've played through multiple raids since Shrouded Sky launched and only spotted the ship once. While Bewarden caught a glimpse on Spaceport, our sighting occurred on Buried City. We also heard the ship fly overhead during a Blue Gate raid, but it vanished before we could get a good look.

If you're keen to hunt down this latest Arc Raiders mystery, we recommend playing during the Hurricane map condition and keeping an eye on the sky around the raid's halfway point (about 15 minutes in). Based on our tests and online reports, don't expect to see one on your first attempt.

This isn't the first time Arc Raiders fans have spotted a giant Arc in the distance, but don't anticipate an explanation from Embark anytime soon. While we await updates, you can read our interview with studio CEO Patrick Söderlund to learn more about how the team plans to shape Speranza and the enigmatic, post-apocalyptic Rust Belt. You can also catch up on why some fans are unhappy with how Shrouded Sky changed the Wolfpacks recipe.