Last Updated: 2026-08-18
Raiders!
Update 1.42.0 is going live right now and with it a number of fixes, a second part of the Phantom Targets event with the Anomalia Outfit, a new Player Project, improved map condition scheduling, and new Twitch drops.
Thanks to the assistance of many Raiders, Shani finally pinpointed the source of the phantom targets: erratic Wasps. These ARC units are exhibiting behavior she’s never seen before: emitting strange noises, flying in irregular patterns, and carrying unidentifiable tech. They’re all swarming towards one location. She needs further assistance to understand what’s waiting for them there.

We have been working to make sure that the way we schedule Map Conditions is aligned with your playing habits. To that end, we’re introducing Regional Map Condition Scheduling. Starting with 1.42.0, Map Conditions will have their schedule offset based on regions, instead of a single, global schedule.
This means that the schedule will shift to fit specific regions' peak hours to better match your experience. This way, it’ll be less likely to miss out on a map condition regardless of where you are.
Don’t hesitate to tell us how Regional Map Condition schedules are working by chatting with us on our Discord! We’re eager to see what everyone’s experience is like and make adjustments accordingly.
Note: we will update the Map Condition tracker on the website to reflect this change soon. For now, we are aware the information on the website may not reflect the in-game conditions.
It’s time to look at what’s been going on in the realm of Fair Play since our last chat a few weeks back. Some new (and some recurring) topics have crossed our path since then, and we wanted to reassure you that keeping Topside safe against cheaters and exploits is a top priority for us, and will continue to be so.
When we see reports of third party software being used to gain an advantage of any kind, in-game or at account level, we investigate. The first and most important step is to verify the validity of the report and whether or not the software actually does what it claims to do. A lot of the time, claims are just that, and interacting with this kind of software carries a large amount of risk.
Be aware that downloading unverified and unofficial software can put more than just your account at risk. Beyond getting banned and losing access to the game, your data and personal information could be exposed.
Remember that your account is only as secure as its weakest link. In order to protect your account, your purchases and progression, we strongly recommend making sure 2FA or passkeys are enabled on all external accounts connected to your Embark ID. Oh, and never share your credentials with anyone. No matter how many ducks they offer.
Over the past few weeks, we have been making several improvements alongside Anybrain and Denuvo Anti-Cheat. This has resulted in swift action being taken against a large number of accounts that were using recently popularized cheating software.
There is also the matter of ensuring permanent sanctions for serial, blatant cheaters. We continue working on methods that make it more difficult for new accounts to be obtained and that discourage cheaters from returning.
There have been compounding improvements in our ability to also detect accounts that participated in what we classify as “economy exploits”, which means we can more quickly sanction offenders. These types of sanctions have been ongoing.
Additionally, we have several simultaneous initiatives that are meant to address teaming and general matchmaking abuse. We know how important having a consistently good experience is, and that in certain regions or at certain times, it’s easier to run into groups of players that try to force their way into lobbies and engage in griefing. We’ll share more when all of these are ready.
And that’s, of course, not all. We’ll keep building up all of the initiatives we mentioned and we’ll do our best to make sure that your experiences across the Rust Belt are fun, thrilling, and most importantly fair.
Last Thursday, the 3 finalists of the Rubber Duck Design Contest were selected via popular vote on our Discord. We have since begun working on bringing the ducks into the game, and we will add them in a future update!
Soon enough, you’ll be able to fill your Raider Den with ducks made by the super-talented gekko.rar, im_AshCheeks, and nassguhl.
