What Is Shared Watch?
"You watch my back, I'll watch yours – that's how Speranza keeps ticking. Join your fellow Raiders in celebrating the Shared Watch; team up with strangers, turn your barrels on the machines, and earn rewards in the process."
The Shared Watch Event is Embark's answer to the growing tension between players who want to focus on PvE combat and those who prefer hunting other Raiders. Rather than splitting the player base or forcing strict matchmaking rules, Embark is offering incentives for cooperation.
From February 10-24, players who focus on battling the ARC will unlock items, earn Raider Tokens, and progress through the new cosmetic set: The Slugger.
Event Duration: February 10 - February 24, 2026 (2 weeks)
Note: Once the event timeline details are officially released, we will update our Events Calendar with the complete schedule and timing information.
How Progression Works
The Shared Watch is a live event, not a map-specific condition. Progress is tracked globally across all your matches. Rewards are unlocked by earning Merits automatically from ARC combat:
- Damaging ARC: Earn Merits for dealing damage to ARC enemies
- Destroying ARC: Earn Merits for killing ARC enemies
- Assists: Earn Merits for assisting in ARC kills
- No PvP Merits: Player combat does not contribute to event progress
Your Merit progress carries across all matches during the event period (February 10-24), automatically unlocking rewards as you reach each threshold.
Maximizing Your Merit Gains
To progress efficiently through the event:
- Target high-value enemies: Larger ARC like the Matriarch, Harvesters, and Sentinels award significantly more XP
- Optimize your loadout: Bring PvE-focused weapons like the Bettina, Hullcracker, or energy weapons
- Signal cooperation: Use voice comms or emotes to show friendly intentions to other Raiders
- Carry defib charges: Reviving others builds trust and maintains firepower against ARC threats
- Hunt in ARC-dense zones: Industrial areas, spawn sites, and patrol routes offer the most targets
Event Rewards
The Shared Watch Event features three pages of rewards that unlock progressively as you earn Merits:
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The headline reward is The Slugger, a baseball umpire-themed cosmetic set. The full reward track includes:
- The Slugger outfit (baseball umpire theme)
- Raider Tokens for purchasing additional cosmetics
- Blueprints for weapons or utility items
- Consumables, materials, and progression items
The Slugger continues ARC Raiders' tradition of sports-themed cosmetics, following the Goalie Raider Deck (hockey theme) from the Cold Snap update.
Cold Snap Returns
Alongside the Shared Watch Event, the Cold Snap map condition returns to regular rotation. Cold Snap introduces freezing weather conditions, frostbite mechanics, and reduced visibility.
If Cold Snap requires Candleberries for progression (as it did during the Flickering Flames event), check our Candleberry Locations Guide for spawn points across all maps.
Cold Snap survival tips: Stay indoors or near heat sources to avoid frostbite. Carry extra healing items. Be cautious on frozen water surfaces where movement is unsteady.
Check the Events Calendar for the current Cold Snap schedule and rotation.
Why This Event Matters
The Shared Watch Event represents Embark's response to ongoing community discussions about PvE versus PvP balance. While ARC Raiders is designed as a PvPvE extraction shooter, a significant portion of the community has adopted PvE-focused playstyles.
Some players have requested a dedicated PvE mode with no PvP. Embark has been clear this isn't happening—the tension between fighting ARC and other Raiders is core to the game's design. However, the studio recognizes that not every Raider wants to shoot on sight.
Shared Watch is a compromise. It's not a separate mode, but it creates temporary incentives for cooperation. You can still engage in PvP, but the event rewards actively encourage working together against the machines.
Setting a Precedent
This event establishes several important patterns for ARC Raiders' future:
- Temporary events over permanent splits: Embark prefers limited-time events that encourage specific playstyles without fragmenting the player base
- Incentives over restrictions: Rather than punishing PvP or enforcing strict matchmaking, cooperation is rewarded
- Community-responsive design: The event addresses player feedback while maintaining the core PvPvE design philosophy
If Shared Watch is successful, expect more cooperative PvE-focused events in future updates.
What's Next for February
The Shared Watch Event is just one piece of February's content. According to the 2026 Escalation Roadmap, February's Shrouded Sky update includes:
- New map condition (storm-themed)
- New ARC threat
- Player project (likely Shared Watch itself)
- New Raider Deck
- Map updates to existing locations
- Second Expedition Window
It's unclear whether February will feature one major update or two separate releases. If everything drops today, expect the new ARC threat and map update alongside Shared Watch. If February is split into two releases, additional content could arrive in approximately two weeks.
Final Thoughts
The Shared Watch Event addresses community feedback about PvP aggression without sacrificing the core PvPvE design. By offering meaningful rewards for cooperative ARC hunting, Embark creates a temporary environment where cooperation is incentivized—not forced.
Whether you're a dedicated PvE player, a PvP enthusiast taking a break, or simply pursuing The Slugger outfit, the event offers two weeks of focused ARC combat with tangible rewards.
The watch begins February 10. See you in the Rust Belt, Raiders.
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