ARC Raiders players may lose items they received from the Duplication Glitch

This article was updated on February 14, 2026, adding some additional reaction to the possibility of punishment for those who “excessively” exploited this bug. It was first published on February 10, 2026.

ARC Raiders has finally fixed the game-breaking duplication bug with a hotfix, but it has also signaled that players may soon lose items obtained through the exploit and may even receive penalties. It's no secret that one of the ARC RaidersThe core issues have been the recurring occurrence of exploits, which often cause serious problems in PvP. However, the duplication bug was among the most serious and created major problems that made the game unplayable for many players.

Interestingly, the big February 10 update that many expected to address the bug completely ignored it. Not only that, the duplication issue wasn't even mentioned in the “known issues” section of the official patch notes, which quickly drew backlash from the community.

Duplication Glitch Drama Continues After Hotfix

A few hours after ARC Raiders' February update went live, Embark Studios finally acknowledged the duplication and rolled out a quick OTA hotfix to fix it. However, the studio also announced that, depending on the severity of the exploit, some players may face penalties for abusing the bug. “Players who have duplicated excessive amounts of items will be subject to further review and possible penalties,” the official Twitter post said, adding that “Nothing beats earning your loot the hard way.”

Some players may soon lose their glitch-earned items

While Embark Studios hasn't been entirely transparent about their next steps, a likely outcome is some sort of rollback on the accounts of players who abused the bug. The developer may remove redundant items obtained through duplication and possibly the currency earned from selling them. This may also extend to ARC Raiders' Try, as many players used the bug to secure high positions in the current week's tasks. That said, these results remain speculative, and Embark Studios has yet to confirm their exact plans for handling the situation.

The penalty lines seem blurred

One detail that has caught the attention of many players is how vague the studio has been in its wording on both Twitter and Discord. A community manager on the game's official Discord server wrote: “We are still investigating the full impact of the issue and will take action based on the severity of the various cases as we complete our investigation.” As a result, many players believe the studio may struggle to properly address the issue, as it seems unlikely to review accounts on a case-by-case basis and punish only a portion of the player base. Even if Embark Studios succeeds in doing so, it remains unclear what will actually define the level of “seriousness” that warrants a penalty.

Not all players are happy with Embark Studios' decision

While most in the community seem happy that the bug has finally been fixed, not everyone agrees with how Embark Studios has handled the situation. Some argue that players should not be penalized for a mistake on the developer's part, and note that ARC Raiders' Duplication errors had already been reported by thousands of players and were apparently ignored. To them, it seems unjustifiable to punish those who used the glitch, especially when even prominent streamers like The Burnt Peanut took advantage of it.

However, those in favor of bans and penalties make solid counter-arguments. They point out that the error has affected ARC Raiders' Try by giving some players an unfair advantage and inflated scores. They also note that the duplication bug caused many players to lose hard-earned loot in one-sided PvP matches, necessitating developer action. Finally, they claim that players who use the exploit to collect millions of coins can destabilize the game's economy and balance, especially with ARC Raiders' second expedition window just a few days away.

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In the coming days, it will be interesting to see how Embark Studios manages the aftermath of the hotfix. The studio is currently facing criticism from both sides of the debate. Players who used the bug argue that they had no other option and do not deserve a ban or punishment, while those affected believe that releasing exploiters would be unfair and could encourage more players to abuse future bugs.

So far, Embark has not released any further details about possible penalties, leading many to wonder if something is going on behind the scenes. There also continues to be debate about what qualifies as “excessive” in terms of duplication and how Embark will determine the specific value threshold.