ARC Raiders Anvil After 2.0: Rarity, Splitter, Bantam

The ARC Raiders Anvil is still a fan favorite hand cannon, but Frozen Trail 2.0 on October 8, 2026 changed what it costs, how you modify it and who sells it.

This page lays out what Embark confirmed, what the wiki says, and what players report, plus how the new Bantam revolver fits beside it.

TL;DR: Embark moved the Anvil from Green to Blue rarity, deleted its Tech Mod slot and retired the Anvil Splitter, which became an Amplified Anvil upgrade. The Bantam is the new uncommon hand cannon. The damage numbers were not touched in the notes.

ARC Raiders Anvil: what changed in 2.0 (quick answer)

Five Anvil changes came with the update. Only the first three are in Embark's notes, the rest are on the wiki.

Image: Bantam, official ARC Raiders art. Game art is the property of Embark Studios.

Embark's reason is economic: "The Anvil has been a tricky weapon to evaluate", it was "outperforming weapons both within and above its own level of rarity", and a higher rarity "would put it in a better place within the economy". If you are still picking your first loadout, our ARC Raiders weapons tier list and best solo loadouts show where the Anvil sat before the change.

Why the ARC Raiders Anvil moved up a rarity

The ARC Raiders Anvil was a Green item that kept pace with Blue weapons. Embark calls it "a fan-favourite and a staple of the game", so it kept the gun and changed the price of owning one. The notes say the point was to keep "the gameplay and power that we know and love".

The wiki's history table lists a cost increase: "All resources, required to craft, upgrade, repair, recycle and salvage the Anvil have been changed to a higher tier." The wiki's own recipe line is still blank for the new craft cost, so we cannot list it.

In its place, Embark says, "the Bantam will take the role of the uncommon hand cannon, with a balance that is more suitable for the role."

What happened to the Anvil Splitter

GODEEPER: Where weapon mods and Tech Mod slots fit in the wider build. ARC Raiders Augments Guide: Best Builds →

The Anvil Splitter used to be the only Tech Mod on the ARC Raiders Anvil. The wiki lists the old effects as "+3 Projectiles Per Shot" and "70% Reduced Projectile Damage". In 2.0 Embark made it unusable as a mod: "it has now become an improved upgrade option for the Amplified Anvil. We have also removed the Tech Mod slot from the Anvil to reflect this."

The item will not drop any more, but it "will remain in the game for a while, allowing players to sell or recycle it". The wiki says a leftover Splitter recycles into 5 Amplified Fragments or salvages into 2.

Image: Anvil Splitter item icon, ARC Raiders Wiki (arcraiders.wiki). Game art is the property of Embark Studios.

Keep or recycle? If you want the Amplified Anvil, the Splitter amplification is a research unlock, not the old item, so the leftover crate only matters as fragment fuel. One player asked how to get fragments and said all they could see was that "they drop from recycling the discontinued anvil splitters". A reply says "Scrap amplified parts and guns", which we could not confirm elsewhere.

The Amplified Anvil: how to unlock it

Embark describes amplification as a fifth quality level for 15 weapons, opened through "the fully-upgraded Research Workstation in your Outpost". It "unlocks a branching path of abilities and enhancements" that can "completely change their behavior". Per the wiki, the Anvil gets two options:

Image: Amplified Weapons, official ARC Raiders art. The guns shown are not the Anvil. Game art is the property of Embark Studios.

The wiki says the stations must be level 4: "Unlock the Outpost and upgrade your Gunsmith and Research Stations to Level 4 to amplify your weapons." Our Outpost guide covers the build order, and the workshop upgrade guide lists what the stations cost.

Step-by-step: how to amplify the Anvil

This is the order the wiki and Embark describe. We have not run it ourselves.

1. Build the Outpost and finish the Research Workstation: Embark says amplification runs through "the fully-upgraded Research Workstation".

2. Raise the Gunsmith to level 4: the wiki lists Gunsmith and Research Stations at level 4.

3. Research the amplification you want: X Rounds or Anvil Splitter, the two options the wiki lists for the Anvil.

4. Amplify your Anvil: the wiki says the change "cannot be reverted", so pick the path before you commit.

5. Keep Amplified Fragments for repairs: Embark says they are used for repairing Amplified Weapons.

Where to get an ARC Raiders Anvil now

Tian Wen no longer sells it. Embark says Anvil and Hullcracker offers "will, instead, be part of the weekly Nomadic Envoys rotation", so a weekly stock check is part of the plan. The stash size guide covers the same traders.

The wiki also lists scavenging, crafting with a learned blueprint, quests and projects as sources. One player in a zipline thread says an Anvil now needs "two hand drills" which "are not easy to find", but the wiki crafting entry is blank, so treat that as unconfirmed.

Bantam vs ARC Raiders Anvil: the new hand cannon

Embark calls the Bantam "a snub-nosed revolver that uses heavy ammo", "effective against ARC and Raiders", with "a unique hip-fire capability". The wiki page is still a stub, so these figures may change.

Image: Anvil, ARC Raiders Wiki (arcraiders.wiki). Game art is the property of Embark Studios.

Both guns use heavy ammo, which is why some players run them together. The wiki lists Bantam upgrade perks of up to 44.1% less reload time at level 4, while the Anvil gets up to 75% more fire rate. For how heavy ammo fits squad loadouts, see our best squad loadouts.

What players are saying

GODEEPER: How the update's new tools and weapons fit one build. ARC Raiders Grappling Hook Guide →

Players disagree on whether this counts as a nerf. In a thread asking whether "the anvil get any other nerfs?", one reply says the cost is the nerf: "Costs more to make (and 3 blue items, which no other blue gun requires) Costs more to repair too."

On the Bantam, the opening post in "What's the point of the Bantam?" complains it is "weaker and less accurate than an Anvil, can't one shot fireballs, isn't great against arc and is only okay at PvP." A reply sums up the intent: "Anvil was too good for green tier, so they made a less good version." The same reply says it is "satisfying especially with hip fire, but yes, anvil is still better."

Another player likes the pairing: "Now we finally have ammo synergy." These are a few comments in two threads, not a survey, and they are from the first day of the update.

Frozen Trail: First Look

Official video from the ARC Raiders channel.

Our take

This page is research, not a hands-on test. We have not tried the Amplified Anvil or the Bantam ourselves, so the numbers come from Embark's notes and the wiki.

Per Embark's notes the ARC Raiders Anvil keeps its gameplay and gets a bigger price tag, and the retired Splitter mod is the only clear loss. The Amplified Anvil gives you two new reasons to keep it, and the Bantam is the uncommon option to try before you commit Blue-tier parts. If you are spending a lot on the Outpost already, check the Reward Pass guide for what else competes for your resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the ARC Raiders Anvil get nerfed in Frozen Trail 2.0? Embark did not change the ARC Raiders Anvil's damage in the notes. It raised the Anvil's rarity from Green to Blue, removed its Tech Mod slot and retired the Anvil Splitter mod. The wiki adds that crafting and upgrade resources moved up a tier.

What happened to the Anvil Splitter in ARC Raiders? It is no longer a mod and should no longer drop. Embark says it is now an improved upgrade option for the Amplified Anvil, and old copies can be sold or recycled into Amplified Fragments.

How do you amplify the Anvil? Embark says amplification needs the fully upgraded Research Workstation in your Outpost. The wiki adds Gunsmith and Research Station level 4, and lists X Rounds and Anvil Splitter as the two Anvil options.

What is the Bantam in ARC Raiders? A snub-nosed heavy-ammo revolver that Embark made the uncommon hand cannon. It has a hip-fire mode, and the wiki lists an 8-round magazine against the Anvil's 6.

Is the Bantam better than the Anvil? Not by player consensus so far. One thread calls the Anvil still better, while others like the Bantam's hip fire and shared ammo. Embark says the Bantam is balanced for a lower rarity role.

Where can you buy the Anvil now? Tian Wen no longer sells Anvil offers. Embark says they are now part of the weekly Nomadic Envoys rotation, so the offer is not always available.

Related Reading

• ARC Raiders Weapons Tier List: where every gun ranks before and after the update.
• ARC Raiders Best Solo Loadouts: Weapons, Gear & Tips: ranked weapon, armor and gadget picks for solo raids.
• ARC Raiders Best Squad Loadouts: how to share ammo and roles across a squad.
• ARC Raiders Augments Guide: Best Builds: the build side that pairs with a hand cannon.
• ARC Raiders Outpost Guide: the Research Workstation you need for amplification.
• ARC Raiders Workshop Upgrade Items Guide: what the stations cost to level up.
• ARC Raiders Stash Size Guide: the Nomadic Envoys and where your gear is stored.
• ARC Raiders Reward Pass Guide: the new progression system from the same update.
• ARC Raiders Grappling Hook Guide: new gadgets that came with 2.0.
• ARC Raiders Skill Tree 2.0: All 48 Skills Explained: the reworked skills that change weapon handling.

References

• Frozen Trail 2.0 update notes, ARC Raiders official site: Anvil rarity, Splitter retirement, Tian Wen and Nomadic Envoys changes, accessed 2026-10-09.
• Frozen Trail content preview, ARC Raiders official site: Amplified Weapons, Bantam and Stiletto descriptions, accessed 2026-10-09.
• Anvil, ARC Raiders Wiki: stats, upgrade perks and 2.0 history, accessed 2026-10-09.
• Bantam, ARC Raiders Wiki: stub page with early stats, accessed 2026-10-09.
• Anvil Splitter, ARC Raiders Wiki: retired mod and recycling yield, accessed 2026-10-09.
• Amplification, ARC Raiders Wiki: unlock requirement and Anvil options, accessed 2026-10-09.
• ARC Raiders on Steam: the game's store page.
• r/ArcRaiders: Besides the changes to crafting, did the anvil get any other nerfs?
• r/ArcRaiders: What's the point of the Bantam?
• r/ArcRaiders: Zipline and anvil changes
• r/ArcRaiders: Do we know how to get Amplified Fragments yet?
• Frozen Trail: First Look, ARC Raiders official YouTube