ARC Raiders Grappling Hook: Range and Snap Hook Nerf

The ARC Raiders Grappling Hook arrived with the Frozen Trail 2.0 update on October 8, 2026, and players have been posting clips of it all week.

This page covers what Embark and the wiki confirm about it, how it differs from the Snap Hook that Embark just nerfed, and the one thing nobody has confirmed yet: how to get it.

TL;DR: The Grappling Hook is an Uncommon gadget with a 20m range that lets you climb, abseil and swing. Embark nerfed the Snap Hook to 18m so the two stop overlapping. We found no confirmed way to unlock the Grappling Hook, and the wiki entry is still a stub.

What is the ARC Raiders Grappling Hook? (quick answer)

Embark's preview says the Grapple Hook is there to offer "new ways to play and fresh modes of traversal", letting you "climb hard to reach spots, abseil off buildings, and swing over large gaps". The wiki lists it as an Uncommon Quick Use gadget with a 20m range, described as "a simple gadget that anchors to most surfaces."

Press kit: Embark Studios. Official Grappling Hook gadget art.

It sits alongside the other 2.0 gadgets in Embark's patch notes: Basic and Advanced Cameras, the Tether Launcher, the Yank Grenade and the Mountaineer's Detector. For the new map where climbing matters most, see our Pendola Pass guide.

Grappling Hook vs Snap Hook

Both are rope gadgets, but Embark is deliberately pulling them apart. The patch notes say the Snap Hook was a "general use" mobility gadget and that the new hook needed its own identity "outside of a 'linear upgrade' path".

The wiki rows for the Grappling Hook are community-maintained and the page is a stub, so anything beyond rarity and range there is not confirmed.

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

What changed for the Snap Hook

Embark's 2.0 notes cut the Snap Hook range from 20m to 18m, raised durability use from 2% to 4% per use and raised its power cost from 50 to 60. Embark's stated aim is to make it a "burst mobility gadget" with "more commitment" per use.

The practical result, in Embark's words, is that the higher power cost "will still allow for multiple uses within a short time when at full power, but will no longer allow for immediate back-to-back uses."

Step-by-Step: using the Grappling Hook

This is what the sources support. We have not played it, so the movement details come from the wiki and from players.

1. Equip it as a Quick Use gadget: the wiki files it under Quick Use gadgets.

2. Throw it at a surface within 20m: the wiki says it "can be thrown and anchored to most surfaces". "Most" means some surfaces will not hold, and the wiki does not say which.

3. Climb, abseil or swing: these are the three uses Embark names. One poster described a triple swing and called it a possible Snap Hook replacement.

4. Pick how you let go: a player reply under that clip says jumping releases you "with an upward-boost" while a manual release is "purely motion-based non-boost". This is a player report, not an Embark statement.

How to get the Grappling Hook (unconfirmed)

The most searched questions are about the blueprint and where to find it. We could not confirm an answer. The wiki page lists the crafting ingredients and requirements as unknown, and Embark's patch notes do not name a trader, quest or loot source.

Until that changes, we are not going to guess a drop location. If you see one on another site, check whether it cites the patch notes or the wiki. Our crafting guide explains how blueprints and Workbench upgrades work in general, and the workshop upgrade items guide covers what the upgrade tiers need.

The other tether gadgets: Tether Launcher and Yank Grenade

Embark added two more gadgets "as part of our larger system of tethers and constraints". The Tether Launcher "allows you to connect two separate points with a wire, rooting them in place for easy pickings or even attaching Raiders to ARC and watching as they're dragged away."

Press kit: Embark Studios. Official Tether Launcher gadget art.

The Yank Grenade uses the same idea, but "when it explodes, it pulls a nearby target with a violent force." Embark suggests slamming flying ARC to the ground or pulling Raiders out of cover. One 2.0 known issue: the option to repair the Tether Launcher is currently unavailable.

What players are saying

Early reaction is positive, with a few gaps. One poster wrote that the "Triple-Swing from the Grappling Hook" might be "the best addition to the game" and could "surpass the snaphook". Another thread's title says it plainly: "Hullcracker = snap hook, rascal = grappling hook", whose author calls the new tool "Same, but worse. And cheaper." A reply there disagrees: "snaphooks pull you towards whatever you shoot them at. But with grapple hooks you can climb, swing".

The complaint is combat. A thread titled "Im disappointed we can't shoot from the grappling hook" draws replies that guess it would have been "exploited HEAVY" if allowed. There is also a bug report of a player stuck in Pendola Pass who says no climbing "or use of the grappling hook got me out". Treat all of this as early player reports.

Frozen Trail launch trailer

Official launch trailer from the ARC Raiders channel.

Our take

This is a research page, not a hands-on review. I have not used the hook in a raid, so everything here comes from Embark, the wiki and players.

On the evidence, the design intent is clear and sensible: one tool for climbing and swinging, with the Snap Hook pushed toward short bursts. The unknown is the unlock. Until Embark or the wiki names it, I would not plan a loadout around a blueprint you cannot yet confirm how to get. For loadouts you can plan today, see the best solo loadouts and the best squad loadouts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get the Grappling Hook in ARC Raiders? Embark has not said, and the wiki page for the item is still a stub with unknown ingredients. We found no confirmed blueprint source, so treat any specific location you read elsewhere as unverified until Embark or the wiki confirms it.

What does the Grappling Hook do in ARC Raiders? Embark says it lets you climb hard to reach spots, abseil off buildings and swing over large gaps. The wiki lists it as an Uncommon gadget that anchors to most surfaces, with a 20m range.

Is the Grappling Hook better than the Snap Hook? Embark says they are meant to be different tools, not a linear upgrade. The Snap Hook is now a burst mobility gadget with 18m range, while the Grappling Hook is built for climbing, swinging and abseiling.

What changed for the Snap Hook in Frozen Trail 2.0? Range dropped from 20m to 18m, durability use rose from 2% to 4% per use, and power cost rose from 50 to 60. Embark says back-to-back uses are no longer immediate.

Can you shoot while using the Grappling Hook? Players say no. A Reddit thread complains that you cannot shoot from the hook, and replies guess pistol-only use would have been possible. Embark has not commented in the patch notes.

What is the Tether Launcher in ARC Raiders? A new gadget that connects two points with a wire, rooting a target in place or attaching a Raider to an ARC machine so it drags them away. Repairing it is a known issue for now.

Related Reading

• ARC Raiders Other Raiders: Survive Player Encounters: ARC Raiders other Raiders guide: how to avoid, outmaneuver, and survive contested extractions. Extraction types
• ARC Raiders Endgame Guide: What to Do After Frozen Trail: Trials, Gunsmith level 4 through the Outpost, Envoys stash space and the Expedition pause.
• ARC Raiders Loot Guide: What to Keep, Sell, or Scrap: ARC Raiders loot guide: what the Safe Pocket protects, what each trader sells, how recycling
• ARC Raiders Skill Tree 2.0: All 48 Skills Explained: ARC Raiders skill tree after Frozen Trail 2.0: all 48 skills by branch, how the
• ARC Raiders Beginner Guide: Survival, Loot & Extraction: ARC Raiders beginner guide: how to survive your first raids, manage loot, use the skill
• ARC Raiders Phantom Targets Part 2: Stages and Rewards: the three glitched Wasp stages, the parts they asked for, and the rewards.
• ARC Raiders Extractions Guide: where mobility gadgets help you get out.
• ARC Raiders Maps Guide: every raid map and its routes.

References

• Frozen Trail 2.0 update notes, ARC Raiders official site: new items list, Snap Hook changes and known issues, accessed 2026-10-09.
• Frozen Trail content preview, ARC Raiders official site: Grappling Hook and Tethers sections, accessed 2026-10-09.
• Grappling Hook, ARC Raiders Wiki: stub page, rarity and range, accessed 2026-10-09.
• Snap Hook, ARC Raiders Wiki: rarity, recipe and 2.0 change, accessed 2026-10-09.
• ARC Raiders on Steam: the game's store page.
• r/ArcRaiders: Hullcracker = snap hook, rascal = grappling hook
• r/ArcRaiders: Triple-Swing from the Grappling Hook
• r/ArcRaiders: Im disappointed we can't shoot from the grappling hook
• r/ArcRaiders: Game breaking collision bug in Pendola Pass
• Frozen Trail Launch Trailer, ARC Raiders official YouTube