ARC Raiders Pendola Pass Map Guide – All Areas, Best Loot Spots & Extraction Points

TL;DR:

• Pendola Pass is the biggest ARC Raiders map yet, added in the Frozen Trail update on October 8, 2026.
• The map is split into four districts: Northern Tracks, Almatera Village, Freight Terminal, and Southern Pass.
• Flash Freeze storms can hit mid-raid — get inside a building or an Avalanche Shelter fast.
• The Fallen Emperor is the crown jewel location but requires a crafted Emperor Gateway Conduit key to enter.
• Extraction here isn’t a hatch — you leave via Ballistic Gondola, and only three Raiders fit per ride.
• Three new ARC enemies debut on this map: the Bully, Skulker, and Hydra.
• Unlock Pendola Pass after completing 25 rounds on other maps.

Pendola Pass doesn’t ease you in. It’s a frozen mountain region sitting beyond the mountains that wall off the Rust Belt, and it’s easily the most demanding environment in ARC Raiders right now. Bigger map, harsher weather, new threats, and a completely different extraction method. If you’re heading in blind, you’re going to struggle. This guide breaks down every district, the best spots to loot, how to get inside the Fallen Emperor, and how to actually get out alive.

How to Unlock the Pendola Pass Map in ARC Raiders

Before you can drop into Pendola Pass, you need to put in the work elsewhere. The map unlocks after completing 25 rounds on other ARC Raiders maps. If you’re still grinding your early game, check out our ARC Raiders best tips and tricks guide and our best skills to unlock first — those will make your early rounds go much faster.

Once unlocked, you can drop solo or with a squad. First visit tip: learn the extraction terminals and the nearest Avalanche Shelter locations before you start farming. You’ll thank yourself later.

Pendola Pass Map Overview – All Four Districts

The map is divided into four major districts, each with its own set of named locations and loot focuses. Here’s the full breakdown:

Northern Tracks

• Cielo Sereno Observatory – Exodus and Technological loot; has a locked Observatory Key Room with Augment Crates.
• Deep Space Telescope – Exodus loot category.
• Researcher Lodgings – Smaller residential stop with moderate loot.
• Dispatch Tower – A quick detour worth checking if you’re passing through.

Almatera Village

Arc raiders Almatera Station

• Fallen Emperor – ARC loot category; the main event of Pendola Pass (more on this below).
• Old Town – Residential and Old World loot; the best location on the map for Research items.
• Almatera Station – Commercial loot; has a locked Train Station Key Room; frequent trinket spawns.
• Piazza della Rupe – Open square area within the village.
• Porta Benvenuti – Entry point area within Almatera Village.

Freight Terminal

• Railyard – Industrial and Mechanical loot; one of the highest raw loot volume areas on the entire map. Multiple interconnected buildings with several entry and exit options.
• Commissary Supermarket – Commercial and Medical loot; best medical supplies on the map; the most containers in the central hall.
• Loading Platforms – Exodus and Industrial loot combined; great when you need both categories at once.
• Railroad Junction – Electrical and Mechanical loot; has a grappling-hook-only elevated loot room above the “J” marker on the map.
• Weather Station – Small point of interest near the tracks; worth a quick sweep if nearby.

Southern Pass

• Old Hamlet – Quieter residential area.
• Truck Stop – Industrial stop in the southern half.
• Electrical Substation – Industrial structure toward the south end of the map.
• Frozen River – One of the extraction points; open and exposed.

Best Loot Spots on Pendola Pass

Not all areas are created equal. Here’s where to focus your runs depending on what you’re farming:

Fallen Emperor – ARC Loot and Rare Technology

The Fallen Emperor is the defining location of Pendola Pass. It’s a massive crashed ARC machine slumped against the mountainside in Almatera Village, and it’s locked behind an Emperor Gateway Conduit key — which itself requires crafting from three ARC Conductive Couplers found across the map. This isn’t a casual visit; it takes preparation. But the payoff is access to the only ARC-category loot zone on the entire map, including expected rare weapon blueprints introduced in the Frozen Trail update and Amplification Modules used in weapon amplification progression.

If you’re working on weapon upgrades, our weapon upgrade guide and ARC Motion Core farming guide are worth reading before heading in.

Railyard – Best for Raw Loot Volume

If you want the most containers per square metre, Railyard is your spot. The interconnected buildings give you multiple entry and exit routes, which is critical when other players are farming the same area. Loot here is tagged as Industrial and Mechanical, and the interactive map data lists it as one of the heaviest loot-density zones on Pendola Pass. There’s also a locked Railyard Key Room at the Freight Terminal for anyone holding the Pendola Pass Railyard Key.

Cielo Sereno Observatory – Exodus and Augment Crates

The Observatory sits in the northeastern part of Northern Tracks and pulls double duty as an objective location for the Exploring Pendola Pass quest. The interior loot leans Technological, and the locked Observatory Key Room — opened with the Pendola Pass Observatory Key — contains Augment Crates worth the detour. During one playtest session, the Observatory key room reportedly yielded weapon blueprints, gear, and even keys to other maps.

Old Town – Best for Research Items

Old Town sits in Almatera Village and carries Residential and Old World loot. If you’re farming Research items, this is the most reliable source on the map. Loot density is listed as above average in the village square areas, and there are multiple floors and buildings to sweep. Pairs nicely with a pass through Almatera Station next door.

Commissary Supermarket – Medical Supplies and High Container Count

The Supermarket in Freight Terminal is the go-to location for medical loot. It’s Commercial and Medical in category, with the most container spawns in its central hall area. This is a smart stop if you need to replenish mid-run or stockpile medical materials. One of the Gondola extraction points — the Supermarket Transceiver — is also nearby, which makes it a logical final stop before extracting.

Loading Platforms – Exodus + Industrial Combined

Loading Platforms is worth hitting when you need Exodus and Industrial loot in the same run. It’s one of the Freight Terminal’s better-kept secrets and convenient to route alongside Railyard. If you’re managing your stash after a long run, our guide on recycling and selling items is useful for deciding what to keep from a heavy haul.

Flash Freeze – What It Is and How to Survive It

Flash Freeze is Pendola Pass’s signature environmental hazard and the mechanic that separates this map from every other location in the game. During a raid, a Flash Freeze storm can sweep across the valley without much warning, making outdoor and exposed areas dangerous. Staying outside when it hits deals damage over time and forces you to react immediately — unlike a firefight where you choose your moment.

When Flash Freeze hits:

• Get inside a building as fast as possible.
• Alternatively, find an Avalanche Shelter — these open up specifically during Flash Freeze events and contain loot inside.
• Be aware that other Raiders will be rushing the same shelters. Don’t assume the shelter is safe just because you made it there.
• There are 9 Flash Freeze Hatches across the map — these are shelters, not extraction points. Don’t confuse them.

The Dynamic Loot Zone system also interacts with Flash Freeze. Loot values shift between raids, but each area’s loot category stays fixed. Plan your route around categories, not individual spawns.

New ARC Enemies on Pendola Pass

Frozen Trail 2.0 brings three new ARC enemies that debut on Pendola Pass. Expect to encounter them throughout the map, and especially near extraction:

• Bully – A heavy four-legged machine that charges fast and attacks with incendiary shotgun rounds and grenades. Eight spawn locations across the map. Can push into extraction areas, so stay alert near Gondola points.
• Skulker – A tactical ARC with 14 spawn locations — the most frequent new enemy on the map. Plays differently from the Bully; it’s more about positioning.
• Hydra – Eight spawn locations. Another new threat type introduced alongside the others in the Frozen Trail update.

The Emperor’s crash reportedly triggered a heavier ARC presence across the region, which explains the density of new spawns. For more on handling ARC threats efficiently, our Baron Husk locations guide and Arc Surveyors guide give good context on enemy-type farming.

All Key Rooms on Pendola Pass

There are four locked rooms confirmed on Pendola Pass, each requiring a specific key:

• Pendola Pass Observatory Room – Inside Cielo Sereno Observatory; opened with the Pendola Pass Observatory Key.
• Pendola Pass Train Station Room – Located at Almatera Station; opened with the Pendola Pass Train Station Key. Priority loot includes the Leviathan’s Crown Ship Model.
• Pendola Pass Railyard Room – At the Railyard in Freight Terminal; opened with the Pendola Pass Railyard Key.
• Pendola Pass Old Town Room – In Old Town; opened with the Pendola Pass Old Town Key.

Keys reportedly drop from supply crates and elite ARC enemies. For a reference on how key systems work across other ARC Raiders maps, our Spaceport Trench Tower Key guide, Dam Control Tower Key guide, and Dam Surveillance Key guide cover similar mechanics in detail.

All Extraction Points on Pendola Pass

Pendola Pass uses a Ballistic Gondola extraction system instead of the standard Raider Hatch tubes. You initiate extraction at a Gondola Transceiver, and the Gondola launches you back to Speranza. The critical catch: only three Raiders can extract per Gondola. If multiple squads converge on the same point, not everyone makes it out.

There are four Gondola Transceiver extraction points:

• Glacial Transceiver – Located on the Frozen River in Southern Pass; exposed and open.
• Reckless Transceiver – A more aggressive extraction point location.
• Supermarket Transceiver – Near the Commissary Supermarket; convenient after a loot run through Freight Terminal.
• Northern Transceiver – In the Northern Tracks area.

The Glacial Transceiver near the Frozen River is one of the most exposed, but it’s also the most convenient after running the Emperor. Plan your exit before you start farming — the Gondola waits for no one. If you’re not sure about safe extraction habits, our extraction guide and safe pockets guide explain how to protect your loot regardless of which map you’re on.

Pendola Pass Raider Caches

Beyond the regular loot containers, Pendola Pass has a significant cache system:

• 13 Frozen Raider Cache spawners, each with multiple possible spots per raid (98 total possible locations). Each spawner picks one spot per run, so the exact locations shift each raid.
• 9 regular Raider Caches that are fixed every single raid — these are consistent farming stops.

Container breakdown across the map: 71 Ammo Crates, 74 Grenade Tubes, 66 Medical Bags, and 84 Backpacks. This is the largest container pool in the game so far — another reason Pendola Pass earns its “biggest map” title.

For strategies on what to do with everything you find, our complete loot table guide and best blueprint farming spots guide are solid references.

Pendola Pass Quests

The Frozen Trail update brought 22 new quests alongside the map, and several are tied directly to Pendola Pass locations. The “Exploring Pendola Pass” quest requires visiting specific areas including the Cielo Sereno Observatory Control Room and the Commissary Supermarket. For the full quest list and other active mission tracking, our ARC Raiders all quests guide has everything in one place. You’ll also want to keep tabs on our expeditions and wipe system guide if you’re planning longer farming sessions.

Quick Tips for Surviving Pendola Pass

• Learn Avalanche Shelter locations before your first real farming run — Flash Freeze hits without much warning.
• Don’t leave extraction to the last second. Three-Raider Gondolas fill fast.
• Route Railyard + Loading Platforms together in Freight Terminal for an efficient material loop.
• Old Town is quiet but consistent for Research items — good for calmer solo runs.
• The Fallen Emperor needs a crafted key. Don’t show up expecting a walk-in.
• New enemies (especially the Bully) push into extraction areas — save some ammo for the exit.
• Check our Synthesized Fuel farming guide and Humidifier farming guide to top off your crafting materials before attempting the Emperor run.

For anyone new to the game or returning after a break, the ARC Raiders survival tips guide and max level XP farming guide are worth a read before investing time in Pendola Pass runs. And if you’re playing on console, Pendola Pass is available on PlayStation and Xbox alongside PC.

ARC Raiders Pendola Pass Map – FAQ