There is nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of grappling into a firefight, only to discover your character has decided to embrace pacifism at the absolute worst possible moment.
There appears to be an ARC Raiders bug not allowing players to pull their gun out
— Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) December 23, 2025
Happened to both Ninja and Nadeshot pic.twitter.com/I5OHM5yUHr
Arc Raiders players are accustomed to brutal gameplay. The machines want you dead, other players want your loot, and gravity behaves more like a suggestion than a law. But recently, the most dangerous threat in Speranza is not a towering robot or a skilled sniper. It is your own inventory. A frustrating new bug is spreading through the game that effectively disarms players, leaving them completely defenseless while enemies turn them into target practice. Players are calling it the “Pacifist Glitch,” and it is absolutely maddening.
Even The Pros Are Getting Disarmed (Arc Raiders weapon)
This issue is not limited to casual players struggling in silence. The glitch has reached the highest levels of competitive play. Clips are emerging of prominent streamers grappling into combat, desperately pressing their weapon swap keys, and receiving absolutely nothing in response.
As highlighted by Jake Lucky, Ninja recently grappled into a fight ready to secure a clutch play, only to discover his weapon was trapped in some digital void. He spent his final moments frantically explaining to his teammates that he literally could not shoot. For once, that excuse was completely legitimate. Nadeshot has reportedly encountered the identical problem. If the game is malfunctioning for players with the most expensive gaming setups available, what chance does everyone else have?
The Community Is Losing It
The replies beneath these clips are flooded with players realizing they were not imagining things. “Thought I was losing it for real,” one user commented, capturing the frustration of everyone who has died while furiously clicking a mouse that refuses to cooperate.
The bug appears to trigger frequently after using traversal tools like the grapple hook, which is particularly unfortunate because that is precisely when players want to look impressive, not completely helpless. Some players report they can equip their primary weapon but not their secondary, while others are left with nothing but empty hands and desperate hope.
The Sound of Silence (From The Devs)
At this time, Embark Studios has not officially addressed why Raiders are suddenly forgetting how to hold firearms. The issue is gaining significant attention rapidly, so hopefully a hotfix is already in development. Until then, players might want to reconsider grappling directly into a three-player squad. Or simply accept their role as a human bullet sponge.
Arc Raiders delivers an incredible experience, but losing a run because the code decided weapons were optional creates a unique kind of frustration. Players already deal with enough unpredictable behavior from the physics engine. Having weapons go on strike adds insult to injury. Embark, please address this before frustrated players start destroying their peripherals.