New Skill Tree: Frozen Trail Changes
Last updated: 2026-10-30
Frozen Trail 2.0, which launched on October 8, 2026, rebuilt the Raider skill tree from the ground up. Embark was blunt that the old tree “was not living up to its role”: too many bonuses felt interchangeable, and a change reasonable against ARC machines could become overpowered against other Raiders. The rework keeps the three branches — Conditioning, Mobility and Survival — but replaces the old “large” nodes with real choice nodes, adds 16 skills, removes 13, and moves 11 between branches.
- Points refunded: every Raider’s skill points were returned when Frozen Trail launched, so your first respec into the new tree is free.
- Budget: 76 base points (level 75) plus up to 5 bonus points per completed Expedition (15 max) = 91 total.
- Gates: 10 points in a branch opens the mid-branch pick-one node; 30 and 40 points unlock the first and second end-of-branch capstones.
- Reset cost: 2,000 Coins per point to wipe the whole tree (~152,000 for a full reset).
How the New Choice Nodes Work
The old large nodes are gone, replaced by forced decisions:
- Mid-branch (10 points): one path where the node is a binary choice between two skills. You can only take one; the alternative stays locked until you reset the tree.
- End of branch (30 and 40 points): two nodes where you choose from three skills and may take up to two — the first at 30 points in that branch, the second at 40. Going all-in on one branch never gets you all three.
Resetting the tree is the only way to re-pick a choice node, so read both options before you commit.
The Math of Spending Points
With 76 base points you can reach 40 points in one branch and 30 in another, which gets you three end-of-branch capstones total. Once you have all 15 Expedition points (91 total), you can reach 40 in two branches. Embark dropped the old 15/36-point gates down to 10/30/40 to make build planning more approachable.
16 New Skills
Vault ‘N’ Carry, Mule’s Gallop, Speedy Mule, Weapon Bash, Bull Rush, Sure-Footed Scrambler, Right Back at It, Swift Start, Sprinting on Fumes, Wall Run, In the Flow, Quick Roll, Stylish Landing, Road Warrior, Nomadic Crafting and Field Repair.
13 Skills Removed
Carry the Momentum, Calming Stroll, Heroic Leap, Blast-Born, Survivor’s Stamina, Unburdened Roll, Effortless Swing, Sky-Clearing Swing, Flyswatter, Suffer in Silence, Revitalizing Squat, Good as New and One Raider’s Scraps.
11 Skills Moved Branch
- To Conditioning: Stubborn Mule, Three Deep Breaths, Broad Shoulders, Security Breach, Vigorous Vaulter, Crawl Before You Walk.
- To Mobility: Fight or Flight.
- To Survival: Sturdy Ankles, Turtle Crawl, Gentle Pressure, A Little Extra.
A few returning skills were also tuned: Fight or Flight grants about 25% more stamina per level, Stubborn Mule’s stamina regeneration is up about 33%, and Back on Your Feet raises its heal from 30 to 40.
End-of-Branch Capstones
Each branch’s two end nodes share a pool of three capstones, of which you take up to two.
| Branch | Capstone | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Mobility | Sprinting on Fumes | Stamina never fully drains while sprinting; any action or damage cancels it, and recovery time scales with how long you ran on empty. Since Update 2.1.0 you cannot use stamina items during that recovery, and Fight or Flight no longer skips it. |
| Mobility | Wall Run | Sprinting into a wall lets you run up it for a few steps. |
| Mobility | In the Flow | Chaining mobility moves while sprinting increases speed and reduces stamina cost. |
| Conditioning | Security Breach | Breach Security Lockers, and open ones other players have already breached. |
| Conditioning | Weapon Bash | Perform a melee attack with your equipped weapon. |
| Conditioning | Bull Rush | With your weapon stowed, knock back players and ARC while sprinting. |
| Survival | Road Warrior | Loot more ammo and ARC Powercells from ARC, and recycle at full efficiency during a round. |
| Survival | Nomadic Crafting | Field-craft a much wider range of items. |
| Survival | Field Repair | Repair weapons, shields and gadgets up to 30% durability during a round. |
Adapting Your Build
- Plan around the 30 and 40 point marks. The end-of-branch skills are the strongest things in the tree; work backwards from the capstones you want.
- Stamina skills are still the safe start. Youthful Lungs opens Mobility and Marathon Runner sits later in the branch — fix your stamina before anything else.
- Choice nodes are permanent until a reset. Picking Vault Spring over Vaults on Vaults on Vaults, or Quick Roll over Minesweeper, costs 2,000 Coins per point to undo.
- Expedition points unlock the third capstone. Completing Expeditions banks up to 5 permanent bonus points each (15 total), which is what lets you reach 40 in a second branch for a second 40-point capstone like Wall Run.
- Expect more tweaks: Embark calls the rework a big reimagining, and further adjustments to existing and new skills are likely as it watches how players use the tree.
Sources
This guide is based on the following community and official references: