Arc Raiders' Bird City map modifier explained

(Image credit: Embark)

The Bird City map modifier for Arc Raiders has been revealed as part of the January Headwinds update, a new addition to the Buried City map that launches imminently and adds flocks of scavenging birds to various rooftops. This is actually what players are going to be getting instead of the rumoured Arc Raiders Toxic Swamp modifier, which seems now to have been a decoy left in the files to throw dataminers and the community at large off the scent. Instead we have birds – and here we'll cover everything we know about the event in anticipation of the impending update.

Everything we know about the Headwinds update and Bird City map modifier

Revealed in an official press release from Arc Raiders' developer Embark, the Headwinds update drops imminently on January 27, 2026. It includes multiple new features and gameplay elements promised in the Arc Raiders Escalation Roadmap, perhaps the most significant of which is the "Bird City" map modifier for the Buried City only. Here are all the major points in the press release:

Flocks of Birds will appear on the rooftops of Buried City.
They drop "prized items, drawing players in search of loot upwards".
The intended result is "high-risk, high-reward opportunities through rooftop routes and chimney caches that can contain valuable materials and rare trinkets."
As loot is found in marked, concentrated spots, there's a higher likelihood of player encounters and interaction at this spots.

Birds have existed in Arc Raiders before now, but only as infrequent sound triggers that can alert other players to your presence. Whether they'll still serve that function in Bird City remains to be seen, though it seems likely.

Other things that the Headwinds update will include:

New matchmaking option, Solo vs. Squads, for players level 40 or higher. Those solo players who enter squad lobbies will get bonus XP at the end of their expedition.
Open parties and expanded squad invites give players more flexibility and control over joining each other.
New objectives and goals, including the Arc Trophy Display, where players hunt Arc robots and submit their pieces for rewards.
New quests and gameplay missions, as well as quality of life updates and improvements.

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Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.

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