Source: Embark Studios (official key art via Steam)
Pendola Pass Extraction Works Differently
Pendola Pass extraction breaks every habit you built on other ARC Raiders maps. There are no elevators here, and there are no Raider Hatches to fall back on. The only way out is the Ballistic Gondola, called from one of four transceivers spread around the map. If you walk into Pendola Pass expecting a familiar exit, you will spend your last minutes sprinting across open snow while the gondola timer runs out.
Pendola Pass arrived with Frozen Trail, the 2.0 update released on October 8, 2026, and Embark calls it the most complex map in the game, with a strong focus on vertical terrain. That verticality is the whole story of extraction here. You are not just picking an exit, you are picking a route up, across, and down a mountain, under a weather system that punishes exposed movement. Plan your exit before you loot, not after your backpack is full.
The Four Gondola Transceivers
Pendola Pass extraction starts at one of four transceivers: Glacial, Northern, Reckless, and Supermarket. They sit toward the edges of the map, not in the middle, which means your loot route should end near one of them. Pick your transceiver when you spawn, based on where your quests and loot stops take you, and stick to that plan unless a fight forces you to change it.
Each transceiver works the same way. Reach it, hold the interact button, and the Ballistic Gondola is called. The gondola does not land beside the transceiver. Players report it touches down roughly 100 to 150 meters away in open ground, marked on your map and by green smoke and lights, with the transceiver's light pointing toward the landing zone. That gap is the most dangerous part of the whole process, because you have to cross open ground to reach your ride.
The gondola has three pods, one raider each, so a full trio fits exactly. Raiders hooked onto the outside with a Grappling Hook or Snap Hook are reported to extract with it too, which is a useful trick for a squad that picked up a fourth wheel or a player who arrived late. Do not count on the hook trick as your primary plan, though. It is a backup, not a strategy.
Pendola Pass Extraction Timing, Step by Step
The sequence is simple, and the execution is where runs fall apart. First, clear the area around the transceiver before you call the gondola, not after. Calling it is loud, and it draws attention from both ARC machines and other raiders. If you call first and clear second, you are defending a position while the clock runs.
Second, move to the landing zone as a group and hold a defensive position with sightlines on the approach routes. Players report the gondola waits about two minutes, but that timer collapses to a 10-second launch countdown as soon as someone starts boarding. That means the first player to board starts the clock for everyone else. Board together, or be ready to leave a straggler behind.
Third, watch for the Bully, one of the new ARC units added for Pendola Pass. Players warn that Bullies can wander into landing zones, and Embark's own advice is direct: use cover, time your response, and hit your shots. A Bully arriving during boarding is a run-ender if your squad is spread out and reloading.
Flash Freeze and Vertical Terrain Will Kill You First
Flash Freeze is Pendola Pass's signature weather condition, and Embark calls it brutal for a reason. Players report it hurts exposed raiders, so do not start a long run to a far transceiver as a storm rolls in. If the sky turns and your exit is on the other side of the map, you have already made the mistake. Shelter, wait it out, or pick the nearer transceiver even if the loot there is worse.
The terrain itself is a hazard too. Steep ground is slippery, and Embark's known issues note that vaulting onto some steep surfaces can occasionally slide you back down. Frozen Trail added Scrambling, so sprinting at a steep slope lets you scramble up it for a short time, which helps, but it is not a substitute for knowing the route. Scout your exit path on a quiet run with a free loadout before you bring anything valuable.
Our ARC Raiders beginner guide covers the free loadout trick in detail, and it applies double here. A free loadout run on Pendola Pass costs nothing and teaches you the transceiver locations, the landing zones, and the scramble routes. Do that first, then bring gear.
The Mistakes That Cost Runs
The most common Pendola Pass extraction mistake is looting past the point of no return. On other maps you can usually find a hatch or an elevator late. Here, every extra minute of looting is a minute further from a transceiver, in weather that can turn against you. Set a rule before you drop: when the backpack hits a value you would hate to lose, you are heading for the exit, full stop.
The second mistake is calling the gondola while split up. One teammate looting a nearby building while two others wait at the landing zone is how squads lose a player to a third party. Agree on the extraction goal early in the raid, as our beginner guide stresses, and treat a teammate who keeps looting after the call as a problem to solve in voice chat, not after the raid.
The third mistake is ignoring the October 20 update's change to how ARC react to transceiver interactions. Update 2.2.0, released October 20, adjusted ARC behavior around gondola calls, so older launch-week guides that describe a quiet call may be out of date. Expect attention when you interact, and plan your defense accordingly. For the full picture, the Pendola Pass extraction breakdown maps the transceiver behavior step by step.
Pendola Pass rewards raiders who treat extraction as the mission and looting as the bonus. Pick a transceiver early, clear before you call, board together, respect Flash Freeze, and leave while you still can. The mountain does not care how good your loot is.
