Rejoice: Arc Raiders is adding beards

Embark just published details about the next Arc Raiders update that's landing tomorrow: A new hurricane map condition will ping your shields with debris and send your grenades tumbling with wind gusts, two new Arc enemies will unleash new kinds of automated terror in air and on ground, a new project brings some fresh rewards, and the Dam's getting a new high value loot region.

But those are all footnotes to the Shrouded Sky Update's main event addition: This week, Arc Raiders is getting facial hair.

"Facial hair is coming to a Raider near you," Embark said in its update blog. When the update goes live, all players will gain access to a stubble cosmetic, while a full beard facial hair option will be unlockable in the Surgeon raider deck. Additional "stubble beard" and "thick moustache" cosmetics will be available for purchase in the in-game store as well.

I'll confess that, as a man who spends most of his time sporting a full beard, I'm compromised by a bit of a beard bias. But until now, Arc Raiders has been one of a surprising number of games that don't give you much of a facial hair selection to work with. More often than you might expect, character creators and cosmetic options—if they let you have facial hair at all—will only offer embarrassingly weak beard choices that look more like the suggestion of facial hair.

Yes, crappy little goatee that's in every anime character creator, I'm talking about you.

But as important as bearded representation is, the inclusion of proper facial hair options is arguably more crucial for those who don't enjoy the privilege of being able to grow a thick moustache or full beard on their real, actual faces. I'm—mercifully—spared the need to rely on that most foundational power fantasy, but I'm pleased to see Embark finally provide it for the poor souls who will only ever simulate the esteem reserved for the fully bearded. That cruel fate need not be made any crueler.

And also, like, who has time to maintain a clean shave when you're busy hunting for lightbulbs and trying not to get murdered by robots? Unrealistic, if you ask me. It took four more months than it should have, but it's nice to see Arc Raiders finally become a finished game.