Pendola Pass: plan your first run
Treat the first Pendola Pass drop as a survey. Choose one landmark to reach, identify a safe exit, and take home enough information to make the next run deliberate. Save the Frigate for a separate attempt.
Get onto the map
Embark says new players during the October 8–12 free-play period can enter Pendola Pass immediately when grouped with someone who has unlocked it. If your own map access is still locked, team with an unlocked Raider rather than planning around an unlock path the site has not verified.
Choose the right first objective
| Your goal | First-run plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Learn the surface | Reach one visible landmark, locate an exit, and leave | A verified route begins with an entry and an exit, not a string of untested loot guesses |
| Investigate the fallen Emperor | Scout approach and retreat options before entering | The official preview places this objective on the new map but does not publish a safe route |
| Board the Frigate | Bring a squad and treat it as its own high-risk operation | Embark describes the Frigate as a demanding encounter with interior paths and the Hydra; a first map survey and a Frigate clear are different jobs |
Pack for the survey
Save a replaceable kit in the loadout builder. Carry what you need to survive a short reconnaissance run and leave room for unfamiliar materials. The Outpost and amplified-weapon systems are new; the older workshop ledger does not price their new research or upgrades. Keep flexible materials until those requirements are documented rather than selling everything for an old station target.
The preview names Bully and Skulker on the new frontier and Hydra aboard the Frigate. It also warns of flash freezes. Their actual attack windows, shelter rules, and reliable routes need field observations; do not assume an older map's timings carry over.
Record one useful route
After each run, write down the entry area, the landmark you reached, the exit you used, any forced fight, and the condition that changed your plan. A second run on the same path can confirm whether the exit and hazard are dependable. Until that validation exists, Raiderism's survey maps cover the six previously mapped zones; they do not pretend to show Pendola Pass coordinates.
The September 8 Cred notice concerned currency expiring with the October 8 update. It is a launch deadline, not part of the first-run route plan.
Sources & updates
Sources
Updates
- 2026-10-03 · Tightened the pre-launch checklist.
- 2026-10-08 · Reworked the launch checklist around map access, scouting, and the separate Frigate decision.
- Report a correction