ARC Raiders Guide – 15 Tips and Tricks You Should Know

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Embark Studios’ ARC Raiders launched to a huge response, peaking at almost 265,000 players on Steam and earning overwhelmingly positive reviews from over 9,600 users. The game’s setting, the Rust Belt, is full of interesting places to explore – from ruined cities covered in sand to dangerous mountain paths. Because the game can be challenging and intense, here are 15 tips to help you survive and succeed in the fight against the machines.

Free Loadouts

I’ve been really impressed with the Free Loadout option in ARC Raiders. Once you get to Speranza, you can choose it and get a super basic starting kit – just one gun, a little ammo, and some healing stuff – completely free! It’s a bit rough around the edges – you don’t have a Safety Pocket to keep your good gear if you go down, and you don’t have much inventory space. But honestly, it’s amazing for doing quick resource runs or just learning the map without worrying about losing all your best stuff. It lets you take risks without the penalty!

Item Durability

The Free Loadout is also great because it lets you save your best gear for when you really need it. While shields and weapons do wear down a little after each expedition, you can fix them with the right parts. Or, you can simply keep extra copies of your favorite weapons and shields, ensuring you’re always prepared for important runs.

Upgrading Weapons

At first glance, the way ARC Raiders handles weapon rarity – from Common to Legendary – might seem familiar to fans of looter shooters. But look closer, and you’ll notice each weapon has a Roman numeral indicating its level. You can improve these levels using Mechanical Components and Gun Parts at the Gunsmith, which boosts a weapon’s magazine size and durability, making it stronger. Just be aware that upgrades become more costly as you progress.

Last Ditch Extraction

Being caught right before you’re supposed to escape is a terrible feeling – scrambling for cover with alarms going off and feeling like you have nowhere to go. But don’t give up! You can still reach the escape zone and make it out with your gear. If you’re quick enough, you might even be able to activate the return switch and get back to Speranza, as long as you’re still conscious when the timer hits zero.

Ping While Downed

If you’re defeated and unable to stand, don’t give up! You can still help your team by ‘pinging’ – marking the location of – the players who defeated you. Keep marking their positions as long as you can see them. Similarly, if you knock down an enemy, finish the job to prevent them from revealing your team’s location.

Salvaging Mid-Expedition

It always feels like you need more space, especially when you’re first starting out and collecting everything you can find. Instead of throwing items away when your inventory is full, use the salvage function to break them down. Just right-click on the item in your inventory and choose ‘salvage.’ The resulting materials will often stack with similar items you already have.

Play Smarter

In ARC Raiders, expeditions involve more than just running, collecting items, and fighting other players. While staying hidden and avoiding the ARC is helpful, you can also use them to your benefit with Lure Grenades. If you see an enemy team, don’t rush in. Throw a Lure Grenade, watch the chaos, and then take advantage of the situation – either by escaping or by flanking them for an easy win. Even if the ARC doesn’t eliminate the enemy team, it can create enough of a distraction for you to gain an advantage.

Expanding Stash Space

You’ll eventually fill up your Stash in Speranza, but before you start getting rid of items, consider expanding it. There’s an ‘Expand’ button that lets you buy more space with coins. It can be expensive at first, so sell valuable items (look for the diamond icon) to earn extra coins. However, keep some valuables too – they can help Scrappy gather resources more efficiently or be broken down into rare Exotic Components.

Resource Acquisition Details

Need to find Wires for a quest? First, check if you already have one in your inventory. If you do, hovering over it will tell you what kind of resource it is (like Technological or Medical). Then, look on your map for locations that have that same resource type. While you might not find a ton, those areas are the best place to start your search.

Tracking Resources

Need help finding specific items while exploring? Use the ‘Track Resources’ button to highlight the materials you’re looking for. You can also share this information with your team directly on the map, so everyone knows what to gather – and maybe even share with you!

Battling the ARC

ARC units come in many different forms, and understanding their abilities is key to surviving encounters with them. For instance, Hornets can stun you, but you can dodge this by timing a roll or breaking their line of sight. When fighting a Hornet, focus on destroying its rear thrusters – disabling both will bring it down, which is more effective than simply shooting at its body. When facing a Leaper, target its eye and leg joints. Be careful, though – it lives up to its name and can jump long distances to inflict heavy damage.

Mind the Exits

Without a Raider Hatch Key, leaving an expedition can be risky – you might encounter other players or the automated defenses (ARC). Because of this, it’s smart to know where the nearest extraction points are and when they’ll become available, so you can leave immediately after finishing your objective. However, if you’re trying to find and eliminate other players, staying in the expedition longer is best, as it limits their escape routes.

Melee Combat

When you’re running out of ammunition or facing weaker enemies like Ticks, switch to your melee weapon – it’s also how you open doors. It’s effective against these threats and, with the right skills, can even handle tougher enemies. The ‘Sky-Clearing Swing’ skill boosts damage to drones, while ‘Flyswatter’ lets you destroy Wasps and Turrets in a single hit, though unlocking it requires 36 points in Conditioning.

Mitigating Fall Damage

If you’re falling from a height, quickly press and hold the jump button to grab onto ledges or ladders and avoid falling damage—though this doesn’t work from very high places. To move smoothly and avoid damage when landing, roll right before you hit the ground. This is called a Recovery Roll and it’s a key skill for getting around.

Seeding Items

Okay, so seeds might not seem like a big deal when you’re out exploring, but trust me, don’t toss them all! When you head back to Speranza, find Celeste – she’ll trade them for stuff you really need, like materials to craft ammo, weapons, and other cool items. If you’re having trouble finding seeds on your runs, just salvage some plants – that usually does the trick!

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2025-11-03 19:46