Want to get off to a strong start in the extraction shooter ARC Raiders? These tips will help you master every raid.
The new extraction shooter ARC Raiders rewards keen awareness, adaptability, and smart choices. Your loadout sets the tone for each run, but it’s sharp hearing and reading the environment that turn raids into clean extractions. This guide breaks down ten essential tips to help you act with precision, spot threats earlier, and survive much longer in every raid.
Use the Free Loadout
The free loadout is your low-risk ticket in: scout maps, learn loot hotspots, and knock out quests with little to lose. Use it to try out playstyles and figure out which roles fit before you invest resources long-term. If you survive a raid, trade your augment for a better one at the vendor.
- Free loadout = low-risk learning
- Use it to test builds and complete quests
- On survival: trade your augment at the vendor
Be Relentless About Sound
Audio is one of the most reliable intel sources in ARC Raiders. Footsteps, loot interactions, or detonations reveal direction, distance, and activity from other players or NPCs. Train your ear to separate common sounds and adjust your tactic accordingly: quiet approach, avoidance, or a deliberate engagement.
- Learn to tell different sound sources apart
- Use audio to improve awareness and positioning
- React quickly to audio cues
Leverage Sightlines and Positioning
Strong positioning wins fights, reduces damage taken, and lets you control the enemy. Use high ground, chokepoints, and cover to shape firing lanes. Plan your fallback routes, and force enemies into awkward angles—this applies to both players and ARCs.
- Use elevation and cover to control firing lanes
- Plan safe retreat paths before every push
- Force fights in terrain that favors you
Continuously Scout Your Surroundings
Small details are valuable intel: ARC lights, movement patterns, flares, open doors, and containers tell you what happened recently. As you advance or fall back, keep scanning, adjust your pace and route at any sign of activity, and avoid nasty surprises.
- Watch lights, ARC movement, and flares as activity indicators
- Treat open doors/containers and fresh loot as clues
- Adapt your route and tempo to the threat level
Collect Crafting Resources and Dismantle Deliberately
Resources power your progression. Don’t scoop up everything shiny—keep your current material needs in mind and dismantle with intention. Breaking items down during a raid saves space but yields fewer materials than doing it at base. Decide what to process on the spot and what to bring back.
- Prioritize needed materials over hoarding
- Dismantle in-raid only when necessary; base dismantling yields more
- Plan inventory and extraction to avoid losing resources
Use Workbenches and Train Scrappy
Workbenches are your production hub: build and upgrade them to craft gadgets, mods, and meds efficiently. Collect new blueprints, refine raw materials, and train Scrappy—after every Topside visit, he brings back resources, and better training increases both the quantity and rarity of his finds.
- Build and upgrade workbenches for better crafting options
- Train Scrappy to bring more—and rarer—Topside materials
- Collect blueprints in raids to expand what you can craft
Don’t Get Greedy
Loot is tempting, but an early, safe extract often protects your progress. If you’ve stashed valuable items or completed objectives, weigh the decision: staying longer could mean bigger gains—or losing everything. After drawn-out fights you’re vulnerable and may have attracted attention—pull out before you turn into easy prey.
- Assess risk vs. reward realistically
- Extract safely if you’ve finished quests or found high-value loot
- After tough fights, consider a tactical retreat
Manage Your Stamina
Stamina is one of your most important resources: sprinting, jumping, vaulting, and rolling all consume it. Keep a constant eye on your stamina bar, invest in mobility upgrades, and slide while running for a touch of passive regen—so you’re ready when it matters.
- Monitor stamina constantly—especially before fights or escapes
- Invest in mobility skills for long-term gains
- Use slides while sprinting for passive stamina regen
Use In-Raid Crafting
In-raid crafting from the Survival skill tree is a real game-changer: you can make bandages, shield cells, and impact grenades to extend a run or survive clutch moments. Craft deliberately to cover material gaps and deploy quick counters against ARCs.
- Unlock in-raid crafting early in the Survival tree
- Use it for heals and shield refills in critical phases
- Impact grenades are effective against ARCs
Use Augments, Skills, and Gear Deliberately
Augments and skills shape your character. Pick augments intentionally to unlock gadget slots or stronger shields. Mind the trade-offs: heavier shields protect better but slow you down. Your weapon mods and gadget combinations ultimately determine how you operate—solo or in a squad.
- Choose augments that match your preferred playstyle
- Account for trade-offs (e.g., shield strength vs. mobility)
- Optimize weapon mods and gadgets for your team role
