ARC Raiders: 12 Essential Tips for Beginners & Pro Players
Embarking on your first drop in ARC Raiders can be an intense experience. This cooperative extraction shooter thrusts you and your squad into a desolate, post-apocalyptic Earth, now the hunting ground of a relentless mechanized army known as ARC. To survive, you must scavenge, fight, and extract with valuable resources.
Success requires more than just a quick trigger finger; it demands strategy, awareness, and a deep understanding of the game's unforgiving mechanics. To give you a critical head start, we've compiled 12 essential tips we wish we knew before our first deployment.
Preparation is Victory: Before You Drop
Your mission's success or failure is often decided before you even set foot on the hostile surface. Smart preparation is the foundation of every successful run.
1. Understand the ARC Threat
The mechanical enemies, ARC, are not your typical video game fodder. Each type has unique behaviors, patrol patterns, and weak points. Before a drop, familiarize yourself with the known ARC types. A lumbering Titan requires a different approach than a swarm of nimble Drones. Knowing whether to use explosives, aim for specific components, or simply avoid a patrol altogether is crucial knowledge.
2. Your Loadout is Your Lifeline
Don't just grab the biggest gun. Think about your squad's composition and your intended goal for the run. Do you need long-range precision, close-quarters stopping power, or tools for utility and stealth? Coordinate with your teammates to ensure you have a balanced loadout that can handle both the robotic ARC and potential encounters with other rival Raider squads.
3. Study the Terrain
Every map is a complex sandbox of opportunities and dangers. Use any available pre-mission map or intel to identify key points of interest, potential ambush spots, and, most importantly, the locations of extraction zones. Having a rough plan of where to go for loot and how to get out will prevent you from scrambling under pressure later.
4. Pack for Survival, Not Just Combat
Ammunition is vital, but so are healing supplies, gadgets, and utility items. A well-placed smoke grenade can cover a tactical retreat, and a medkit can be the difference between extracting with a full pack and becoming another casualty on the battlefield. Never leave your underground base without the essentials.
On the Surface: Surviving the Hunt
Once your boots are on the ground, the real test begins. The world is lethal, and every sound, shadow, and distant glint could signal your end.
5. Sound is Your Greatest Ally and Enemy
In the quiet desolation of this future Earth, sound travels. Every footstep, gunshot, and explosion is a beacon that alerts both ARC patrols and enemy players to your position. Move deliberately, listen intently for the tell-tale mechanical whirring of ARC or the distinct sounds of another team, and use noise to your advantage by creating diversions when necessary.
6. Pick Your Fights Wisely
You are a scavenger, not a superhero. Your primary goal is to secure resources and extract, not to wipe the map clean. Engaging a massive ARC patrol for a minor bit of loot is rarely worth the risk. Learn to assess threats and know when to fight, when to sneak past, and when to run. Remember, a rival squad might be drawn to the sound of your battle.
7. Loot Smart, Not Just Fast
It's tempting to grab everything that isn't nailed down, but inventory space is limited. Prioritize high-value resources, quest items, and gear that directly improves your chances of survival on this run. A backpack full of common materials is useless if you don't have space for the rare component you just found.
8. Communication is Everything
If you're playing in a squad, constant and clear communication is non-negotiable. Use callouts for enemy positions (both ARC and human), points of interest, and your own intentions. A silent squad is a squad that will be quickly and efficiently eliminated. Designate roles, coordinate movements, and always keep your team informed.
The Final Dash: Securing the Haul
You've got the goods. Now comes the most dangerous part of any mission: getting out alive. The extraction phase is where carefully laid plans can fall apart in seconds.
9. Know Your Escape Routes
Never rely on a single extraction point. Always have a primary and a backup escape route in mind. The closest extraction zone is often the most obvious and, therefore, the most dangerous. Be prepared to change your plans on the fly if your intended exit is compromised by ARC or guarded by other players.
10. Greed is a Killer
One of the hardest lessons to learn in an extraction game is knowing when to call it a day. The temptation to check "just one more building" has led to countless lost fortunes. If your backpack is full of valuable loot and you've completed your objective, your new priority is to extract. Surviving with a decent haul is infinitely better than dying while trying to get a legendary one.
11. The Extraction Zone is a Hotbed
Assume every extraction point is being watched. Other teams know you have to go there to secure your loot, making these areas perfect for ambushes. Approach extractions with extreme caution. Scout the area from a distance, look for signs of other players, and be ready for a fight to the finish.
12. Invest in Your Future
Successfully extracting isn't just about the thrill of survival; it's about progression. The resources you bring back are used to upgrade your gear, unlock new technologies, and improve your standing within the underground society. Always invest a portion of your earnings back into your character and equipment. This long-term investment will make future, more dangerous runs more manageable.
ARC Raiders: Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of game is ARC Raiders?
ARC Raiders is a free-to-play, player-versus-player-versus-environment (PvPvE) cooperative extraction shooter. Squads of players venture to a hostile surface to scavenge for resources and fight against mechanized ARC enemies while also contending with other human player squads.
What is the main objective in ARC Raiders?
The core gameplay loop involves deploying to the surface, completing objectives, gathering valuable resources, and successfully extracting. Survival and resource management are just as important as combat.
Who are the enemies in ARC Raiders?
The primary environmental threat is ARC, a mysterious and lethal force of automated machines that patrol the landscape. Players will also face off against other human-controlled Raider teams competing for the same limited resources.