ARC Raiders Guide for Beginners: 20 Tips to Survive and Extract

ARC Raiders is an extraction shooter from Embark Studios, released on October 30, 2025 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. You drop into the Rust Belt, scavenge what you can while dodging deadly ARC machines and other players, and try to get out alive. This ARC Raiders guide covers the 20 most useful tips for new and returning Raiders in 2026.

Developer

Embark Studios

Released

October 30, 2025

Platforms

PC · PS5 · Xbox Series X|S

Genre

PvPvE extraction shooter

Home base

Speranza

Squad size

Solo, duos or trios

How ARC Raiders works

Each raid follows the same loop. You pick a map and a loadout in Speranza, the underground home base. You drop in, loot containers and buildings, fight or avoid ARC (hostile robots) and other Raiders, then reach an extraction point before time runs out. Everything you carry home is yours. If you die, you lose what you brought and what you found — except items in a safe pocket.

ARC Raiders guide: 20 tips for beginners

Getting started

1. Use the Free Loadout. After choosing a map, select the Free Loadout tab. You get a basic shield, a simple weapon and some healing — nothing to lose.
2. Start on Dam Battlegrounds. It’s the easiest map and available from the start. Our ARC Raiders map guide explains every map.
3. Extract with something every raid. Even a few materials help you upgrade. Successful Free Loadout extractions also reward you with an augment you can trade up.
4. Learn the item symbols. A wrench means crafting material, the plus sign means healing or shields, a target means a placeable explosive and a diamond means a trinket to sell.

Looting smart

5. Don’t recycle everything. Some items marked “can be recycled” are needed for bench upgrades — check before you break them down.
6. Recycle green items first. They’re easy to find again, so they’re safer to break down than blue or purple items.
7. Upgrade your stash. A bigger stash means fewer tough choices. Costs rise quickly, so plan ahead.
8. Chase blueprints. Blueprints unlock crafting recipes for weapons and gear. See which ones matter in our ARC Raiders blueprints guide.
9. Use keys wisely. Keys open locked rooms full of loot, but they are single-use.

Fighting ARC and Raiders

10. Shoot weak points. Flying ARC are weak at their propellers. Ping an ARC to see its name in chat.
11. Avoid big ARC early. Machines like the Bastion, Rocketeer, Bombardier and Queen are deadly for new players. Sneak past them.
12. Watch your noise. Walking is quieter than jogging, which is quieter than sprinting. Breaching doors and containers is loud.
13. Switch shoulders at corners. Peek safely by swapping your camera shoulder (X on PC, right stick click on controller).
14. Talk before you shoot. Many Raiders are friendly. Try proximity chat or the communication wheel — a truce can save both of you.
15. Roll when you land. Rolling after a fall reduces damage.

Progression

16. Do quests every raid. Quest progress like activating panels or destroying ARC is shared with your squad.
17. Carry quest items yourself. Items you must deliver to Speranza need to be in your own inventory.
18. Spend early skill points on stamina. Mobility skills like Marathon Runner and Youthful Lungs help you escape fights.
19. Get quieter looting. Survival and Conditioning skills that make breaching faster and quieter pay off on every raid.
20. Crawl to extract. If you’re downed near an exit, crawl into it and activate it — or ride along with a teammate — to keep your loot.

The skill tree explained

ARC Raiders has three skill branches: Conditioning, Mobility and Survival. You earn skill points as you level up, but you can’t finish everything — at level 75 you can reach the end of only two branches. Pick a plan: Mobility plus Survival suits careful looters, while Conditioning helps aggressive players who breach and fight a lot.

Speranza, traders and the workshop

Speranza is where you prepare between raids. Traders sell gear and give quests, the Clinic handles medical gear and augments, and the Workshop holds the benches you upgrade to craft better items. Upgrading benches needs specific materials, which is why you should check an item before recycling it. Scrappy, the rooster, also gathers materials for you between raids.

Expeditions: the optional reset

Once you reach level 20, you can start an Expedition from the Projects menu. You build a caravan in stages by donating materials and items, then “depart”. Departing resets your level, skill tree, stash, coins, workshop upgrades, blueprints and quest progress. In return you keep cosmetics and account-wide unlocks and earn permanent rewards such as extra stash slots and up to five bonus skill points, based on the value you bring. Expedition cycles run about eight weeks each, and taking part is optional.

ARC types to know

Solo vs squad

Solo raids are tense and quiet; you can take your time and avoid fights. Squads (duos and trios) share quest progress, can revive each other and are much stronger against big ARC. If you’re new, a squad with a friend who knows the maps is the fastest way to learn.

Your first 10 raids: a simple plan

1. Raids 1–3: Free Loadout on Dam Battlegrounds. Learn where the extraction points are and practice looting quickly.
2. Raids 4–6: Still on Dam Battlegrounds, start your first quests. Bring home crafting materials for bench upgrades.
3. Raids 7–8: Try a cheap custom loadout with a weapon you crafted. Spend your first skill points on stamina.
4. Raids 9–10: When Buried City unlocks, visit it with a light loadout and explore the Hospital and Town Hall.

By then you’ll know the basics: how loud you are, which ARC to avoid and when to leave. From there, follow your quests and our map guide to the harder maps.

Loadout tips

A good loadout balances protection and risk. Bring a shield that matches the danger of the map, one main weapon you’re comfortable with, enough ammo for two fights, and healing. Leave room in your backpack for loot — a full backpack before the raid starts means you’ll have to throw things away later. Keep your best weapons for maps and quests where you really need them.

Most importantly, be patient. Every Raider loses gear in their first week. Each death teaches you something about the maps, the ARC or other players, and the Free Loadout means you can always get back into the action for free.

Common beginner mistakes

• ❌ Bringing your best gear to a new map.
• ❌ Staying until the timer nearly runs out.
• ❌ Shooting every ARC you see — the noise attracts players.
• ❌ Recycling items needed for bench upgrades.
• ❌ Ignoring quests, which give XP, items and sometimes blueprints.