Arc Raiders is gearing up for its highly-anticipated release on Oct. 3o, and in this guide, we break down exactly what you need to know before the game’s big release.
Build smarter loadouts, outplay tough enemies, and make every raid count, this article brings you 10 PRO comprehensive tips that’ll help you do so.
1. Undestanding the Loot Economy
The key to doing well in Arc Raiders is understanding its loot system. Your success depends on the items you find. Every time you play, you’ll enter areas filled with enemies and valuable items. These items are sorted by color and have small pictures (icons) that tell you what they are.
Color Guide:
- White: Common
- Green: Uncommon
- Blue: Rare
- Pink: Epic
- Yellow: Legendary
Icon Guide:
- Wrench: Crafting materials. You can break these down into parts.
- Key: Used to open special areas or for a safe way out.
- Plus Sign: Items you use once, like health packs.
- Jewel: Very valuable items or upgrades you can only buy with coins.
You use coins to buy things from shops. As you finish quests for these shopkeepers, they will like you more and offer better items for sale.
Even “common” white items can be important if you need them for a quest or to make something. Use your workshop to see what parts you need for your next project. You can also get extra materials from a character named Scrappy the Rooster.
When the full game comes out, making better gear will require better workshops and, most importantly, recipes (shown by a book icon). These recipes let you create the best end-game equipment, so protect them at all costs.
2. Get Strategic with Maps
Expect several maps when the game launches (four maps, with a fifth coming later). During test events, “Damn Battlegrounds” is the main map—but these tips work on all maps.
- Check quests and recipes on the left side of your screen.
- Use the key on the right to find exit points (cargo elevators), special doors, and loot types (nature, industrial, arc, etc.).
- Main map: Important spots are color-coded to show how much loot is there—white means little, yellow means some, red means lots.
Areas with lots of loot also have more Ark robots and dangerous players. Going here means better rewards but much bigger dangers.
Always watch the exit timers: each exit point has a countdown before it closes. Don’t get stuck fighting and miss your chance to escape..
3. Loadout Overview: Weapons, Armor, and Beyond
Choosing the right weapons and armor is the difference between success and failure.
You have two weapon slots. Pick weapons that work well together for different situations.
Your armor slot is for shields, which come in light, medium, and heavy. Better shields protect you more but often make you slower.
Better shields also require “augments.” These upgrades can also increase your backpack space, how much you can carry, and give you special pockets for items.
Ammo Types:
Light Ammo: For SMGs and small pistols. Good against other players up close, but weak against robots.
Medium Ammo: For assault rifles. A good all-around choice for most fights.
Heavy Ammo: For sniper rifles and powerful handguns. Best for breaking robot armor and player shields. Be careful, as you can’t carry as much of this ammo.
Shotguns and beam rifles use their own special ammo types.
You have slots for items you use quickly, like healing kits and grenades. You also have “safe pockets” that let you keep certain rare items (like keys and recipes) even if you die.
If you lose all your gear, the game gives you a “free loadout” of basic, random equipment. This gear is not very good and doesn’t let you use upgrades or safe pockets. Use these runs to try and get your main gear back, not to make real progress.
4. Skill Trees: Specialization Is Key
The level-up system in Arc Raiders has three main skill trees with 45 different skills to choose from.
Conditioning Tree: Get better at stamina, strength, and endurance. Unlock perks like “Youthful Lungs” (more max stamina), “Good as New” (stamina comes back faster when you heal), and “Calming Scroll” (stamina recovers when you stand still).
Survival Tree: Focus on healing, building items, and staying hidden. “Looter’s Instinct” helps you find loot quicker, “Unburden Roll” lets you dodge away when your shield breaks, and “Suffer in Silence” makes you move more quietly when you’re hurt.
Mobility Tree: Improve your speed, dodging, and climbing. Get skills like “Nimble Climber” for better climbing, “Survivor Stamina” for faster stamina recovery when you’re near death, and “Carry the Momentum” to keep your stamina up after running or climbing.
Smaller skills can be upgraded five times for bigger bonuses, which then lets you unlock the more powerful perks in each tree.
5. Sound and Visual Cues: Information Is Survival
Arc Raiders gives you lots of clues through the environment. Security devices like cameras, turrets, and metal detectors can set off alarms, so you always need to pay attention.
Small cameras will call nearby enemies unless you break them or stay out of sight.
Turrets set off loud alarms (and shoot at you!); metal detectors and car alarms can give away your position.
Sometimes it’s a smart move to leave these systems on—they’ll warn you if another player walks into them.
Other sounds in the world can also give you away, like flocks of birds scattering, noisy robotic raptors, forcing doors open, or calling for extraction in an elevator.
6. PVE Dangers: Know When to Run
Some robot enemies are almost impossible to kill unless you have top-tier gear or a well-coordinated team.
Enemies like Bastions, rocketeers, bison, and especially the “queen” are often better to run from unless you are fully prepared.
They all have weak points, but if you aren’t ready, the fight will likely end badly. Long fights also increase the chance of another player sneaking up on you.
Each match lasts 30 minutes, but you can join one that’s already in progress. If the timer runs out, your game is over immediately—the game won’t give you extra time like some other shooters do..
7. Communication: Proximity Chat & Pings
Arc Raiders embraces proximity chat (voice comms with nearby players), which many extraction shooters inexplicably lack.
- Proximity chat lets you negotiate, coordinate, or mislead.
- Some players inadvertently reveal positions—use open mics to your advantage.
- In dangerous situations—like facing the queen—teaming up via chat could mean survival.
- Traditional gestures (crouch spamming as a peace signal) also hold sway.
8. Movement: Improve Your Stamina and Positioning
Movement skills can be game-changing:
- Running, dodging, rolling, and vaulting consume stamina—running out leaves you vulnerable.
- Skill tree upgrades improve passive stamina, aid regeneration, and unlock abilities to extend resource management.
- Standing still is the fastest way to refill stamina, but walking/sliding also renews your bar.
- Holster your weapon to increase running speed and always stay under max weight to avoid sluggishness.
- Use adrenaline shots for instant stamina recovery and temporary boosts.
In combat, utilizes movement tech:
- Roll-dodges evade telegraphed attacks (especially from arc robots with targeted lasers).
- Shoulder-swap your camera to peek around corners—key for third-person tactics.
9. Use Your Items: Don’t Be a Hoarder
Arc Raiders rewards tactical use of your inventory:
- If you have items (bandages, recharges, grenades, smoke bombs), don’t save them for a “better moment.” Use them to win engagements and escape trouble.
- Employ traps, barricades, and zip lines for offense, defense, and mobility.
- Binoculars aid long-range pings and target spotting
- Arc power cells (looted from foes) help recharge shields.
- Health should always take precedence—shields won’t save you if your HP hits zero.
10. Understand Extraction: End Each Run Strong
Extraction is more than just an escape—it’s the culmination of every risk and reward.
- Elevators are scattered across each map. Activate the panel to start a 45-second countdown; alarms will sound—expect company.
- When the elevator arrives, enter and activate the doors; the process takes painfully long, leaving you exposed. As long as you’re inside, you can extract—even if “downed” but alive.
- Raider hatch keys give you stealth extractions via special hatches—these offer silent escapes, but timing and coordination with the team are essential as hatches only stay open for 15 seconds.
Final Thoughts
With the game’s full release almost here, now is the time to learn these tips and figure out your own way to play. Whether you’re focused on gathering loot, fighting players, running from robots, or making it to extraction, being prepared is what makes the difference between walking away with amazing gear and losing everything.
Arc Raiders is built to test your quickness, your planning, and your ability to work with others. Remember these tips, and you’ll step into the game world not as a beginner, but as an expert, ready to play it like a from the very first day
