The server slam opened today, and with the game releasing on October 30, it is time to prepare for Raid! Jumping into ARC Raiders for the first time can be a little bit intense. The Rust Belt is full of deadly ARC machines, other dangerous Raiders, and unpredictable environments.
To help you get started, here is a small guide to surviving your first runs topside!
Your Biggest Enemy – ARC Machines
You will encounter a ton of different types of ARC machines, and they are all deadly:
- Ticks – Small, stealthy spiders that ambush from ceilings and walls.
- Snitch – Airborne scouts that call reinforcements if you are spotted.
- Leapers – Large machines with devastating jump attacks.
- Bombardiers – Target you with mortars using Spotter drones.
- Other threats – Wasps, Hornets, Bastions, Rocketeers, Fireball, Pop. Each of them have unique attacks.
- Queen – Massive top-tier machine guarding the Harvester. You should attempt to fight it only if you are experienced.
An important detail to know is that you can identify enemies by the sound they make. Listen carefully for any audio cues! The hums, whirs, and footsteps can save your life.
Raiders Are Not Alone
Remember that you are never alone. Other human Raiders are competing for the same loot. You can play:
- Solo – It can be quieter to just explore alone, but you will be much more vulnerable. No one will have your back if you get cornered.
- Squad of up to 3 – A much safer option, but it also renders you more visible to enemies and other Raiders. More people make more noise.
The game usually pairs players of similar group sizes together. This means that solo Raiders will face other solo players, and squads go up against other squads. This is mainly to keep things fair. It would not be funny to land in a field full of Squads when you are all alone.
Just keep in mind that if there are no other Solo player to Matchmake you with, you might still land against a Squad.
Explore the Rust Belt
During your exploration, you will walk through a ton of different environments and areas:
- Dam Battlegrounds: Forests, swamps, old research centers, apartment buildings. Great for learning how the game works.
- Buried City: Deserted cityscape with malls, hospitals, and apartments.
- Spaceport: Industrial, abandoned launch facility.
- Blue Gate: Mountains, tunnels, small towns, underground complexes.
Keep an eye on special conditions like Night Raids, Harvest Seasons, and Electromagnetic Storms. These change the loot and the difficulty, so make sure are prepared!
Build Your Home Base in Speranza
After each topside run, you return to Speranza:
- Level up and earn skill points to customize your Raider’s abilities.
- Complete Feats to earn Cred, which unlocks Raider Decks and rewards.
- Upgrade your Workshop to craft better gear and weapons.
- Take on Trials and Projects for challenges, rewards, and leaderboard rankings.
Customize Your Raider
- Choose face, hair, body type, backpack, and cosmetics.
- Weapons range from simple rifles (Rattler) to energy weapons (Equalizer) and shotguns (Vulcano).
- Equip Gadgets like Lure Grenades, Mines, Ziplines, and more.
- Shields and Augments let you change speed, stealth, carry capacity, or offense.
Prepare your loadout to match the mission. You do not always need to bring everything.
Survival Basics Topside
- Plan your extraction route carefully. Extraction points disappear over time.
- Breaching and fighting draws attention from ARC and other Raiders.
- Scavenge, loot, and prioritize survival over greed.
- Use Free Loadouts if you are low on gear.
- Do not forget your companion, Scrappy the Rooster, who can collect items for you.
Learn, Adapt, Repeat
ARC Raiders rewards knowledge and strategy. Each trip topside is a chance to do better. You always learn more, and can re-adapt your strategy for the next run:
- Gather loot
- Learn enemy patterns
- Complete quests and Feats
- Unlock new Raider Deck pages and cosmetics
The Rust Belt is always changing, so stay alert and adapt to survive.
You also want to keep an eye on our latest news for more guides and tips!
