Arc Raiders has finally arrived, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the most exciting extraction shooters on the market — a chaotic blend of PvE and PvP, where scavenging, crafting, and surviving against mechanical horrors is just as important as fighting other players. Whether you’re fresh off the dropship or still in the tutorial, this guide breaks down all the crucial systems you need to understand to make your first few raids as rewarding (and survivable) as possible.

1. The Tutorial: Don’t Get Robbed Blind

Let’s start with the biggest early-game tip: drop your gear before the final breach in the tutorial. When you reach the cinematic where raiders rob you, they’ll take everything you’re carrying — unless you’ve dropped it beforehand. Empty your entire inventory, trigger the cutscene, and once it’s over, you can pick everything back up. Some players even find rare ARC Raiders items here (like the dog collar for Scrappy), so don’t skip this simple but massive early advantage.

2. Scrappy the Chicken: Your Early MVP

Every raid, Scrappy — your mechanical chicken companion — collects materials for you. Always pick up what he gathers. These materials add up quickly, especially when you upgrade him.

• First Upgrade: Requires a dog collar (found in residential zones, containers, or on shelves).

• Why It Matters: Scrappy upgrades increase his resource yield, giving you a steady material income between raids.

3. Traders and Currency: Turning Loot into Profit

You’ll come across trinkets or valuables with a diamond icon — these exist solely to sell for ARC Raiders coins. Sell them freely; they’re not used in crafting. However, when selling weapons or gear (blue, purple, etc.), think twice. Some items are better used for upgrades or crafting instead of quick cash. Your early funds should go toward essentials like medium shields and stash expansions.

4. The Power of Seeds and Celeste’s Workshop

Celeste allows you to trade Assorted Seeds for base crafting materials:

• 1 Seed = Chemicals, Fabric, Metal Parts, Plastic Parts, or Rubber Parts.

You’ll find seeds by salvaging natural items or looting nature-rich zones. These trades jumpstart your early crafting capabilities, letting you create key workshop upgrades and supplies fast.

5. Quests, Tracking, and Group Progression

Use your Logbook (Tab) to track quests, resources, and objectives. When looking for specific items (like lemons or apricots), hover over areas on the map — you’ll see tags such as Nature, Medical, or Industrial, telling you where to search.

Team Tip: If a squadmate completes a shared quest objective, it also completes for everyone. This saves a ton of time and effort when progressing together.

6. Managing Your Stash

Your stash fills up quickly, so expansion is a top priority.

• Expand Stash: Button on the top left of your stash menu.

• Merge Stacks: Icon next to the category filter — reduces clutter instantly.

• Quick Equip: Click an empty slot (like a shield slot) to see all matching gear in your stash for fast swapping.

7. Workshop and Crafting: The Backbone of Progression

Here’s what each station does and why it matters:

• Workbench: Craft early weapons, ammo, looting augments, grenades, and healing items.

• Gear Bench: Create augments, shields, and advanced armor mods.

• Gunsmith: Make new guns and weapon mods (e.g., extended mags).

• Refiner: Converts basic materials into refined ones — crucial for higher-tier crafting.

• Utility Station: Craft smoke grenades and ziplines (zipline unlocks at Level 2).

• Medical Lab: Make bandages, shield recharges, and adrenaline shots.

Each crafting recipe requires blueprints, which you’ll find in raids. Extract successfully with a blueprint, consume it, and you’ll permanently unlock that recipe.

8. Skill Tree: Early Priorities

For your first few skill points:

• Field Crafting (Tinkerer): Lets you craft during raids — a literal lifesaver.

• Marathon Runner & Full Lungs: Increase stamina duration and capacity.

• Carry the Momentum: Roll into a sprint without stamina drain.

• Conditioning: Reduces shield weight for more efficient movement.

Later on, focus on Survival for faster looting and increased carry capacity.

9. Loadouts: Free vs. Custom

You’ll have two options when gearing up:

Custom Loadout

• Lets you pick your weapons, augments, and shields.

• Includes a safe pocket — anything inside it stays with you even if you die.

• Offers 50 kg carry capacity (vs. 35 kg in free loadouts).

Free Loadout

• Randomized gear and augments.

• Limited carry weight.

• Useful for risk-free runs — and if you extract with the Free Loadout Augment, it can be traded at the Clinic Trader for a combat, tactical, or looting augment.

Pro Tip: Do a few free runs early on to farm augments, then switch to a real loadout for better control and survival.

10. Weapon Setup and Ammo Strategy

Run two weapons with different ammo types to stay flexible. Recommended Beginner Setup:

• Close-Range (Light Ammo): Stitcher SMG or Shotgun.

• Long-Range / Anti-Arc (Heavy Ammo): Pharaoh Rifle.

Ammo breakdown:

• Light Ammo: Great vs. Raiders, poor vs. armored Arc parts.

• Medium Ammo: Decent hybrid performance.

• Heavy Ammo: Best vs. Arc armor.

• Shotgun, Launcher, Energy Ammo: Specialized for close quarters or armor stripping.

11. Understanding Raids and XP Gains

Raids last 30 minutes, but you may spawn mid-session in a second wave (15–20 minutes remaining). If you spawn late, expect looted areas and potential ambushes. Always stay cautious.

For fast XP:

• Open every container, even looted ones (+200 XP each).

• Loot Arc bodies or Raider corpses (+500 XP).

• Explore and interact constantly — XP adds up fast.

12. Arc Enemies: Know Your Targets

Each Arc enemy has weak points and tactics:

• Rocketeer: Fires deadly rockets — hide, bait shots, then attack exposed turbines.

• Leaper: Jumps long distances; dodge and aim for the center eye.

• Bastion / Bombardier: Aim for yellow joints or weak spots on the back.

• Fireball & Pop: Rolling units — kill before they get close.

• Ticks: Spider-like; jump on you but die instantly to melee.

• Wasp / Hornet: Flying enemies — destroy rear turbines.

• Snitch: Calls reinforcements — kill these first.

• The Queen: A massive, late-game threat that demands top-tier weapons and teamwork.

13. Extraction and Survival

Two primary extraction types:

• Elevators: Loud but accessible to all players (use smoke grenades).

• Raider Hatches: Require keys but are fast and quiet — perfect for stealthy exits.

If the timer runs out, nukes start hitting the map — don’t get caught.

Surprisingly, voip (voice chat) diplomacy works. Many players agree to extract peacefully if asked politely.

Final Thoughts

Arc Raiders rewards preparation, awareness, and smart decision-making — both in and out of raids. From mastering your workshop and optimizing Scrappy to understanding each Arc type and balancing risk with reward, the early hours set the tone for everything that follows.

Whether you’re solo sneaking through the ruins or coordinating with friends to take down mechanical giants, remember: every mistake is a lesson, every extraction a victory. So drop your loot, grab your augments, and get ready to fight, scavenge, and survive.