Ultimate Arc Raiders Guide: Essential Expedition Insights and Loot Information

Arc Raiders firmly establishes itself within the extraction shooter genre, but it stands out as one of the more forgiving entries. From my experience, it leans heavily into being an intense yet often hilariously chaotic social simulation, where you face off against menacing robots in PvE, with a sprinkle of PvP for added excitement. There’s a wealth of items—many with hidden uses—alongside various activities and events to keep you engaged. Plus, with monthly updates rolling out fresh content, there’s always something new to explore.

I knew Arc Raiders was my kind of game the moment I dove into an early preview and got thoroughly outsmarted by some cunning robots. Since then, I’ve racked up over 100 hours surviving in Topside, constantly checking the latest patch notes to stay updated on the meta. I’ve also dabbled in other extraction shooters like Marathon, Hunt: Showdown, and Gray Zone Warfare.

As of April 29, 2026, I’ll be sharing weekly insights on what to focus on to ensure you’re well-prepared for each update. If you’re just starting out, I’ll also provide tips to help you navigate the robot-infested wilderness of Speranza. Keep this page handy or pull it up on a second monitor while you play.

The latest major update, Riven Tides, introduces a new (smaller than anticipated) map of the same name, along with the Arc Turbine enemy and a host of other features.

Embark is shaking things up with weapon durability, making low-tier guns break down significantly faster while high-tier weapons gain a bit more resilience. The Bettina has also received a buff to align with its rarity.

The Last Resort event is live until May 25, allowing you to earn XP and collect toy ships for Merits, unlocking exclusive rewards like a new outfit and backpack, plus 250 Raider Tokens.

The Expedition window is open until May 11. If you’re sending your raider off, focus on dealing as much damage to Arc as possible to earn bonus skill points. This differs from previous resets, which emphasized loot collection.

We’re currently in the Riven Tides era, which runs from April 28 until, presumably, May 26. However, the next stage of the game’s roadmap has yet to be revealed, despite the consistent monthly updates.

While this update adds a new map, it largely maintains the familiar gameplay we’ve come to expect since launch.

Additionally, six new Arc Raiders quests have been introduced. While the rewards may not be thrilling, they provide a solid reason to explore Riven Tides or revisit favorite locations. If you’re having trouble keeping track of quest order, I suggest using the Arc Raiders Tools quest tracker.

Quest	Rewards	Unlock Requirements
Line in the Sand	2x Exodus Modules, 2x Magnetic Accelerator, 2x Magnetron	Last Entry
Safe Harbor	1x Surge Coil, 1x Heavy Gun Parts, 1x Horizontal Grip	Line in the Sand
A Wrench in the Works	5x Mechanical Components, 3x Mod Components	Safe Harbor
Battening Down	1x Riven Tides Hotel Keycard No.107, 3x Smoke Grenade Trap	Off the Radar
Shoring Up Defenses	1x Dockmaster’s Detector	Off the Radar
Collision Course	1x Canto I, 1x Extended Medium Mag III, 1x Muzzle Brake II	Safe Passage

Since its launch in October 2025, Arc Raiders has seen X major updates at a rapid monthly pace.

If you’re new to Arc Raiders, brace yourself for frequent deaths as you learn the ropes. Your fresh-faced raider will be at a disadvantage compared to seasoned players, lacking upgrades and skills.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you level the playing field and survive in Speranza:

First, jump into a few matches to earn XP and level up. It doesn’t matter if you live or die, but escaping alive after taking down robots and looting other players will net you the most XP. You can then spend skill points on upgrades across three different trees. While most skills may not seem exciting, there are some powerful early upgrades and a few more to look forward to later.

Check out my guide on the best Arc Raiders skills for a solid starting point (and a full build to follow if you prefer).

Quests are a fantastic way to earn early rewards and familiarize yourself with each map and its activities. Many quests don’t require combat, allowing you to sneak in with a free loadout—low stakes—to get a feel for each area.

Here’s how to tackle the first few tricky quests if you find yourself stuck:

Locate the wires and batteries you need with relative ease (though you might still face some fire) using our Trash into Treasure walkthrough.

Wondering what a Field Depot is? They’re large, rectangular metal structures (think retro RVs) topped with a radar tower. Use our Off the Radar walkthrough to track them down.

Finding Arc Couriers and Probes requires some searching, and you might even need to brave the EM Storm map condition. Our A Bad Feeling walkthrough can guide you.

After unlocking the stunning yet daunting Blue Gate map, this quest sends you to interact with three distant locations. Check out our A First Foothold walkthrough for assistance.

Supply Drops don’t just drop from the sky like Arc Probes; you’ll need to find a call station first. Our A Better Use walkthrough will help you navigate this.

Chart out three vague locations across Dam Battlegrounds, Spaceport, and Buried City for Celeste using our Greasing Her Palms walkthrough.

Find the Collapsed Highway and follow the trail into the hills, but watch out for the high-tier machines along the way. Our Reduced to Rubble walkthrough can help you navigate this.

Search for clues about who brought down the Arc machines while avoiding distractions from misleading quest objectives. We’ve got a With a Trace walkthrough for that, too.

With some early skill points allocated, quests completed, and a better understanding of the maps, you’re ready to dive into the core of the game: scavenging for random junk to upgrade your workbenches and your pet rooster (naturally).

Here are all the items your demanding rooster requests:

Item	Requirement	Location
1x Dog Collar	Level two	Residential areas, such as Grandioso Apartments, Red Tower, and Santa Maria Houses on Buried City
3x Lemon	Level three	Nature areas, such as Olive Grove on Blue Gate
15x Apricot	Levels three and five	Nature areas, such as Olive Grove on Blue Gate
1x Cat Bed	Level four	Shops and houses, such as Santa Maria Houses and Piazza Arbusto on Buried City, and Village on Blue Gate
6x Olives	Level four	Nature areas, such as Olive Grove on Blue Gate
6x Prickly Pear	Level four	In the sand dunes south of Plaza Rosa on Buried City
3x Very Comfortable Pillow	Level five	Shops and houses, such as Santa Maria Houses and Piazza Arbusto on Buried City, and Village on Blue Gate
12x Mushroom	Level five	On trees south of Little Hangar in the north of the Spaceport map, and inside Hydroponic Dome Complex and on the surrounding trees on the Dam Battlegrounds map

And here’s the complete list of items needed to fully upgrade all the stations at your workshop, sorted alphabetically:

Item	Requirement	Location
10x Advanced Electrical Components	Gear Bench 3, Utility 3	Electrical areas, such as the Power Generation Complex on Dam Battlegrounds, or in Arc Probes/Couriers
5x Advanced Mechanical Components	Gunsmith 3	Craft at the Refiner, recycle weapons and materials, or loot them from high-tier enemies and cars
8x Antiseptic	Medical Lab 3	Medical areas, such as Hospital and the pharmacies in Buried City
18x Arc Alloy	Medical Lab 1, Explosives 1, Utility 1	Loot basically any Arc enemy
10x Arc Circuitry	Refiner 3	Craft at the Refiner, loot high-tier Arc enemies like Bastions, Rocketeers, and Queens, or Probes and Couriers
5x Arc Motion Core	Refiner 2	Craft at the Refiner, loot high-tier Arc enemies like Bastions, Rocketeers, and Queens, or Probes and Couriers
5x Arc Powercell	Refiner 1	Loot basically any Arc enemy
6x Bastion Cell	Gear Bench 3	Loot a Bastion, a high-tier enemy in both indoor and outdoor areas
6x Bombardier Cell	Refiner 3	Loot a Bombardier, a high-tier enemy in outdoor areas
2x Cracked Bioscanner	Medical Lab 2	Medical areas, such as Hospital in Buried City and Testing Annex on Dam Battlegrounds
5x Crude Explosives	Explosives 2	Industrial areas, or more commonly on the explosive Pop and Fireball enemies
2x Damaged Heat Sink	Utility 2	Technological areas like Dam Battlegrounds’ Power Generation Complex, inside server cabinets and lockers
5x Durable Cloth	Medical Lab 2	Craft at the Refiner, or loot Medical/Commercial areas, such as Hospital and the pharmacies in Buried City
10x Electrical Components	Gear Bench 2, Utility 2	Craft at the Refiner, loot Electrical areas like Dam Battlegrounds’ Power Generation Complex, or scavenge Rocketeers and Vaporizers
5x Explosive Compound	Explosives 3	Craft at the Refiner, loot Industrial and Security areas, or scavenge Comet enemies
80x Fabric	Gear Bench 1, Medical Lab 1	A basic crafting material found almost anywhere, gathered by Scrappy, and sold by Celeste
9x Fireball Burner	Refiner 2	Loot a Fireball, a common enemy in indoor areas
3x Fried Motherboard	Utility 3	In server boxes and as loose items in Technological areas. Best found in Dam Battlegrounds’ Water Treatment Control
5x Hornet Driver	Gear Bench 2	Loot a Hornet, a common enemy in outdoor areas
3x Industrial Battery	Gear Bench 3	Industrial areas like Dam Battlegrounds’ Hydroponic Dome Complex and Power Generation Complex, often in shelves, crates, and in car hoods
3x Laboratory Reagents	Explosives 3	Medical areas, such as Hospital in Buried City, inside cabinets and boxes, and as loose items on countertops and chemical stands
4x Leaper Pulse Unit	Utility 3	Loot a Leaper, a high-tier enemy in outdoor areas
5x Mechanical Components	Gunsmith 2	Craft at the Refiner, recycle weapons and materials, or loot them from wrecked vehicles
80x Metal Parts	Gunsmith 1, Refiner 1	A basic crafting material found almost anywhere, gathered by Scrappy, and sold by Celeste
3x Motor	Refiner 3	Mechanical areas like Dam Battlegrounds’ Water Treatment and in car hoods at Scrap Yard
75x Plastic Parts	Gear Bench 1, Utility 1	A basic crafting material found almost anywhere, gathered by Scrappy, and sold by Celeste
5x Pop Trigger	Explosives 2	Kill and loot a Pop, a common enemy in indoor areas
3x Power Cable	Gear Bench 2	Loot computers, monitors, and server racks, and as loose items inside houses. Best places to check include Blue Gate’s Village and Dam Battlegrounds’ Research & Administration
3x Rocketeer Driver	Explosives 3	Kill and loot a Rocketeer, a high-tier enemy in outdoor areas
80x Rubber Parts	Gunsmith 1, Explosives 1	A basic crafting material found almost anywhere, gathered by Scrappy, and sold by Celeste
3x Rusted Gear	Gunsmith 3	Inside cars and generators, such as Warehouse, Marano Station, and Parking Garage in the northwest of Buried City
3x Rusted Shut Medical Kit	Medical Lab 3	Medical areas, such as Hospital in Buried City and Testing Annex on Dam Battlegrounds
3x Rusted Tools	Gunsmith 2	Mechanical and Industrial areas, such as cars in Scrap Yard, and in the lower floors of Water Treatment Control, and Primary Facility on Dam Battlegrounds
4x Sentinel Firing Core	Gunsmith 3	Kill and loot a Sentinel turret, such as on the blue exterior staircase at Research & Development and either end of the destroyed dam between Control Tower and Power Generation Complex on Dam Battlegrounds
6x Snitch Scanner	Utility 2	Loot a Snitch, a common enemy in outdoor areas
5x Surveyor Vault	Medical Lab 3	Loot a Surveyor, a rare ball-shaped enemy that’s best found during the Close Scrutiny map condition
3x Synthesised Fuel	Explosives 2	Exodus areas, such as Spaceport’s Rocket Assembly and Fuel Control, and Stella Montis’ Assembly
8x Tick Pod	Medical Lab 2	Loot a Tick, a common enemy in indoor areas
3x Toaster	Refiner 2	Residential areas, such as Village in the northwest corner of Blue Gate
8x Wasp Driver	Gunsmith 2	Loot a Wasp, a common enemy in outdoor areas

Once you’ve got the hang of things and made solid progress, it’s time to think about your end goal. You can either keep your progress and carry it over between update cycles (which is my approach) or opt to reset your progress periodically for unique cosmetics and bonus skill points.

This is where the Expedition system comes into play, allowing you to donate resources to build a caravan and send your raider off into the sunset. It’s designed for those hardcore players who enjoy restarting the process just for the thrill.