Arc Raiders Beginner Guide

What Is Arc Raiders?

Arc Raiders is a third-person extraction shooter from Embark Studios, released October 30, 2025. You drop into a post-apocalyptic Earth overrun by hostile robotic enemies called the ARC. Your goal each raid: gather loot, complete objectives, and extract before something kills you.

You can play solo or in squads of 2-3. Crossplay works across all three platforms (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S).

How to Get It

Arc Raiders is a paid game, not free-to-play. Standard Edition is $39.99 USD; Deluxe is $59.99 USD (cosmetic-only differences). Same price on all platforms.

• PC: Steam — one-time purchase, no subscription needed for online
• PS5: PlayStation Store — $39.99 plus PlayStation Plus subscription for online play
• Xbox Series X|S: Microsoft Store — $39.99 plus Xbox Game Pass Core for online play

Download size is approximately 29 GB. Not on Xbox Game Pass at launch — see our Game Pass tracker for status updates. Full pricing breakdown: Arc Raiders Price.

Your First Expedition

An expedition is the core game loop — you drop in, you loot, you fight, you extract. Each map has multiple extraction points; you choose where to land and where to leave.

For your first run, start on Dam Battlegrounds or Buried City — both have well-documented loot routes and reasonable difficulty. Avoid the toughest maps (Riven Tides, Stella Montis) until you have a few raids under your belt.

What to Do in Your First Raid

1. Loot containers near your spawn point. Don’t push deep into the map until you have a weapon, ammo, and basic healing items.
2. Avoid ARC patrols. Crouching reduces detection range. ARC enemies hit hard if you engage them under-equipped.
3. Mark your extraction early. Know where you’re going before you commit to looting deeper. Use the interactive map to plan.
4. Don’t carry too much. Inventory weight slows you down. Better to extract with 80% inventory than die with 100%.
5. Listen. ARC drones and other players are loud. Audio cues are your earliest warning.

Essential Beginner Tips

• Crafting matters more than looting. The workbench turns scavenged scraps into usable gear. Upgrade your workbench early — it gates a lot of recipes.
• Learn blueprints immediately. If you find a blueprint, learn it right away — you can’t re-learn one if you sell or recycle it by accident.
• Respect ARC armor. Some ARC enemies have armor that bounces normal rounds. ARC-penetration weapons like the Jupiter and Hullcracker are the answer once you’re crafting them.
• Quests give better XP than grinding. Follow the quest tracker for the fastest progression. Straight Record is one of the early Celeste quests.
• Daily and weekly challenges stack. See the Watchlist guide — you can knock out daily Cred quests and weekly Trials in the same raid.

Combat Basics

• Weak points matter. ARC units have visible cores or glowing weak points; hits there do significantly more damage.
• Cover beats running. Most ARC weapons are projectile, not hitscan — line of sight gives you control of fights.
• Don’t fight bosses solo until you’re geared. Endgame bosses (Matriarch, ARC Turbine) are squad content unless you have legendary weapons.

Choosing Your First Weapon

Once you have crafting access, here are forgiving early-game picks:

• Bettina: Major buff in Patch 1.26.0. Strong all-rounder, good for compound fights.
• Tempest: Reliable auto AR for mid-range fights.
• Vulcano: Shotgun — high damage at close range, good for cave/interior raids.

Specialised picks for later:

• Jupiter: Legendary sniper rifle. The hardest-hitting weapon in the game.
• Hullcracker: Boss-fight specialist with ARC armor penetration.

Where to Go Next

1. Read the complete guide hub for the full site index
2. Pick a map: start with Dam Battlegrounds or Buried City
3. Once comfortable, push Riven Tides for the Patch 1.26.0 content
4. Check Patch 1.26.0 notes for the current meta
5. For weekly progression, see the Watchlist guide