Old EMP Trap – Arc Raiders Item & Quest Guide

What the Old EMP Trap Actually Is

The Old EMP Trap is a fixed quest objective in the Straight Record mission — not a deployable gadget. It’s a tall pole wrapped in wiring with a circular apparatus on top, sitting on a dirt slope. Your job in the quest is to disable it by activating three power switches in the correct order.

If you came here looking for a placeable EMP trap, that’s a different item. This page covers the quest device only.

Where to Find It

• Map: Dam Battlegrounds
• Region: Victory Ridge (you may need to zoom in one map level for Victory Ridge to become visible)
• Specific spot: Between the West Broken Bridge and Ruby Residence

The pole is unmistakable once you’re in the area — it sits exposed on the slope, and the wiring trails away from it down toward the southern road.

Quest Prerequisites

Straight Record is given by Celeste. You unlock it after completing the Broken Monument quest. Until Broken Monument is wrapped, Straight Record won’t appear in your tracker.

How to Disable the Trap (Switch Order)

Three power switches must be activated in this exact sequence. Wrong order resets the puzzle and you’ll have to start the sequence again.

1. Switch 1 – on a nearby hill. From the EMP pole, look uphill on the slope it sits on. The first switch is on the higher ground close to the pole.
2. Switch 2 – inside a destroyed house. The second switch is on the upper floor of a wrecked building nearby. The interior staircase is gone, so you have to climb the exterior generator on the side of the house and enter through the second floor.
3. Switch 3 – follow the fallen cable south. An electrical cable runs from the EMP pole down the southern road. Follow it to find the third switch.

Once all three are flipped in order, the trap is disabled and the objective ticks over.

Quest Rewards

Returning the completed objective to Celeste rewards:

• 5x Medium Gun Parts
• 3x Advanced Mechanical Components

Tips for the Run

• Travel light. You’ll be sprinting between three switch locations under PvP pressure. Going in with minimal gear (or even bare-fisted) means less to lose if you get clipped.
• Bring Adrenaline Shots. Pocket a couple in a safe pocket to keep your stamina topped up for the running between switches.
• Listen for ARC. Victory Ridge isn’t ARC-empty — the noise of activating switches can pull patrols. Clear adds before you commit to the sequence.
• Memorise the order. Hill, then second-floor of the destroyed house, then follow the cable south. If you’re rotating mid-switch sequence and forget, a wrong activation forces a restart.

For other Dam Battlegrounds quests and where their objectives spawn, see the full Dam Battlegrounds map guide. Once Straight Record is done, Celeste’s chain continues into more exploration objectives.