ARC Raiders Beginner's Guide
New to ARC Raiders? How a raid works, which map to start on, what to bring and how to get out alive with your loot.
ARC Raiders is a PvPvE extraction shooter from Embark Studios. You leave the underground city of Speranza, raid the surface for loot while machines – the ARC – and other players hunt you, and try to get back out alive. It launched on October 30, 2025 and won Best Multiplayer Game at The Game Awards 2025.
How a raid works
SperanzaThe underground city is your base: crafting, traders, quests and your stash.
Drop topsidePick a map and head to the surface, alone or in a squad of up to three.
LootSearch containers and ARC wrecks for materials, weapons and blueprints.
ExtractReach an extraction point before the raid ends. Die and you lose what you carried.
Habits that keep you alive
Bring cheap gearUse free or low-value loadouts while you learn. Losing them hurts less.
Use your safe pocketItems in your safe pocket survive even if you die – put the best find there.
Move quietlyNoise brings ARC and other Raiders. Not every player you meet is hostile, either.
Know the machinesLearn which ARC to avoid and which to farm.
Start at the DamDam Battlegrounds is the easiest map to learn.
Upgrade between raidsSpend materials on workbenches and the Skill Tree to get stronger over time.
Keep up with changes
See all the updates since launch, the latest patch notes and the trailers.
Our ARC Raiders articles on this
Sources
Reference page written by AI (Claude) and checked against the sources above. Games change with every patch – the patch this page was last checked for is shown at the top.