Hello, Raiders! Elias here, your guide to the grind here at RivalSector.com. I have been spending a lot of my time diving head-first into the brutal, retro-future world of ARC Raiders, and I am hooked. It is a fresh take on the extraction shooter genre, but man, it does not pull its punches. The Rust Belt is a dangerous place, filled with killer robots and even deadlier players, and your first few runs can feel like a meat grinder.
I have seen so many new players make the same critical mistakes, losing gear and getting frustrated. I do not want that to be you. I have boiled down my hours of gameplay into the nine most essential, game-changing tips that you need to know.
This is not just a list, this is your new survival creed. Let’s get you kitted, leveled, and extracting.
1. Shields are NOT Extra Health
This is the most important tip, so I am putting it first. I see new players get their shields cracked and think they are fine because their health bar is full. They are wrong, and then they are dead.
In ARC Raiders, your shield provides Damage Mitigation, not an extra health bar.When you get shot, you take damage to both your health and your shield at the same time. A shield just reduces the amount of health damage you take. This means if you are running around with 10% health and a full shield, you are still one well-placed shot away from being knocked.
Always prioritize healing your health bar first. My go-to move in a fight is to pop a shield recharger to get the mitigation active, then immediately use a bandage to get my health regenerating before I top off my shields.
2. Holster Your Weapon to Move Fast
This is a simple mechanic that changes everything. When you are holding a weapon, you run at a standard speed. If you want to really move, press 5 (on PC) to holster your weapon. You will run significantly faster, jump farther, and use less stamina.
This is my default way of moving around the map. I only pull my weapon out when I hear something, see a threat, or am about to enter a hot-spot. You can outrun other players, reposition in a fight, and get to extraction points before the timer runs out. Use this. All the time.
3. Embrace the Free Loadout
Gear-fear is real. We all have it. You finally extract with a cool purple gun and a great augment, and now you are too scared to take it out and lose it. ARC Raiders has the perfect solution: the Free Loadout.
If you are low on cash or just want a no-risk run, you can always opt for a free, random set of basic gear. This is fantastic for learning the map, completing quests, or just going on a loot run. The only catch is that you do not get your Safe Pocket (your secure container). But who cares? It is all profit. I still use free loadouts all the time to fund my more kitted runs.
4. How to Level Up Fast in ARC Raiders
If you are wondering how to level up fast in ARC Raiders, the answer is simple: do your quests. Your main source of XP is not just from killing ARCs, it is from completing the tasks given to you by the vendors in Spiranza.
Before every single raid, your first stop should be visiting all the vendors and grabbing every quest you can. These tasks give you direction, like “kill 5 Wasps” or “find 3 pieces of scrap”. Completing these, along with in-game “Feats” (small objectives), grants you a ton of XP, which in turn gives you skill points to upgrade your Raider.
5. Master Your Core Movement Tech
Beyond just holstering your weapon, there are three other movement tricks you need to master.
- Dodge Roll (Left Alt): This is your combat dodge It is perfect for diving between pieces of cover or throwing off an enemy’s aim in a close-quarters fight.
- Shoulder Swap (X): This is a third-person-shooter essential Before you peek any corner, press X to swap your camera to the correct shoulder. This lets you see them before they see you.
- No Fall Damage (Crouch): If you are jumping from a medium height, you can completely negate fall damage by pressing your crouch key right before you land. You will perform a smooth combat roll and keep moving.
6. Your Best Friend: The Raider Hatch Key
The standard extraction points (the elevators) are death traps. You have to call them, they make a ton of noise, and it basically alerts every player on the map to your exact location.
Here is the pro tip: as soon as you can, buy a Raider Hatch Key from a vendor. They are expensive (around 6,000 coins) but worth every cent. This key allows you to use the small, quiet, and private “Raider Hatches” scattered around the map for an instant extraction. The best part? Put this key in your Safe Pocket. Since you keep items in your Safe Pocket even if you die, you will always have a guaranteed escape route ready to go.
7. Sound is Everything (and How to Be Quiet)
I cannot overstate this: sound is your most valuable tool. You can hear other players running, looting, fighting, and even healing. I use a good headset and can pinpoint a player’s location long before I see them.
This also means you are making noise. But you can be quieter.
- Crouch-walking is almost silent
- Be careful with car alarms and door sensors. You will see these as small, blinking red lights. If you run past them, they make a loud noise, giving away your position. You can disable them with a single melee hit.
- Breaching containers is loud Before you do it, stop and listen for a few seconds.
8. Dismantle Your Junk for More Space
Your inventory will fill up fast. You will find yourself trying to decide between a wrench and a roll of fabric. Here is the solution: Dismantle (or Salvage) your junk.
Instead of just dropping a low-value item, you can break it down into its base crafting materials, like metal parts or plastic These base materials stack much higher in your inventory, letting you carry far more value out of a raid in a single stack. I make it a habit to dismantle all my “junk” items before I extract.
9. Know Your ARC Weak Spots
Do not waste ammo on the armored robot husks. The AI in this game can be tough, but every single one has a weak spot. Wasting ammo not only drains your resources but the extended gunfire just attracts other players.
Here is a quick-hit list for the most common ARCs.
| ARC Enemy | Weak Spot | My Tactic |
| Wasp/Hornet | Rotors (Propellers) | For the armored Hornets, their rear rotors are unarmored. Flank them. |
| Snitch | Its whole body (Red) | This is your priority target. It has no weapons, but if it spots you, it calls in a massive horde of ARCs. Kill it fast. |
| Leaper | Leg Joints | Cripple its legs to stop it from jumping on you. |
| Tick | Its whole body | Do not waste a bullet. A single melee hit will kill it instantly. |
| Bison | The “Eye” | This big stomper can jump, so do not assume you are safe at a distance. |
Get Out There and Raid
The Rust Belt is a challenge, but it is not impossible. With these nine tips, you are already ahead of the curve. You know how to heal, how to move, and how to get your loot out safely. The most important thing is to learn from every death and not get discouraged.
What is the one tip that saved your life? Or what is the best piece of loot you have extracted with so far? Let me know in the comments below. For more in-depth guides, reviews, and all things ARC Raiders, keep it locked to RivalSector.com and check out our Gaming Insights category.
Good luck out there, Raider.
