Hey Raiders, Elias here from rivalsector.com. For everyone who has been tearing through the Rust Belt, scrapping machines, and hoarding loot, the question has been looming: what is the true endgame? Well, I hit level 15, and I have found the answer. It is called Trials, and it is the seasonal, competitive, and reward-heavy PvE gauntlet we have been waiting for.
I have spent the last few days diving deep into this new mode, climbing the first rungs of the ladder, and I am here to give you the complete breakdown. This is not just a daily quest system. It is a full-fledged seasonal competition designed to test your skills and reward your dedication. If you love optimizing runs, chasing high scores, and earning exclusive cosmetics to prove your veteran status, this guide is for you.
How Trials Work: The Weekly Gauntlet
First things first, you unlock the “Trials” tab in your menu upon reaching Level 15. This immediately signals that this is endgame content, meant for Raiders who know how to survive topside.
When you open the menu, you will see two main tabs: “Weekly Trials” and “Ranks”. Let’s start with the weekly loop, as this is what you will be engaging with most often.
Each week, you are presented with five Weekly Trials Challenges. These are specific objectives that you must complete during your normal runs. My first set of challenges, for example, includes:
- Open ARC Probes
- Destroy Ticks
- Damage Leapers
- Damage any ARC enemies
- Harvest plants
Each challenge tracks your performance and awards points. As you earn points in a single category, you will see your “Personal Best” score. This is the single most important part of the scoring system. Your total rank on the leaderboard is the cumulative total of your personal best score in all five categories.
This is a brilliant design. It means you do not need one single “god run” where you do everything perfectly. You can focus one entire run on hunting Leapers to get a massive score in that category. Then, in the next run, you can focus on farming plants and opening ARC Probes. The game saves your highest score for each challenge, which takes off a ton of pressure and encourages mastery and optimization rather than pure luck.
As you get better scores, you also unlock immediate rewards. At the bottom of the Weekly Trials screen, there is a progress bar that grants you reward crates at 1,000, 2,500, and 4,000 points. These can be claimed once per challenge, per week, giving you a fantastic, tangible reward for your efforts right away.
Climbing the Ladder: Ranks and Divisions
Those weekly points do more than just get you crates. They fuel your seasonal climb. This is where the “Ranks” tab comes in.
Your total score from your five personal bests places you on a leaderboard. But here is the catch: you are not competing against every single player in the world. Instead, you are placed into a Division of 100 other Raiders who are at your exact same rank.
When I started, I was “Rookie I,” and my leaderboard only had 99 other Rookie I players. This is a masterstroke by Embark. It makes the competition feel personal and fair. I am not trying to beat a streamer who plays 16 hours a day. I am just trying to be better than the other 99 people in my group.
So, how do you climb? At the end of the weekly reset, the game checks your position in your division:
- Top 20 Players: You receive a “2X Promotion” and jump up two entire ranks (e.g., from Rookie I to Rookie III).
- Players in Ranks 30-50: You get a standard promotion and move up one rank.
- Players Below Rank 50: You stay at your current rank for the next week.
This system is beautifully clear. Your goal every week is simple: be better than at least half the players in your group to progress. If you want to climb fast, you have to push for that top 20 percent. This creates a compelling and addictive weekly loop.
The 14 Ranks to Cantina Legend
The seasonal climb is a long one, with 14 distinct ranks to achieve. These are broken up into tiers, and the names alone tell you what kind of dedication is required.
Here is the full rank structure you will be climbing:
| Rank Category | Rank Image | Tier I | Tier II | Tier III |
| Rookie |  | Rookie I | Rookie II | Rookie III |
| Tryhard |  | Tryhard I | Tryhard II | Tryhard III |
| Wildcard |  | Wildcard I | Wildcard II | Wildcard III |
| Daredevil |  | Daredevil I | Daredevil II | Daredevil III |
| Hotshot |  | Hotshot | (Single Top Tier) | |
| Cantina Legend |  | Cantina Legend | (Single Top Tier) |
I have to appreciate the names. Calling a rank “Tryhard” is a direct nod from the developers. They know this is a grind, and they are embracing it. Reaching the “Daredevil” and “Hotshot” tiers will be a serious seasonal accomplishment.
And then there is Cantina Legend. This is not just a rank you can earn. This is an exclusive club. This rank is reserved for the Top 100 players in the entire game at the end of the season. This is the ultimate prize for the most dedicated and skilled Raiders in the community.
The Spoils of War: All Trials Season Rewards
So, why are we climbing this ladder? For the loot, of course. Exclusive, end-of-season cosmetics that prove you put in the work. The best part is that when you finish the season at a high rank, you unlock all the rewards from the ranks below you.
Here is a full breakdown of the cosmetic rewards you are fighting for this season:
- Rookie (I-III): This is your entry-level participation trophy.
- “Happy Jig” Emote
- “Black Eye” Face Style
- Tryhard (I-III): Now we are getting into some gear.
- “Archeologist” Backpack
- “Briefcase” Backpack Attachment
- Wildcard (I-III): Adding some more flair to your kit.
- “Mastery Medal” Backpack Charm
- “Bow and Arrow” Emote
- Daredevil (I-III): This is the first full outfit set, and my personal first goal.
- “Patrol” Outfit
- “Headgear (Patrol Variant)”
- Hotshot: Reaching this tier confirms your elite status and grants you everything listed above.
- Cantina Legend (Top 100): This is the ultimate bragging right. You get every single reward from all the previous tiers, plus one item that is exclusive to you:
- “Scarlet Black (Patrol Color)” Outfit Color
When you see a Raider in Speranza decked out in that Scarlet Black variant, you know you are looking at one of the best players in the game. That is a hell of a motivator.
My Take: Is This the Endgame ARC Raiders Needed?
After several days of grinding, my answer is a clear and resounding yes. This is exactly what ARC Raiders needed to build a long-term, motivating endgame.
Embark has managed to balance short-term gratification (the weekly reward crates) with a long-term, aspirational chase (the seasonal ranks and cosmetics). The 100-player divisions are the secret sauce, making the climb feel fair and preventing the burnout of staring at a single, massive global leaderboard.
The “personal best” scoring system respects my time. A bad run does not tank my week. It just means I need to queue up again and focus on a different objective. It encourages strategic play. This entire system is a key part of the larger ARC Raiders systems guide that players need to master if they want to truly conquer the endgame.
This is a challenge, and it is meant to be. It gives PvE-focused players a clear path to optimization and a way to show off their achievements that is not just about hoarding the best gear. It is about skill, dedication, and strategic mastery.
I am all in. I am aiming for that Daredevil “Patrol” outfit, but you can bet I will be fighting for a spot in Hotshot. That Cantina Legend rank is a dream, but hey, a Raider has to have goals, right?
What do you think of the new Trials mode? What rank are you grinding for? Let me know your thoughts. For more deep dives, guides, and everything else ARC Raiders, be sure to stay locked to our Gaming Insights category right here on rivalsector.com.
Now, if you will excuse me, those Leapers are not going to damage themselves. Good luck out there, Raiders.
