Beginner Guide

Complete new player guide for Arc Raiders covering your first hours, essential mechanics, and progression tips.

Category: Strategy ยท Updated 7 October 2026

Welcome to the resistance, Raider. You have just arrived in Speranza, the underground safe haven where humanity hides from the ARC machines that took over Earth. Here is everything you need to know to survive your first trips Topside.

Understanding the Core Loop

Arc Raiders is an extraction shooter. You deploy Topside to a map, gather loot, and must extract alive to keep it. If you die, you lose everything you brought and found. This means every raid is a calculated risk: bring enough gear to survive but not so much that dying bankrupts you.

Your First Raids

Start on Dam Battlegrounds. It needs no unlock, per the wiki. Bring only what you can afford to lose: a Ferro, a Light Shield, and a few Bandages. Your goal for the first 5 to 10 raids is learning the map, not getting rich.

Loot everything. Metal Parts, Plastic Parts, Fabric and Rubber Parts are the foundation of all crafting. Fill your inventory and extract. Do not chase fights with other Raiders or ARC machines until you understand the map flow.

Speranza Station Priorities

Your base in Speranza has crafting stations that you upgrade over time. Priority order:

  1. Gunsmith to Lv.2 (unlocks the Venator)
  2. Medical Lab to Lv.2 (unlocks Defibrillators and Sterilized Bandages)
  3. Gear Bench to Lv.2 (unlocks the Heavy Shield and Mk. 2 augments)
  4. Utility Station and Explosives Station (Firecrackers and Gas Mines are level 1 recipes)

This upgrade path gets a lot out of the materials you spend. The Gunsmith Lv.2 alone dramatically increases your combat effectiveness.

Combat Basics

ARC machines have predictable patterns. Ticks rush you in straight lines, so backpedal and shoot. Surveyors (flying drones) will call reinforcements if they spot you, so shoot them first or crouch to avoid detection.

Against other Raiders, positioning wins fights. High ground, cover, and flanking angles matter more than raw aim. If someone shoots first, do not stand and trade shots. Reposition behind cover and re-engage on your terms.

Essential Tips