Embark Studios' extraction shooter drops players into a hostile world where AI-controlled machines hunt relentlessly and every decision carries weight. Arc Raiders challenges newcomers with its blend of survival mechanics, tactical combat, and high-stakes extraction gameplay. This guide breaks down the essentials to help you survive your first raids and come home with valuable loot.

Understanding the Core Loop
Each raid begins with you dropping into a contaminated zone filled with resources, hostile ARC machines, and other players competing for the same rewards. Your goal is simple: gather supplies, complete objectives, and reach an extraction point before time runs out or the machines overwhelm you.

Death means losing everything you brought into the raid along with whatever you collected. This risk-reward structure creates tension that defines the Arc Raiders experience. Start conservatively by learning the maps and AI behavior patterns before attempting high-value targets or contested zones.

Essential Loadout Choices
Your starting loadout determines your survival chances before you even land. Weapons fall into several categories, each serving different purposes. Assault rifles offer versatility for medium-range engagements, while shotguns excel when machines push into close quarters. Sniper rifles let you engage targets from safety but struggle against swarms.

Always bring healing items and repair kits. Machines deal consistent damage that accumulates quickly during prolonged fights. Running out of healing supplies in the middle of a raid forces desperate choices that usually end badly. Pack at least three medkits and two armor repair units for standard runs.

Grenades and tactical equipment provide crowd control against machine groups. EMP grenades temporarily disable robotic enemies, creating windows to reposition or focus fire on priority targets. Smoke grenades break line of sight, allowing retreats when situations spiral out of control.

Combat Fundamentals Against Machines
ARC machines follow predictable patterns once you learn their behavior. Smaller scout units travel in packs and flank aggressively, but fragile armor means concentrated fire drops them quickly. Prioritize scouts first since they call reinforcements if left alive too long.

Heavy assault units require different tactics. Their frontal armor deflects most small arms fire, forcing players to circle around for rear shots or target exposed joints and sensor arrays. Never stand still when fighting heavies--their weapons track slowly, making strafing movements an effective defense.

Flying drones pose unique threats by attacking from angles ground-based cover doesn't protect. Listen for their distinctive rotor sounds and scan the sky frequently. A well-placed shot to their central core destroys them instantly, but missing wastes ammunition while they continue attacking.

Boss-tier machines guard high-value loot zones and extraction points. These encounters demand preparation, ammunition, and often teamwork. Study their attack patterns during your first encounter rather than committing all resources to a fight you might not win. Return when you understand their mechanics and have appropriate gear.

Resource Management and Looting
Not all loot deserves inventory space. Prioritize materials needed for crafting better equipment back at your hideout. Rare components that unlock weapon modifications or armor upgrades hold more long-term value than common resources you'll find in every raid.

Check containers methodically but stay aware of your surroundings. Players focused on looting become easy targets for both machines and rival raiders. Assign one squad member to watch approaches while others search if playing with a team.

Weight limits restrict how much you can carry, forcing choices between quantity and quality. A single rare crafting material might be worth more than a backpack full of common ammunition. Learn which items sell well or serve crafting recipes to make informed decisions under pressure.

Map Knowledge and Navigation
Each map contains landmarks that help orient yourself and plan routes. Memorize extraction point locations before deploying--nothing feels worse than collecting amazing loot only to wander lost while the timer counts down.
High-ground positions offer tactical advantages when scouting or engaging machines. Elevated spots provide clear sightlines while limiting angles enemies can attack from. However, these positions also make you visible to other players, so use them sparingly and never linger too long.

Certain zones contain higher concentrations of machines but better loot. As you gain confidence, push into these contested areas during off-peak raid times when fewer players compete for resources. Early morning or late night raids often encounter less human opposition.

Solo vs Squad Tactics
Solo play demands cautious, methodical approaches. Without backup, every engagement carries mortal risk. Stick to map edges, avoid obvious loot routes, and disengage from unfavorable fights. Your mobility as a lone operator lets you slip past threats that would pin down larger groups.

Squad play opens aggressive strategies unavailable to solo raiders. Coordinated teams can tackle boss machines, hold extraction points against rivals, and revive fallen members. Communication makes or breaks squad performance--call out threats, share resources, and coordinate target priorities.

For players seeking to accelerate their progression and acquire better gear, Arc Raiders resources and support can help you compete more effectively in the harsh extraction zones.

Extraction Strategy
Reaching the extraction point doesn't guarantee success. These locations attract both machines and players hoping to steal accumulated loot. Approach carefully, scout for ambushes, and clear nearby enemies before calling your extraction.

The extraction timer creates vulnerability windows where you must defend a position. Use this time to set up defensive positions, place traps if available, and watch all approach vectors. Many successful raids end in disaster because players drop their guard during those final seconds.

If another squad controls the extraction point, assess whether fighting makes sense. Sometimes waiting for them to leave or finding an alternate extraction preserves more value than risking everything in a coinflip firefight.

Learning From Failure
Every failed raid teaches lessons that improve future runs. Did machines flank from an unexpected direction? Remember that spawn point. Did you run out of ammunition fighting a boss? Bring more next time or avoid that engagement altogether.

Track which tactics work against specific machine types and which loadouts suit your playstyle. Some players excel at aggressive close-range combat while others prefer calculated sniper approaches. Neither is wrong--success comes from playing to your strengths rather than forcing uncomfortable strategies.

Arc Raiders rewards patience, preparation, and tactical thinking over pure mechanical skill. Master the basics, learn from mistakes, and gradually push into riskier situations as your confidence and gear quality improve.