This ARC Raiders beginner guide starts with the short version: go topside with cheap gear, grab useful materials, avoid fights you do not need, and extract before you get greedy. Anything you carry out is yours to keep, and anything you die with is lost.
ARC Raiders is an extraction shooter from Embark Studios. You leave the underground hub of Speranza, explore a surface overrun by hostile ARC machines, and try to get back with loot while other Raiders are doing the same.
The first raids can feel overwhelming. The tips below from the Chams team focus on the habits that keep new players alive long enough to learn the maps, build a stash, and start winning the fights that matter.
Key Takeaways
- Use free or cheap loadouts while you learn, so a death never costs much.
- Extraction is the goal; a small haul you bring home beats a big one you lose.
- Noise draws ARC machines, so move carefully and avoid long gunfights in the open.
- Prioritize crafting materials, quest items and blueprints over random junk.
- Knowing where players, machines and loot are before they see you is the biggest edge in any raid.
ARC Raiders Beginner Guide: A Plan for Your First Five Raids
Rather than diving straight into the deep end, use this ARC Raiders beginner guide plan to build skills one step at a time:
- Raid one: free loadout, one map, no fights. Just learn the layout and find two exits.
- Raid two: loot one area properly and extract with whatever you have.
- Raid three: take on a single small machine from cover and learn its weak points.
- Raid four: follow your first quest objective and bring back the materials it needs.
- Raid five: spend your haul on a workshop upgrade, then repeat on a second map.
By the end of that run you will know how raids flow, how machines react and what your stash actually needs.
How a Raid Works
Every raid follows the same loop. You choose a map, pick a loadout, drop topside, loot what you can and reach an extraction point before the raid timer runs out.
Between raids you return to Speranza. There you craft gear at your workshop, trade with vendors, take on quests and upgrade your equipment with the materials you brought back.
The tension comes from risk. Every item you take topside can be lost, and every other squad on the map is either a threat or a possible ally.
The Best Beginner Loadout
Your first goal is learning, not winning every fight. That makes cheap loadouts the right call early on.
- Free loadouts. The game offers a free starter kit so you can raid without risking your stash. Use it while you learn map layouts.
- One reliable weapon. A basic gun you handle well beats an expensive one you are afraid to lose.
- Healing and shields. Most early deaths come from running out of health between fights, so always pack heals.
- Space for loot. A full backpack before you land defeats the point of the raid.
As your stash grows, bring better kits on maps you know well and save your best gear for raids where you have a clear plan.
Extraction Basics That Keep Your Loot
Extracting is how you keep what you find. Reach an extraction point, survive until it activates, and you return to Speranza with everything you carry.
Some exits are open to everyone and some need a key or a specific item. Open exits are the most predictable, but they are also where other players are most likely to wait.
- Know where at least two exits are before you start looting.
- Watch the raid timer and leave early rather than racing the clock.
- Approach exits slowly and check for other players before you commit.
- If an exit looks camped, move to a different one instead of forcing it.
Which Loot Should You Keep?
Not everything shiny is worth carrying. Early on your stash space is limited, and your workshop needs specific materials to grow.
| Loot type | Why it matters | Beginner priority |
|---|---|---|
| Crafting materials | Needed for workshop upgrades, ammo and gear | High |
| Quest items | Unlock rewards and vendor progression | High |
| Blueprints | Unlock new items you can craft yourself | High |
| ARC machine parts | Used in better gear and upgrades | Medium to high |
| Healing and ammo | Keeps you alive on the next raid | Medium |
| Valuables | Sell to vendors for currency | Medium |
| Common junk | Often recyclable but bulky | Low unless you need it |
Check your quest log and workshop upgrade list before each raid so you know exactly what you are hunting for.
Handling ARC Machines
The ARC are the hostile machines that patrol the surface, from small flying drones to large walkers. Some types can alert others when they spot you.
The biggest beginner mistake is treating them like normal enemies. Gunfire and loud movement pull in more machines, and a small fight can quickly become a large one.
- Avoid fights you do not need. If a machine has not seen you, going around it is often best.
- Use cover. Break line of sight and reposition instead of trading shots in the open.
- Learn weak points. Many machines have parts that take extra damage, which saves ammo.
- Remove scouts first. Machines that warn others are worth dealing with fast or avoiding entirely.
PvP vs PvE: Should You Fight Other Raiders?
ARC Raiders mixes PvE and PvP. Other players can attack you but do not have to, and many cooperate when the ARC are the bigger threat. Proximity voice chat lets you talk to nearby players, and a quick friendly message can avoid a fight that only attracts machines.
Trust carefully, though. Players carrying good loot near an exit are the most likely to be ambushed. Early on, avoid PvP unless you are attacked or the fight is clearly in your favor.
Using Speranza Between Raids
Time in Speranza turns loot into progress. Upgrade your workshop first, since better crafting stations unlock stronger weapons, shields and healing. Follow the early quests, sell what you do not need, and keep your stash tidy so there is always room for the materials that matter.
How Chams Tools Help You Bring More Loot Home
Most lost raids end the same way: a squad you never saw, a machine you walked into, or an exit camper waiting in the dark. Seeing those threats first changes everything, and that is what the Chams ARC Raiders lineup is built to do.
- ARC Raiders Klar is our best-selling ARC Raiders product. Its ESP shows enemies and teammates with name, platform, distance, health and shield bars, 3D, 2D or corner boxes, skeletons and chams, while the aimbot offers prediction, FOV with deadzone, smoothing and targeting across 17 bones with a visible check.
- ARC Raiders Nocturnal adds ESP for players and loot, a 2D radar and auto-updating configs, with an option to ignore bots. It is a strong awareness-first pick and the one with a Lifetime key.
- ARC Raiders Polarity DMA is a Steam-only hardware DMA option with full player, bot and loot ESP, a 2D radar and web radar, plus ARC weakpoint targeting that helps you take down machines efficiently.
ARC Raiders is widely reported to use Easy Anti-Cheat on PC, and our products are built and updated with that in mind. Read what anti-cheat ARC Raiders uses for the details, and check the live status page before every session. Many players add an HWID spoofer as an extra layer.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Bringing your best gear before you know the map.
- Staying too long when your bag is already worth extracting.
- Sprinting everywhere and announcing your position to players and machines.
- Ignoring workshop upgrades in Speranza.
- Looting without a plan or a list of what you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ARC Raiders hard for beginners?
It can feel tough because dying means losing what you carry. Free or cheap loadouts remove most of that pressure, and after a few raids the maps and machine behavior become much easier to read.
What should I do first in ARC Raiders?
Learn one map with a free loadout and focus on extracting rather than fighting. Pick up quest items and crafting materials, then use them to upgrade your workshop.
Should I play solo or in a squad?
Both work. Squads handle heavy machines and other players more easily, while solo play is quieter and teaches stealth.
What happens to my loot if I die?
Items you carried in and anything you picked up are generally lost. Some gear slots protect a small amount of loot, so check your equipment for safe storage.
Are other players always hostile?
No. Some attack on sight and others cooperate. Proximity chat helps you find out, but stay careful near extraction points.
Gear Up for Your Next Raid
If you take one thing from this ARC Raiders beginner guide, make it this: patience and information win raids. Learn the maps with cheap gear, extract early, and know where the threats are before they know where you are. Habits from our guide on surviving more raids in Tarkov carry over well too.
Ready to see every squad, machine and loot spot first? Grab a day key for ARC Raiders Klar or compare the full lineup on the ARC Raiders cheats page. Keys are delivered automatically right after payment.