ARC Raiders Beginner Tips: Best Starting Loadout and Mistakes to Avoid
New to ARC Raiders after the Frozen Trail launch? Here's how to build an early loadout, spend your first skill points and survive your first raids on Pendola Pass.
A giant Arc bears down on a Raider caught in the open. Image: Embark Studios.
ARC Raiders throws new Raiders into the Rust Belt with almost no hand-holding, and the Frozen Trail update that went live on October 8 added a whole new region on top of the existing learning curve. If you're picking the game up now, during or just after the free play weekend, the extraction-shooter fundamentals matter more than any single weapon. Here's how to spend your first few hours without handing your loot to the first Raider or Arc that finds you.
Start on the Free Loadout, Not Your Stash
Every Raider has access to a Free Loadout: a set of starter weapons and gear that never runs out, even if your stash is completely empty. The trade-off is that you don't always know exactly what you're getting and there's no safe pocket to protect items from loss, but that's the point early on. Run a handful of raids on the Free Loadout before you commit anything from your own stash. You'll learn extraction routes, Arc patrol patterns and fight timing without risking gear you spent real scrap to buy.
Build a Loadout That Can Actually Fight and Run
Once you do start bringing your own kit, keep it simple. A mid-range rifle for open ground, plus a shotgun or SMG for building interiors, covers most fights you'll run into. Add a small shield rather than stacking max HP, since a shield recharges between fights and forgives a bad peek in a way raw health doesn't. Round it out with a medkit and a smoke or cloak gadget. A well-timed smoke that breaks line of sight has saved more loadouts than any single gun choice.
Don't hoard your best items waiting for the "right" raid. Gear sitting in your stash does nothing for you. Use upgrades as soon as you have them and let your stash turn over.
Spend Your First Skill Points on Mobility
ARC Raiders is a game about repositioning, not standing and trading shots, so the Mobility tree is the strongest opening investment for a new Raider. Picking up the early Mobility nodes first, before sinking points into combat perks, pays off because survival in this game is almost entirely about getting in and out of a fight on your own terms. Stamina upgrades are worth prioritizing too, since running out of sprint mid-rotation is how a lot of deaths start.
Don't Get Greedy at Extraction
Extraction points are the single most dangerous place on the map, because every other Raider in your match knows you'll eventually have to go there. Scout an extraction zone from cover before committing, and have a second option in mind if it looks camped. Noise matters just as much: sprinting everywhere, breaching doors, and firing unsuppressed weapons all broadcast your position to Arcs and players alike. Finish a fight quickly or disengage, don't let it drag on in the open.
What Changes on Pendola Pass
The Frozen Trail update's new map, Pendola Pass, adds a mechanic new players should plan around before dropping in: Flash Freeze. Periodic freeze waves sweep the valley, each lasting a few minutes with a short lull between them, and Avalanche Shelters pop up as a freeze approaches to offer cover and loot. Those shelters are also where other Raiders go to wait it out, so treat them as a likely fight, not a guaranteed safe room. The map's new extraction method, the Ballistic Gondola, only seats three Raiders and has to be called in and boarded quickly, so don't wander far once you've triggered one. Save the locked areas that need a crafted key for when you're already running a loadout you can afford to lose; they're built for players who've outgrown this guide, not for a first visit.
Quick Checklist for Your First Raids
- Run several raids on the Free Loadout before spending stash gear
- Carry one mid-range weapon, one close-range option, a shield, a medkit and a smoke or cloak
- Put early skill points into Mobility and stamina, not combat perks
- Scout extraction before committing, and have a backup extraction point
- Move and fight quietly; sprinting and unsuppressed guns draw Arcs and other Raiders
- Treat Pendola Pass's Avalanche Shelters as contested, not safe
None of this replaces time in the field, but it cuts down the number of runs you lose to avoidable mistakes. For a tougher target once you're geared up, see our guide to beating the Matriarch, and check the Frozen Trail release rundown for everything else the October 8 update changed. ARC Raiders is rated Teen by the ESRB for violence and blood, and it's available now on Steam and consoles; the full patch history and background on the project are on Wikipedia.