ARC Raiders is a game that is equal parts shooter and crafting simulator. There are so many different resources that players need to manage and acquire that it can be daunting at first, and even after reaching the mid-game, there are still plenty of things to learn. The game does a good job of telling players how to progress and what items to prioritize, but there are also a lot of things that are often learned the hard way through mistakes or trial and error.
Some of these early-game crafting tips can be as simple as clicking a button, while others are broader and related to a general mindset that players need to adopt if they have any hope of leveling up their power quickly. At the end of the day, crafting is anything but a passive activity in ARC Raiders. Players need to carefully manage their resources and plan out certain recipes beforehand, rather than hoping that the items will simply come along at some point by themselves.
Resource Tracking
Everything Has A Purpose
Resource tracking is an important mechanic that many players use to help them find specific items for their next upgrade, but even those who are aware of it underutilize its full capabilities. It may be intuitive to track a single workbench or to hunt for specific parts for a gun upgrade. However, there are no real limits to how many items that can be tracked at the same time, which means players can toggle every single bench to ensure that they don't miss any of the more annoying items, like Rusted Gears or Very Comfortable Pillows.
There are many situations where players will complete several raids and either overlook or sell potentially useful items, then later find out that they need them for a crucial upgrade step. Until players are comfortable with item locations and general uses, it is a good idea to have all the bench and Scrappy resources toggled on, so that they can easily cover all their bases, ensuring that they don't skip any items that they would otherwise need to come back for later.
Item Locations
Not Every Box Holds A Lemon
The maps in ARC Raiders are full of different locations and item hotspots, and one of the most important habits players can develop is checking what kinds of objects can be found in which areas. Each area comes with a handy key that displays little icons for nature or industry, and players will see those same icons on the items they find, providing a broad guide for where they can hunt for specific items that are found sparsely or not at all elsewhere.
ARC Raiders: 5 Most Underrated Quick Use Items In The Game
These unappreciated quick use items are often the difference between a successful excursion and a quick death in ARC Raiders.
What often happens to players as they continue raiding is that they will have an abundance of a few specific items and struggle to acquire more than a single stack of others. This comes down to a lack of specific loot targeting. This means that, although they may be able to craft some basic items in bulk, higher-tiered ones will be unavailable due to a lack of certain items. It is a good idea to change routes or explore more diverse areas, even targeting certain locations if needed, as this will give players a much wider pool to pull from, offering them more opportunities to craft better gear and weapons.
Specific Resources
Some Are More Of A Pain Than Others
A situation that many players find themselves in later down the line is having a wide range of items in their stash, but being unable to actually upgrade anything. This often comes down to one or two select items that are either hard to come by or are simply rarer than any other item in the game. Some items, like Sentinel Firing Cores, can be a roadblock that prevents players from completing an otherwise simple upgrade, purely because they are found in much smaller quantities across the game's maps.
It's one thing to track resources, but knowing exactly where they can be found is another story. For instance, Sentinels themselves are pretty scarce, and can only be found in a few set locations Topside. That said, experienced players will know that probes and couriers can also drop Firing Cores, giving players another source for this pesky resource. This kind of information can be invaluable to progressing through crafting tiers and can save players a lot of pain and grinding, so learning where items spawn can be just as valuable as knowing which ones are needed.
Workbench Cycle
Creating The Perfect Crafting Loop
Early on, players will be stuck crafting the same few weapons and items, but as they progress, they will find more blueprints and gain access to stronger gear with each upgrade. However, one very important detail is knowing how benches and traders feed into one another, specifically the Refiner and Celeste. They may have a good supply of lower-tier resources and a few better ones, like Advanced Mechanical Components, but being able to reliably craft and repair better weapons may seem just out of reach.
That's what makes the Refiner so valuable. By upgrading it a few times, players can suddenly use those easy-to-find items to craft significantly better gear, while also refilling their supplies quickly by trading seeds with Celeste. This loop allows players to reliably use their grey and green items in more ways, and makes crafting better gear much less stressful, as getting the items back is as simple as paying a visit to Speranza.
Selling Vs Dismantling
Know When To Trade And Break Down Items
When players manage to make it back from Topside alive, they then have a decision to make regarding their loot. They can either dismantle it or sell it to a trader, and many opt for the second option, valuing the extra money over a few pieces of scrap. However, in general, it is far more efficient to dismantle weapons and gear as opposed to selling them, as the resources gained prove to be both more useful and more valuable than the currency gained.
Also, even if an item says "Recyclable," it doesn't mean players should instantly dismantle it. For one, many of those items are actually used for quests or upgrades that players may not have access to yet, meaning that they won't be trackable. More importantly, it may be more beneficial for players to actually sell the items in the mid-game, as having three more bits of fabric can be far less useful to a player who would prefer a bigger wallet. In any case, it is important to know the uses, values, and dismantled resources of items, as that information will ensure players are using their items to the fullest at all times.
ARC Raiders
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
- Released
- October 30, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen / Violence, Blood
- Developer(s)
- Embark Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Embark Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Extraction, Shooter, Third-Person Shooter, Survival
