Making the most out of ARC Raiders' skill trees is just one part of success in Embark's new extraction shooter. However, a good skill setup can make a world of difference when it comes to surviving topside while scavenging for weapons and materials. To this end, ARC Raiders has one skill tree that is essential for players looking to maximize their progression and consistently extract from matches with valuable loot.

There are three skill trees that ARC Raiders players can invest in, and each is geared towards a particular playstyle: Conditioning (green), Mobility (yellow), and Survival (red). Although ARC Raiders players can invest points into any skill tree when they level up, some trees lock skills behind certain point investment requirements. This means players need to be mindful of where they are investing their skill points, and one tree is rarely a bad option.

Currently, the game doesn't have any way to respec builds without completely wiping an ARC Raiders character via Expeditions, so skill tree investments are permanent.

ARC Raiders Players Shouldn't Sleep on the Survival (Red) Skill Tree

arc raiders enemy raider

On first glance, it might seem like Mobility is the best ARC Raiders skill tree to invest heavily in, since it can improve the player's stamina usage. Conditioning, on the other hand, makes a strong argument for investments with its skills that improve the player's healing capabilities in combat. While it's definitely worth investing some points in each of ARC Raiders' skill trees, Survival will be the best long-term investment for the most successful builds.

The skill tree in ARC Raiders

Best Survival Skills in ARC Raiders

  • Agile Croucher – movement speed while crouching is increased
  • Looter's Instincts – when searching a container, loot is revealed faster
  • In-Round Crafting – field-craft items while topside
  • Silent Scavenger – make less noise while looting
  • Suffer in Silence – make less noise while moving when critically hurt
  • Broad Shoulders – increases the maximum amount of items the player can carry
  • Looter's Luck – adds a chance for twice as many items as once
  • Security Breach – adds the ability to breach Security Lockers

The majority of the skills in the Survival skill tree focus on giving the players more speed and stealth when looting. The sound of footsteps and container breaching can be a huge indicator that another raider is nearby, so ARC Raiders players will want to stay as quiet as possible while scavenging. In-Round Crafting is also a must-have ARC Raiders skill, since being able to craft items like ammo and bandages during a match can often make the difference between life and death while topside.

Why Investing in ARC Raiders' Survival Skill Tree is a Must

arc-raiders_breach

With ARC Raiders being an extraction shooter, looting is the name of the game, and builds that optimize the player's ability to escape with rare materials and gear will be the most successful. When upgrading gear depends on the player's ability to extract with the necessary materials, skills that support the player's looting ability will make this progression go smoothly and efficiently. The Survival skill tree prioritizes this type of gameplay more than any other option, making it the primary tree players should invest in.

arc-raiders-security-locker-breach

Possibly the biggest reason for fully investing in the Survival tree is for the Security Breach skill available as one of the tree's final nodes. This skill sounds underwhelming compared to other final nodes players could take, but ARC Raiders' Security Lockers are no joke when it comes to finding some of the game's rarest loot. These Security Lockers are not common, but typically contain at least an Epic-tier weapon. Additional loot that can be found here includes blueprints for ARC Raiders' rarest gear, as well as valuable crafting materials, meaning any player dedicated to the loot grind will want to invest in this skill.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
ARC Raiders Tag Page Cover Art
Display card tags widget
Extraction
Shooter
Third-Person Shooter
Survival
Display card system widget
Systems
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget
Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
Display card main info widget
Released
October 30, 2025
ESRB
Teen / Violence, Blood
Developer(s)
Embark Studios
Publisher(s)
Embark Studios
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start
ARC Raiders release window announced with launch plans
Display card media widget end

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Genre(s)
Extraction, Shooter, Third-Person Shooter, Survival