In the threat-filled lands of the Rust Belt, every ARC Raiders player needs the best gear and weapons to survive. However, with the game's unique drop rates and unpredictable RNG, finding the top firearms and equipment can be challenging, making a guide essential.
This post covers every method for finding, crafting, and even acquiring the best weapons in the game. It also offers tips to help beginner ARC Raiders players access top-tier firearms without spending countless hours grinding.
Best Budget Loadout for PvP & PvE in Arc Raiders
Players who want to avoid going into an ARC Raiders match with a free loadout can check out these cheap/budget builds for both PvE and PvP.
First, What Makes a Gun 'Better' in ARC Raiders?
Looking at most ARC Raiders weapon tier lists, a common pattern emerges: many of the top-performing guns aren't rare. Weapons like Ferro and Anvil have a surprisingly high drop rate, yet they remain some of the most effective choices in both PvE and PvP.
In ARC Raiders, "better" doesn't necessarily mean rare or expensive. By studying each weapon and understanding how it fits with different playstyles, you can create stronger loadouts using what you already have in your inventory.
How to Find Better Weapons on Every Map
If you're a beginner in ARC Raiders, keep these tips in mind:
- Loot high-value areas. Each map has zones marked by red borders. These high-risk, high-reward areas offer a better chance of yielding powerful weapons.
- Use keys strategically. Epic keycards in ARC Raiders often unlock secret doors containing valuable resources and high-tier weapons.
- Search weapon crates. Certain loot boxes resemble real-life gun crates and can contain common or rare weapons. Their spawn locations aren't fixed, but interactive maps online can help you track the most likely spots.
How to Craft Better Weapons
Fortunately, searching topside locations isn't the only way to get better firearms. There are several methods that allow you to build or craft high-performance weapons from the comfort of your home in Speranza. Here's how:
Upgrade Your Gunsmith Station
To access some of ARC Raiders' top-performing weapons, you need to invest in the Workshop's Gunsmith bench. Upgrading this station allows you to craft more powerful firearms, including the Renegade and Hullcracker.
Upgrade a Ferro
Ferro, widely regarded as one of the best weapons in ARC Raiders, can be crafted at the Workbench using common resources. To make it "better," upgrade it to level two or three at the Gunsmith bench. This boosts its reload speed and durability, significantly improving its performance in combat.
The Gunsmith station can also be used to upgrade other high-potential weapons, such as the Stitcher, allowing you to craft your own enhanced firearms.
Make the Most of Common Attachments
Never underestimate the impact of basic attachments on a gun's performance in ARC Raiders. Items like Muzzle Breakers and Compensators can reduce recoil and improve accuracy without requiring a significant investment.
ARC Raiders: Best Attachment for Each Gun
If you want to improve your ARC Raiders guns with affordable and effective attachments, this list is worth checking out.
Quickest Ways to Get the Best Guns
If you want to skip grinding for ARC Raiders resources and add the best guns to your inventory quickly, try these methods:
Trade Assorted Seeds for Blueprints
In ARC Raiders, weapon blueprints let you craft specific, often rare guns. While these recipes are scarce in topside locations, you can trade a few stacks of Assorted Seeds with high-level players in exchange for their extra blueprints. This allows you to craft the game's most sought-after firearms quickly, helping you avoid hours of grinding.
Dozens of threads on the ARC Raiders' subreddit allow players to post their needs and arrange in-game meetings to trade items.
Purchase High-Tier Guns with Coins
Tian Wen, one of the ARC Raiders' traders, offers a wide selection of powerful weapons for Coins. Hullcracker is among her most popular items, but you can also buy Anvils, Renegades, and IL Torros at reasonable prices. Farming Coins is straightforward, allowing you to afford most of these guns after just a few successful raids.
Complete the Harvester Event
To obtain rare weapons in a single raid, learn how to solve the ARC Raiders' Harvester puzzle. Completing this event can reward you with blueprints for two Legendary weapons: Equalizer and Jupiter.
Enter Stella Montis with a Free Loadout
Stella Montis is known as one of the ARC Raiders' main PvP maps. By entering with a free or empty loadout, you can focus on looting weapons from defeated players. Most PvP participants are mainly after their target's resources, so there's a good chance they'll leave valuable guns behind.
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
