The extraction shooter genre is full of games of all kinds, but ARC Raiders manages to be both accessible and deeply satisfying for veteran players as well. It is very easy for someone to jump into a Raid and loot until their backpack weighs them down, yet the hardest part is actually making it out alive without getting gunned down. There are plenty of extraction points littered around the maps, alongside Raider Hatches that can be used to bypass the waiting times, but actually getting there and successfully leaving Topside can be quite a challenge, especially if there are hungry players looking to camp the exits.
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Many players find themselves falling at the last hurdle, not to the deadly Arcs, but due to a few mistakes that can cost them countless runs that would otherwise be incredibly valuable. Some of these are basic oversights that can easily be corrected, while others require a bit more active attention, forcing players to be more alert and think further ahead about where exactly they are going to make their escape. But once these principles are learned, extracting becomes a walk in the park, and players will find themselves with far fewer heartbreaks and a whole lot more loot to take back to Speranza.
Assuming Friendliness From Others
Not Everyone Is Going To Put Down Their Weapons
Details:
- Betrayals are more common than ever
- It's common that players let their guard down
The social aspect of ARC Raiders is arguably the most important aspect of the entire game. The fact that players can spawn into a match full of other Raiders and not know whether they are going to get handed some extra ammo or gunned down makes every Raid feel different from the last, and when that decision matters most is right at the end in an extraction point. It is common for players to run up and announce their presence, hoping to make a friend to secure their loot with, but there are no friendship guarantees topside, and people are quite happy to completely overlook the olive branch and execute anyone who gets too close.
In general, players should always assume that at any moment, an ally can become an enemy, as being prepared and cautious is better than being naive. If the nearby Raiders do decide to join forces and potentially team up to secure their loot, it is still a good idea to be ready to fight, as there are countless examples of players working together temporarily, only to be shot down right before they manage to make it out alive. This matters far more in 1-on-1 situations, but even if a larger group does appear, it can be hard to know just how friendly everyone is within it. If possible, it might even be a good idea to let the others extract first, then start up another one directly after, just to reduce the chances of betrayal.
Rushing Straight To The Exit
Extracting Is Hardly A Quiet Activity
Details:
- Sound queue of extraction alerts anyone nearby
- A large window to get out that many ignore
The extraction points around the maps all take a fair bit of time to actually arrive. It doesn't matter if it's a lift or a train; players still need to hang around and wait for the doors to actually open, unless they are lucky enough to have an extra key hanging around to escape through a hatch. Many choose to click the button, hide in a nearby room, then run straight to the exit the second they can, but this behavior is very predictable and, more importantly, exploitable by vultures looking to pick off unsuspecting extractors. A better way of going about things is to pause for a moment to see if anyone is nearby, only venturing inside the point and clicking the console when the coast looks completely clear.
This concept becomes more complex when approaching an extraction point that has been accessed by another player, as it can be pretty hard to tell where they are hiding and whether they will be friendly or not. Even in that situation, it is fine to hang around in an advantageous location, observing and waiting to see where the player is hiding out. Patience is a virtue, and just by scanning the area for a few seconds, players can increase their odds of survival exponentially, especially given how likely it is that a third player comes running in to cause some mayhem.
Choosing The Wrong Extraction Point
Don't Always Aim For The Easy Way Out
Details:
- Central locations are often far more contested
- Look for outer points with a longer window left
Each map in ARC Raiders has a good selection of extraction points that give players a handy place to leave without having to run halfway across the map. But as time goes on, the escape routes begin to close off, forcing players into more risky and dire situations where they may only have one or two ways out. In the later stages of the match, players should begin to plan out their extraction route, paying attention to the locations of the available points and noting whether they are in loot hotpots or not.
It may be obvious to run to the nearest one and get out as soon as possible, but players may have to deal with far more action and more desperate Raiders who are equally stressed about the dwindling number of ways out. One way around this is to simply ignore the central locations and focus on the outer edges, where there is less activity and a lower chance of player interaction. By spending just a few extra minutes running to a quieter spot, players can drastically improve their odds of a successful extraction, whilst also avoiding all the stress and panic that may come towards the middle of the map.
Ignoring Clues Of Player Activity
Dead Arcs Could Be All The Info You Need
Details:
- Pay attention to dead Raiders and other signs of players near the extraction point
- Most campers ignore voice comms
Extraction points are one of the biggest PvP hotspots in the entire game, as killing someone right before they leave is a great way of guaranteeing some extra loot that would otherwise be completely lost. Camping exits has become more and more popular as the game has matured, with more Raiders choosing to hide just out of sight in the hopes of picking off an unsuspecting player with very little effort. It isn't always easy to know whether there is another player hanging around, as even if voice or in-game communications are used, replies can be few and far between, especially by those on the more bloodthirsty side of the spectrum.
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When entering an exit location, particularly in enclosed areas like on Buried City, it is a good idea to look out for any clues that someone else has at least been in the area. Living Arcs, for example, show that the location is probably untouched, but a line of metallic carcasses and even a few player ones mean that either someone had a slip-up on the stairs, or that someone took them out before they could extract. These little pieces of extra information can easily be lifesavers, so players should get into the habit of checking for aggroed or dead Arcs, as well as listening in for any subtle movements that can give away a camper below.
Forgetting The Time
Keep An Eye On That Clock
Details:
- Looking for too long can often lead to instant death
- Far extraction points can often become the only option later on
As nice as it would be to be able to explore Topside forever, players actually have a limited time to gear up and get out, as staying past the extraction window is a guaranteed death sentence for anyone unlucky enough to still be outside. Because of this, players need to constantly check how long is left in the match, especially if they spawn in later and have far less time to actually loot. More importantly, knowing which extraction points are expiring next can give players a better idea of where to move first and where to finish their Raid.
There is nothing worse than having a full inventory of great loot and having to run all the way across the landscape just to make it out, assuming the player can even make it there in time. Simply having a look at the map every now and then can be all it takes to save players from a whole lot of pain, and by planning out a specific start and end goal during the match, looting becomes much more natural, and there are far fewer moments of panic when they realize just how far away their only safe way out is.
ARC Raiders
- Released
- October 30, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Teen / Violence, Blood
- Developer(s)
- Embark Studios
- Genre(s)
- Extraction, Shooter, Third-Person Shooter, Survival
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
