Maps and Extraction
ARC Raiders has six surface maps. Each one has a different layout, difficulty level, loot table, and set of extraction points. You pick your map before deploying from Speranza, so knowing what you are walking into matters.
Maps rotate through dynamic conditions (weather, time of day, and special modifiers) that change the gameplay experience on every raid. A map you know well during a sunny afternoon plays very differently during a night raid with electromagnetic interference.
Map Overview
| Map | Difficulty | Environment | Recommended Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dam Battlegrounds | Beginner | Waterlogged industrial area | 1+ |
| Buried City | Moderate | Arid desert streets and plazas | 5+ |
| Acerra Spaceport | Moderate | Old-world space facility | 10+ |
| The Blue Gate | Moderate-Hard | Mountainous highlands | 15+ |
| Riven Tides | Hard | Coastal resort region | 20+ |
| Stella Montis | Very Hard | Endgame research facility in snow-covered peaks | 25+ |
You can enter any map at any level. The recommended levels are community guidelines based on the ARC density and gear quality you will face. Going in underleveled on a free loadout to learn the layout is a solid strategy.
Dam Battlegrounds
The beginner map. Built around the ruins of the Alcantara Power Plant, this area is mostly flat with shallow water covering large sections of the terrain. Sight lines are long but broken up by collapsed concrete structures and rusted machinery.
What to expect:
- Low-density ARC patrols. You will mostly run into Wasps, Ticks, and the occasional Rollbot. Comets and Fireflies were removed from Dam Battlegrounds in Patch 1.26.0 to protect new players.
- Snitches patrol the power plant interior. Kill them before they call backup.
- Loot quality is low-tier, but the volume is high. Good for material farming early on.
- Extraction points are well-spaced and easy to find. Look for the cargo elevators near the dam walls.
Best for: First runs, material farming, learning extraction mechanics.
Buried City
A sun-baked desert city with narrow streets, crumbling plazas, and multi-story buildings. Vertical play matters here. Players on rooftops have a massive advantage over anyone at street level.
What to expect:
- Moderate ARC presence. Hornets (upgraded Wasps with electrical attacks) appear here for the first time.
- Tight corridors and blind corners make ambushes common, both from ARC machines and other players.
- Loot containers are tucked inside buildings. Searching them takes time and makes noise.
- Two metro station extraction points on opposite ends of the map. Plan your route toward one before you start looting.
Best for: Players comfortable with basic combat who want better loot without endgame difficulty.
Acerra Spaceport
A sprawling facility built around remnants of old-world space exploration. Launch towers, hangars, and mission control buildings create a mix of open courtyards and tight indoor spaces.
What to expect:
- ARC Turrets are fixed in this map. They guard high-value areas and cannot be snuck past easily. Shoot them from range or avoid their sectors entirely.
- The Launch Towers are the highest vantage points on any map. Climbing them is risky (exposed on all sides) but rewards you with line-of-sight over the entire facility.
- Mid-tier loot with occasional rare blueprints in the mission control building.
- Extraction via elevators and one air shaft near the northern hangar.
Best for: Mid-game players looking for blueprints and weapon mods.
The "Top of the World" Steam achievement requires reaching the top of the Launch Towers in Spaceport. You can grab it on a free loadout run.
The Blue Gate
A mountainous region with elevation changes, rock formations, and narrow passes. This map rewards patience and positioning. Rushing through open mountain paths gets you spotted by long-range ARC units and snipers.
What to expect:
- Rocketeers (heavy ARC units with missile launchers) patrol the ridgelines. Their missiles track you, so dodge laterally, not forward or backward.
- Leapers appear here. These fast, jumping ARC units close distance quickly and hit hard in melee range. Keep them at mid-range and focus fire.
- Loot is spread across elevation tiers. Higher elevation areas have better loot but more ARC density.
- Extraction points are at the base of the mountains. You will almost always need to descend to extract, which means running downhill through potential ambush points.
Best for: Players who prefer methodical, tactical play over fast-paced looting.
Riven Tides
A coastal resort area with beaches, boardwalks, and the half-submerged Panorama Azzurro hotel. The open terrain near the waterline offers almost no cover, while the resort interiors are tight and maze-like. Added in Patch 1.26.0.
What to expect:
- High ARC density. Bombardiers (area-of-effect explosive units) patrol the beach zones. Their splash damage forces you to stay mobile.
- Indoor sections of the resort are prime territory for close-quarters PvP encounters. Listen for footsteps before entering any building.
- Loot quality is high. Rare materials and advanced blueprints spawn here regularly.
- Extraction via elevators near the marina and one air shaft inside the resort.
Best for: Experienced players comfortable with both PvE and PvP who want high-value loot.
Stella Montis
The endgame map. A research facility carved into the northern mountains, buried under snow and ice. Stella Montis has a dual-floor layout (upper and lower levels) with areas like the Medical Research wing, Seed Vault, Loading Bay, Assembly Workshop, and the main Lobby.
What to expect:
- Maximum ARC density. Every enemy type spawns here, including elites and boss encounters (The Queen, Matriarch).
- The dual-floor layout is confusing on your first visit. Passages between floors are not always obvious. Look for painted labels on walls and follow the markers.
- Long-distance engagements in the Lobby area. Security rooms overlook the main hall.
- Extraction is via air shafts activated by wall terminals. Activation triggers a 60 to 70 second countdown. You are exposed during the entire wait.
- The highest-tier loot in the game spawns here, including Legendary weapon blueprints and Demon-rarity materials.
Do not bring your best gear to Stella Montis until you have run it at least three to five times on free loadouts. The layout is disorienting, ARC patrols are relentless, and extraction campers are common at the air shafts. Learn the routes first.
Best for: Endgame players with upgraded stations, high-tier gear, and strong map knowledge.
Extraction Types
Every map has multiple extraction points. Finding them is half the challenge on a new map. There are three types:
| Type | Timer | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo Elevator | ~90 seconds | Most common. Found on walls near map edges. Loud activation sound alerts nearby players. |
| Metro Station | ~80 seconds | Found in Buried City and Dam Battlegrounds. Requires interacting with a terminal. |
| Air Shaft | ~60 to 70 seconds | Found in Stella Montis and some indoor areas. Activated by wall terminals or electronics panels. Fastest extraction type. |
Once you activate an extraction, you must survive the countdown while standing in the extraction zone. You can fight, dodge, and move within the zone, but leaving it cancels your progress.
There is a grace period on the raid timer. If you call an elevator before the round timer hits zero, the elevator still arrives and lets you extract even if the clock runs out during the countdown. The raid does not instantly end the moment the timer reaches zero, as long as the extraction call was initiated in time.
Extraction points are high-traffic areas. Other players know where they are and may camp them. Approach extraction points carefully. Check corners, listen for movement, and consider using a grenade or scanner before activating.
Map Conditions
Maps rotate through dynamic conditions that change the rules of each raid:
| Condition | Effect |
|---|---|
| Clear Day | Standard visibility and ARC behavior. Baseline difficulty. |
| Night Raid | Reduced visibility. ARC detection cones are shorter, but so is your own sight range. Flashlights reveal your position. |
| Snowfall | Reduced movement speed outdoors. Footprints are visible in the snow, making tracking easier for both ARC and players. |
| Electromagnetic Storm | Electronics malfunction. Scanners and some augments stop working. ARC machines behave erratically, sometimes becoming more aggressive, sometimes ignoring you. |
| Close Scrutiny | Surveyors and Assessors spawn on the map. Damaging a Surveyor triggers an Assessor matrix event, calling in a massive loot-bearing machine guarded by Vaporizers. See the ARC Machines guide for the full encounter breakdown. |
Map conditions are displayed on the deploy screen before you drop in. Check them. A night raid on Stella Montis is a very different experience from a clear day run on Dam Battlegrounds.
Major map conditions (Night Raid, Electromagnetic Storm, Close Scrutiny) rotate on a global timer. Check the timer boards inside Speranza to see when specific conditions are scheduled. Community Discord servers and tracking bots also publish rotation schedules. If you need a specific condition for an achievement or endgame Trial, plan your sessions around the rotation rather than waiting in the deploy queue.
Navigation Tips
- Use landmarks, not the HUD. Learn to identify buildings, terrain features, and ARC patrol routes by sight. HUD markers help, but relying on them exclusively slows your reaction time.
- Mark your extraction before looting. Pick your exit before you start a run. Loot in the direction of your extraction, not away from it.
- High ground wins. In almost every map, being above your opponent (ARC or player) gives you the advantage. Prioritize rooftops, ridgelines, and upper floors.
- Use interactive maps. Community-built interactive maps (MapGenie, MetaForge) show extraction points, loot zones, and ARC patrol routes. Pull one up on a second monitor or phone during your first runs on a new map.