Arc Raiders Builds & Loadouts Guide
Master the meta with optimized builds for every playstyle. From aggressive PvP to efficient PvE farming, find the perfect loadout for your strategy.
Current Meta Overview
Arc Raiders doesn't have a strict meta - successful players mix Mobility and Conditioning to fit their playstyle. The Assault Build is community-favored for its stamina management and combat tempo.
PvP Builds
Optimized for player vs player combat with focus on mobility and burst damage
Aggressive Assault
Weapons
- Primary: Tempest (Assault Rifle) Reliable medium-range DPS, steady damage output
- Secondary: Stitcher (SMG) Close-range finisher, reliable SMG after 1.17.0 nerf
Augment
Combat Mk.3 (Aggressive) - Best augment for PvP with strong shield support, extra grenade capacity, high survivability, and passive health regen.
Armor & Gear
- Shield: Medium Shield - Balance of protection and movement
- Grenades: Light Impact Grenade x2, Smoke Grenade x1
- Healing: Vita Shot x2, Bandages x3
Skill Tree (76 Points)
Key Skills: Fight or Flight, Effortless Roll, Marathon Runner, In the Flow (30 Mobility), Sprinting on Fumes (40 Mobility), Back on Your Feet, Quick Roll
Playstyle
Use Tempest to control medium-range engagements and pressure enemies. Close gaps with high mobility, then finish with Stitcher's superior close-range DPS. Smoke grenades for disengaging unfavorable fights. Prioritize positioning over raw aim - mobility is your advantage.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- Excellent mobility for flanking
- Strong close-medium range
- Good sustain with health regen
- Affordable loadout cost
Weaknesses
- Weak at long range
- Requires good positioning
- Vulnerable to snipers
- Medium armor penetration
Long Range Eliminator
Weapons
- Primary: Osprey (Sniper Rifle) 45 damage, longest range (80.3), bolt-action precision
- Secondary: Ferro (Battle Rifle) S-tier value, 40 damage single shots, strong armor penetration
Augment
Combat Mk.2 - Balanced survivability for positioning retreats.
Skill Tree Focus
Mobility 31 / Conditioning 14 / Survival 31 - Marathon Runner and Sprinting on Fumes for repositioning, Silent Scavenger and Agile Croucher to stay unnoticed, Field Repair to keep your rifle going on long raids.
Playstyle
Hold long sightlines and pick off enemies at range with Osprey. Reposition frequently to avoid counter-snipes. Use Ferro for medium-range fights when pushed. This build requires excellent aim and map knowledge to identify strong sniper positions.
Budget Brawler
Weapons
- Primary: Kettle (Assault Rifle) Free loadout, semi-auto DMR style, 20-round mag
- Secondary: Stitcher (SMG) Cheap craft, excellent close-range DPS
Total Cost
~500 Coins - Perfect for saving money while maintaining competitive PvP capability. Kettle is free in basic loadouts.
Strategy
Use Kettle to tap fire at medium range (similar to DMR). Rush with Stitcher when enemies are weak. Play smart, not expensive - avoid prolonged fights and focus on third-partying.
PvE Builds
Optimized for fighting ARC enemies with armor penetration and sustained damage
ARC Hunter
Weapons
- Primary: Hullcracker (Grenade Launcher) Best PvE weapon - explosive damage on ARC units, designed for blasting ARCs
- Secondary: Bettina (Assault Rifle) Only AR with strong ARC armor penetration, excellent all-around
Augment
Combat Mk.3 - Survivability for boss fights, passive health regen for sustained combat.
Skill Tree (76 Points)
Key Skills: Broad Shoulders, Mule's Gallop, Security Breach (30 Conditioning), Looter's Instinct, Looter's Luck, Road Warrior (30 Survival)
Playstyle
Use Hullcracker for large ARC enemies (Matriarch, Bombardier, Bastion). Switch to Bettina for add clear and medium threats. Ferro for precise weak point shots. Prioritize cover and kiting - let explosive damage do the work.
Boss Strategy
- Matriarch: Hullcracker body shots, retreat behind cover, repeat
- Bombardier: Kill the Spotters first, then Hullcracker on the rear plate and leg joints
- Sentinel: Bettina sustained fire on core, dodge sweeps
Budget PvE Farmer
Weapons
- Primary: Ferro (Battle Rifle) S-tier value, can take out flying ARC propellers and Fireballs
- Secondary: Rattler (Assault Rifle) 12-round magazine (up to 24 with upgrades), shreds Pops and Ticks
Augment
Looting Mk.1 - 18 backpack slots, designed for looting-focused runs.
Total Cost
~800 Coins - Extremely affordable for consistent PvE farming. Both weapons are Common rarity.
Strategy
Perfect for Dam Battlegrounds and Buried City farming. One Ferro shot eliminates flying threats. Rattler handles swarms of small ARCs. Avoid elite enemies - focus on looting and extracting safely.
Hybrid Builds
Balanced loadouts for mixed PvP and PvE encounters
All-Rounder
Weapons
- Primary: Bettina (Assault Rifle) Best all-around weapon - strong in PvP and PvE
- Secondary: Tempest (Assault Rifle) One of the best overall weapons, reliable DPS
Augment
Combat Mk.2 - Balanced stats for both PvP survival and PvE sustain.
Skill Tree
Mobility 31 / Conditioning 31 / Survival 14 - Balanced split that reaches Sprinting on Fumes and Security Breach, with Quick Roll from Survival.
Use Case
When you expect both PvP and PvE encounters. Spaceport and Blue Gate are perfect for this build. Strong enough for player fights, efficient enough for ARC enemies. Jack of all trades, master of none.
Skill Tree Overview
Frozen Trail 2.0 reworked the Skill Tree. The point splits above follow the new tree, and the Skill Tree guide lists each build point by point.
You have 76 base skill points to distribute across three branches. Your allocation defines your baseline capabilities for every raid: movement speed, combat resilience, and looting efficiency.
Mobility
BEST FOR ALL BUILDS
Stamina reduction, sprint recovery, vaulting, dodging. Marathon Runner and Youthful Lungs are the top priorities in the entire game. Invest here first on every build.
Conditioning
BEST FOR LOOTERS & BRAWLERS
Shield interaction, carry weight, breaching and Security Lockers. Since the Frozen Trail 2.0 rework it holds Loaded Arms, Broad Shoulders and the end-of-branch picks Security Breach, Weapon Bash and Bull Rush.
Survival
BEST FOR LONG RAIDS
Looting speed, stealth and field crafting. At 30 and 40 points you pick from Road Warrior, Nomadic Crafting and Field Repair, which repairs gear mid-raid. Looter's Instinct is worth it on any build.
Combat Augments Guide
Augments provide passive bonuses and define your survivability. Choose based on your playstyle and expected threats.
Combat Mk.3 (Aggressive)
Mk.3Best For: PvP aggressive plays, frontline combat. Supports all shield types. Regen pauses 30s after taking damage.
Combat Mk.2
Mk.2Best For: Balanced gameplay, hybrid builds, budget PvP. Supports all shield types.
Looting Mk.1
Mk.1Best For: PvE farming, loot runs, avoiding combat. Light Shield only.
Build Optimization Tips
Match Weapons to Threats
For PvP: prioritize range control + burst finisher. For PvE: armor penetration + stable uptime. For Team Play: overwatch + utility nades.
Armor Selection Matters
Medium shields give good balance in PvP. Heavy shields slow you down - mobility is more valuable than raw health in most scenarios.
Budget Early, Scale Late
Start with budget builds (Ferro + Stitcher) to accumulate resources. Invest in epic weapons only when you have surplus materials.
Adapt to the Raid
Bring PvP builds to Spaceport/Blue Gate (high player count). Use PvE builds in Dam/Buried City (safer farming).
Test Before Committing
Try weapons in the Practice Range before building expensive loadouts. Not every "meta" weapon fits your playstyle.
Squad Synergy
Coordinate builds with teammates - have one sniper, one close-range, one support. Don't all bring the same loadout.
Should the PvE Toggle Stay in Arc Raiders?
Embark's PvE toggle test runs October 13 to 20, and the feedback decides whether it becomes permanent. Tell us what you think. It takes five seconds, it's anonymous, and we'll publish the results here and pass them on to Embark.
We'll post the results once the poll closes. Embark is also sending its own survey to players after the test, so look out for that in-game or by email.