Arc Raiders doesn’t hold your hand, and that’s part of what makes it so fun to master. But there’s a difference between learning through trial and error and being frustrated because the game left out critical information. After diving into the extraction shooter that’s become a breakout hit in 2025, we’ve compiled a list of essential tips that Arc Raiders doesn’t explain at all.
Quick Summary: 9 Essential Arc Raiders Hidden Mechanics
- Cancel fall damage – Grab ledges while falling
- Holster for speed – Move faster without weapon out
- Extract while downed – Crawl to elevator even when knocked
- Utilities save lives – Smoke grenades, lures, barricades
- Lower graphics = advantage – See enemies hiding in bushes
- Shared quest progress – Team objectives count for all players
- Don’t auto-recycle – Many “recyclables” needed for upgrades
- Free loadout is powerful – Zero-risk learning tool
- Rubber parts bottleneck – Stock up early, needed everywhere
Read on for detailed explanations of each tip ↓
1. You Can Cancel Fall Damage Completely
Here’s something that can change how you navigate the maps: you can negate all fall damage by grabbing a ledge while falling. If you’re dropping from a height and there’s a ledge below you, just mantle onto it mid-fall and you’ll take zero damage. It only works when falling straight down, but once you know this trick, you can drop out of windows, drop off buildings to escape enemies, and take vertical shortcuts that would otherwise kill you. You can also dodge-roll right as your feet hit the ground to reduce damage taken in general.
2. Holster Your Weapon to Actually Move Fast
The game never explicitly tells you this, but having your weapon out—or even your hammer—slows you down significantly. Holstering your weapon makes you sprint noticeably faster. If you’re trying to cover ground quickly or fleeing from hostile players or ARC machines, always holster first.
3. You Can Extract While Downed
This is a game-changer that Arc Raiders doesn’t highlight: if you’re knocked down and crawling, you can still activate extraction elevators. There’s even a custom animation for it. If you’re close to an open extraction point when you go down, don’t give up—crawl to the elevator and activate it. As long as you make it in time, you’ll head home with all your loot secured.
4. Utilities Are More Important Than You Think
New players tend to ignore gadgets and utilities in favor of better guns, but items like Smoke Grenades, Arc Lures, and Barricades can literally save your life. Smoke grenades let you heal, loot, extract safely under cover, or break line of sight with Arc foes. Arc Lures can distract enemies or even redirect hostile ARC machines toward other players. Barricades can lock down doorways in key buildings, giving you a defensive position. Always bring at least one utility item on every raid—they offer tactical advantages beyond direct confrontation.
5. Lower Your Graphics Settings for a Competitive Edge
This might seem unfair, but it’s perfectly legal and widely used: set your foliage quality to Low in the graphics settings. This makes bushes and vegetation render with far less density, letting you spot enemy players hiding in brush much more easily.
6. Quest Progress Is Shared, But Loot Isn’t
If you’re playing in a squad, quest objectives are shared among the team. That means if one player activates a panel, destroys an ARC, or completes an objective, it counts for everyone. But—and this is important—items you need to physically bring back don’t transfer. If the quest requires you to extract with Snitch Scanners, your teammate picking one up doesn’t put it in your pocket. Everyone needs to grab their own.
Importantly, this is also true for trials, something the community has been vehemently complaining about. While solo players have to do all the work themselves, in a squad you can all split up and cover more of the map in a single run while having it benefit all of you equally.
7. Recyclable Items Aren’t Always Meant to Be Recycled
The game marks certain items as “recyclable,” which sounds like you should break them down for materials, right? Many of these items are actually crafting materials themselves that you’ll need for Workshop upgrades. Items like Power Cables, Springs, and Batteries are labeled as “recyclable,” but they’re required components for upgrading your stations. Before you recycle something, check if you need it for an upgrade by referencing our Workshop Guide.
8. The Free Loadout Is Your Best Friend Early On
Don’t sleep on the Free Loadout option when deploying. A lot of new players think it’s just a secondary option for when you’ve lost everything, but it’s actually one of the smartest ways to learn the maps and complete quests without risking your good gear. You get a weapon, ammo, bandages, shield recharger, and usually some utility items—all at zero risk. If you die, you lose nothing but time. If you extract successfully, that’s free gear you can either use or recycle for parts.
Understanding what extraction shooters are.
9. Rubber Parts Will Become Your Bottleneck
You may not realize the importance of Rubber Parts until you’re several hours into the game and suddenly can’t upgrade anything: Rubber Parts are used in nearly every single crafting recipe and Workshop upgrade. You need them for weapons, weapon mods, Mechanical Components, and multiple workbench upgrades. The game labels them as common materials, so new players tend to ignore them or recycle them without considering their value.
Stock up on Rubber Parts every chance you get. Look for Mechanical, Industrial, and Technological loot sources—you can identify these on the map by their icons (gear for Mechanical, building for Industrial, circuit board for Technological). Stockpiling them now will significantly speed up future upgrades.
Arc Raiders is a game that rewards knowledge as much as skill. These hidden mechanics and under-explained systems can mean the difference between a successful extraction and losing everything. The learning curve is steep, but now that you know what the game wasn’t going to tell you, you’re already ahead of most players dropping into the Rust Belt for the first time.
Frequently Asked Questions
The three game-changers are: 1) Canceling fall damage by grabbing ledges mid-fall, 2) Extracting while downed by crawling to elevators, and 3) Holstering weapons to move significantly faster.
Yes! If you’re knocked down and crawling, you can still activate extraction elevators. There’s even a custom animation for it. Crawl to the elevator and activate it before bleeding out.
Grab any ledge while falling (press Space/mantle button mid-fall) to completely negate fall damage. Alternatively, dodge-roll right when your feet hit the ground to reduce damage.
Rubber Parts are used in almost every crafting recipe and workshop upgrade. The game labels them as “common” but they’re actually a major bottleneck. Stock up from Mechanical, Industrial, and Technological loot sources.
Not always! Many items labeled “recyclable” are actually required for Workshop upgrades (Power Cables, Springs, Batteries, etc.). Check your Workshop requirements before recycling anything uncommon.
Absolutely! It’s perfect for learning maps, completing quests, and gathering materials without risking your crafted gear. If you die, you only lose time. If you extract, that’s free gear to use or recycle.
Quest objectives are shared among squadmates (destroying ARCs, activating panels, etc.), but physical items you need to extract are NOT shared. Each player must collect their own quest items.
Set Foliage quality to Low in graphics settings. This reduces bush/vegetation density, making it much easier to spot enemy players hiding in foliage.