Main Questline

The ARC Raiders main questline is the 60-quest launch chain that starts with Shani's Picking Up the Pieces and runs through all five traders, with three more quests (A First Foothold, Reduced to Rubble, With a Trace) once The Blue Gate opens. Objectives here are PC Gamer's from May 1, 2026; rewards are launch rewards from Nov 2025.

0:00 The ARC Raiders main questline starts with Shani's Picking Up the Pieces (visit a marked loot area, loot three containers) and runs for 60 quests in PC Gamer's rough chronological order, with three more on The Blue Gate; together those are the 63 quests KeenGamer listed at launch. Objectives below are PC Gamer's from May 1, 2026, and the rewards are launch rewards from Nov 8, 2025, not confirmed against update 2.3.0. Since update 2.0, quests also pay XP. Numbers are the order, not a strict lock: many branches run side by side. For later lines, see Update Quests; for the overview, Quests.

Quick facts

First quest	Picking Up the Pieces (Shani)
Length	60 quests, plus 3 on The Blue Gate
Maps used	Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, The Blue Gate
Key rewards at launch	Hullcracker Blueprint (The Major's Footlocker), Snap Hook (Lost in Transmission)
Objectives dated	May 1, 2026
Rewards dated	Nov 8, 2025
Photos required since 2.0	Reduced to Rubble, Life of a Pharmacist, among others

Sources: PC Gamer, May 1, 2026; KeenGamer, Nov 8, 2025; Embark's 2.0 notes, Oct 8, 2026.

First steps: quests 1 to 16

0:52 The opening quests teach looting, ARC parts and Field Depots, and they pay for your first upgrades. Keep materials: Trash into Treasure wants six Wires and a Battery, and The Trifecta wants parts from a Wasp, a Hornet and a Snitch (see Flying ARC). Update 2.1.0, Oct 13, 2026, made visits in Pendola Pass count toward Picking Up the Pieces. Update 1.27.0 fixed Off the Radar's Field Depot on Riven Tides, after 1.26.0 listed it as a known issue. Seeker Grenade kills count for Safe Passage since 1.26.0, and 1.2.0 added more thrusters that complete Greasing Her Palms.

#	Quest	Trader	Objectives (PC Gamer, May 2026)	Launch reward (KeenGamer, Nov 2025)
1	Picking Up the Pieces	Shani	Visit any area on your map with a loot category icon; Loot three containers	Rattler III, 80 Medium Ammo
2	Trash into Treasure	Shani	Obtain six Wires; Obtain one Battery	Tactical Mk. 1, 3 Adrenaline Shots
3	Clearer Skies	Shani	Destroy three ARC enemies; Get three ARC Alloy	3 Sterilized Bandages, Light Shield
4	Off The Radar	Shani	Visit a Field Depot; Repair the antenna on the roof of the Field Depot	2 Remote Raider Flares, Backpack (Black)
5	A Bad Feeling	Celeste	Find and search any ARC Probe or Courier	10 Metal Parts, 5 Steel Spring, 5 Duct Tape
6	Safe Passage	Apollo	Destroy two ARC enemies using any explosive grenade	Cans, Junior (skin), 3 Shrapnel Grenades
7	What Goes Around	Apollo	Destroy any ARC using a Fireball Burner	Cobalt 3, 3 Blaze Grenades, 2 Noisemakers, 5 Blue Light Sticks
8	Sparks Fly	Apollo	Destroy a Hornet with a Trigger 'Nade or Snap Blast	Copper Blue Yellow Light Stick, Noisemaker
9	Hatch Repairs	Shani	Repair the leaking hydraulic pipes near a Raider Hatch; Search for a Hatch Key near the Raider Hatch	Raider Hatch Key, Binoculars
10	Down to Earth	Shani	Visit a Field Depot; Deliver a Field Crate to the Supply Station inside and collect the reward	Combat Mk. 1, Medium Shield
11	The Trifecta	Shani	Destroy a Wasp and take its Wasp Driver; Destroy a Hornet and take its Hornet Driver; Destroy a Snitch and take its Snitch Scanner	Burletta III, Light Ammo
12	The Right Tool	Tian Wen	Destroy a Fireball, Hornet, and Turret	Stitcher II, Extended Light Mag
13	A Better Use	Tian Wen	Request a Supply Drop from a Call Station; Loot the Supply Drop	Extended Light Magazine, Compensator, Stable Stock
14	Greasing Her Palms	Celeste	On Spaceport, scope out the rocket thrusters outside the Rocket Assembly; On Dam Battlegrounds, visit the Locked Room in the Water Treatment Control Building; On Buried City, visit the barricaded area of floor six of the Space Travel Building	Lure Grenade Blueprint, Electrical Components, Speaker Component
15	Dormant Barons	Shani	Loot a Baron Husk	3 Door Blocker, 3 Li'l Smoke Grenade
16	Mixed Signals	Shani	Destroy an ARC Surveyor and take its Surveyor Vault	Photoelectric Cloak, Raider Hatch Key

Sources: PC Gamer's quest list, May 1, 2026; KeenGamer's launch rewards, Nov 8, 2025.

Across the maps: quests 17 to 31

11:00 The line now sends you for specific rooms on Dam Battlegrounds and Buried City, and several quests have you extract with an item, so plan a safe way out. Embark made Marked for Death's clues clearer in 1.7.0 and gave Unexpected Initiative its own items, then fixed a bug that stopped them spawning on Dec 18, 2025. The Major's Footlocker paid the Hullcracker Blueprint, once only available there; Embark promised other routes on Aug 21, 2026. Lost in Transmission paid the Snap Hook. The clip is from before that change: takibo missed the footsteps under the cache for an hour.

#	Quest	Trader	Objectives (PC Gamer, May 2026)	Launch reward (KeenGamer, Nov 2025)
17	What We Left Behind	Tian Wen	On Buried City, search two containers in the Raider Camp beneath the Parking Garage; On Dam Battlegrounds, search for anything significant in the South Swamp Outpost; On Spaceport, search for anything significant in Bilguun's Hideout, next to the Container Storage	Muzzle Brake II, Vertical Grip II, Stable Stock II
18	Broken Monument	Tian Wen	In Dam Battlegrounds' Scrap Yard, search for: A compass near the broken-down vehicles; A video tape near the cylindrical containers; Old field rations in the Raider Camp	Arpeggio I, Compensator II, 80 Medium Ammo
19	Straight Record	Celeste	Reach Victory Ridge on Dam Battlegrounds and find the old EMP trap; Disable the first, second, and third power switches; Shut down the EMP trap	5 Medium Gun Parts, 3 Advanced Mechanical Components
20	Keeping The Memory	Celeste	Reach the wreckage in the Formicai Hills on Dam Battlegrounds; Search for the missing helmet; Return the helmet to the memorial	5 Simple Gun Parts, 5 Duct Tape, 5 Magnet
21	Echoes of Victory Ridge	Celeste	Reach Victory Ridge on Dam Battlegrounds; Retrieve the battle plans from the hideout under the broken highway; Deliver Major Aiva's Patch to Celeste	6 Crude Explosives, 2 Processor, 1 Music Box
22	Marked for Death	Tian Wen	Reach the Su Durante Warehouses in the Outskirts of Buried City; Search for Tian Wen's cache near the Warehouses; Follow the clues	Shotgun Choke II, Angled Grip II
23	Market Correction	Tian Wen	Locate the cache near Marano Station on Buried City; Sabotage the cache	Silencer II, Extended Light Mag I, Compensator I
24	Eyes On the Prize	Tian Wen	Find the secluded roof terrace south-west of the Southern Station in Buried City, marked by blue tarps; Rewire the solar panel using three Wires	Extended Shotgun Mag II, Extended Medium Mag II
25	Industrial Espionage	Tian Wen	Find Tian Wen's weapon cache near the Gas Station in the Outskirts region of Buried City; Deliver the Burletta to the rival weapon cache; Plant a bug on the weapon cache	3 Mechanical Components, 3 Simple Gun Parts
26	Unexpected Initiative	Tian Wen	On Buried City, search for and deliver the following items to Tian Wen: Fertilizer on the Grandioso Apartments rooftop; Water Pump in the broken rooftop gardens and Piazza Rosa	Il Toro I, Shotgun Choke II
27	A Symbol of Unification	Celeste	Reach the Formicai Outpost in Dam Battlegrounds; Locate the flag and raise it on the small platform overlooking the Red Lakes	3 Mod Components, 5 Duct Tape
28	Celeste's Journals	Celeste	On Dam Battlegrounds, retrieve and extract with Celeste's Journals from: The South Swamp Outpost; The northern outpost overlooking Red Lakes	Magnetic Accelerator, 3 Heavy Gun Parts, Exodus Modules
29	Out of the Shadows	Shani	Destroy a Rocketeer and take its Rocketeer Driver	3 Surge Shield Recharger, 2 Wolfpack
30	The Major's Footlocker	Tian Wen	Search for and extract with Major Aiva's Mementos in the apartments in the northwest of Dam Battlegrounds	Hullcracker Blueprint
31	Back On Top	Tian Wen	On Blue Gate, mark the white lookout tower south of the Warehouse Complex; On Dam Battlegrounds, mark the Pattern House; On Spaceport, mark the South Trench Tower; On Buried City, mark the building with the mural in Buried Properties	Renegade I, Stable Stock III, 80 Medium Ammo

Sources: PC Gamer's quest list, May 1, 2026; KeenGamer's launch rewards, Nov 8, 2025.

Lance and the LiDAR: quests 32 to 46

19:18 Lance's medical quests start here. Embark made the ESR Analyzer for A Reveal in Ruins easier to find in 1.7.0. Celeste's agricultural and water chains span three maps. Several of these run on Spaceport. The clip is from before that change.

#	Quest	Trader	Objectives (PC Gamer, May 2026)	Launch reward (KeenGamer, Nov 2025)
32	Our Presence Up There	Shani	Visit the Pattern House on Dam Battlegrounds; Find and flip the power switch; Complete the antenna installation on the roof	Buried City Town Hall Key, Raider Hatch Key, Jolt Mine
33	Lost in Transmission	Shani	Reach the top of Control Tower A6 in Spaceport; Establish a connection from the terminal	Snap Hook
34	Communication Hideout	Shani	Reach the Red Tower in Old Town Buried City; Find the missing battery cell and install it in the generator; Turn the generator on and boot the antenna terminal near the Red Tower	Anvil III, Heavy Ammo
35	Into the Fray	Shani	Destroy a Leaper and take its Leaper Pulse Unit	Radio Renegade and Burgerboy cosmetics, Vulcano III, 40 Shotgun Ammo
36	Doctor's Orders	Lance	Obtain the following: 1x Syringe; 2x Antiseptic; 1x Durable Cloth; 1x Great Mullein	3 Adrenaline Shot, 3 Sterilized Bandages, Surge Shield Recharger
37	Medical Merchandise	Lance	On Spaceport, search two containers in the Departure Building's exam rooms; On Buried City, search three containers in the Hospital; On Dam Battlegrounds, search two containers in Research & Administration's medical room	Banana Backpack Charm, 3 Defibrillator, 2 Vita Shot
38	A Reveal in Ruins	Lance	Search for an ESR Analyzer inside any pharmacy in Buried City and deliver it to Lance	Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing), Surge Shield Recharger
39	A Lay of the Land	Shani	On Spaceport: Find the shipping notes in the Jiangsu Warehouse foreman's office; Locate the scanners on the upper floor of Control Tower A6; Find and extract with the LiDAR Scanner	Dam Testing Annex Key, 3 Zipline, 2 Smoke Grenade
40	Eyes in the Sky	Shani	On Dam Battlegrounds, install a LiDAR Scanner at the top of the Control Tower; On Spaceport, install a LiDAR Scanner at the Communications Tower; On Buried City, install a LiDAR Scanner on top of the Galleria sign	5 Simple Gun Parts, 5 Duct Tape, 5 Magnet
41	After Rain Comes	Celeste	Find the solar panels near the Grandioso Apartments in Buried City; Repair the solar panels using five Wires and two Batteries	Blue Light Stick, 3 Antiseptic, 5 Durable Cloth
42	A Balanced Harvest	Celeste	Go to the Research & Administration building in Dam Battlegrounds; Locate Lab 1 on the upper floor, above reception; Search for any traces of the agricultural research project	Advanced Mechanical Components, 3 Medium Gun Parts, 10 Steel Spring
43	Untended Garden	Celeste	Go to the Hydroponic Dome Complex on Dam Battlegrounds; Access the data archive in one of the domes; Upload the data to the computer terminal in any Field Depot	Advanced Mechanical Components, 3 Heavy Gun Parts, 5 Canister
44	The Root of the Matter	Celeste	Go to the Research Building on Buried City; Search for the seed vault in the 'room with a great view'; Deliver the Experimental Seed Sample to Celeste	Advanced Mechanical Components, 3 Heavy Gun Parts, 3 Canister
45	Water Troubles	Celeste	Locate the Flood Access Tunnel under the Red Lake Balcony on Dam Battlegrounds; Find the intake in the District's Water Supply	Mechanical Components, 3 Simple Gun Parts, 3 Steel Spring
46	Source of the Contamination	Celeste	Reach the Water Treatment Building in Dam Battlegrounds; Search for the Flood Spill Intake near the Swamp; Investigate any suspicious objects	5 Steel Spring, 5 Duct Tape, Mod Components

Sources: PC Gamer's quest list, May 1, 2026; KeenGamer's launch rewards, Nov 8, 2025.

The last stretch: quests 47 to 60

30:28 These are shorter errands, some needing rare items such as Tribute to Toledo's Power Rod. Life of a Pharmacist requires photos since 2.0, so bring a Basic or Advanced Camera; see Gadgets and Grenades.

#	Quest	Trader	Objectives (PC Gamer, May 2026)	Launch reward (KeenGamer, Nov 2025)
47	Switching the Supply	Celeste	Find the tunnels under the Spaceport; Find and turn the valve in the tunnels	3 Synthesized Fuel
48	A Warm Place to Rest	Apollo	Locate the Abandoned Highway Camp in Buried City; Search for any signs of survivors; Follow the red markers; Inspect the grave	Noisemaker, 5 Blue Light Stick
49	Prescriptions of the Past	Lance	Visit the Departure Building in Spaceport and find the Medical Room; Search for the records	Heavy Shield, Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing)
50	Power Out	Celeste	Find the Electrical Substation south of the Spaceport; Find any sign of the missing engineer; Install the fuse and restore power	5 Wires, 5 Explosive Compound, 5 Oil
51	Flickering Threat	Celeste	Enter the Power Generation Complex in Dam Battlegrounds and find the Generator Room; Repair the generator; Find the Ventilation Shaft; Enable the power via the switch under the stairs	5 Medium Gun Parts, 3 Advanced Mechanical Components
52	Bees!	Celeste	Reach the Olive Grove in Blue Gate; Search the bee hives around the Olive Grove	Advanced Electrical Components, 3 Sensors
53	Espresso	Apollo	Find an espresso machine to salvage for spare parts; Get the Espresso Machine Parts for Apollo	Coffee Pot, 3 Adrenaline Shot
54	Life of a Pharmacist	Lance	Find the Arbusto Farmacia by the collapsed highway in Buried City; Document the pharmacist's hobbies, family, taste, and skills	Defibrillator, Surge Shield Recharger, 3 Sterilized Bandages
55	Tribute to Toledo	Celeste	Get a Power Rod for Celeste	Magnet, 2 Advanced Mechanical Components, 3 Synthesized Fuel
56	Digging Up Dirt	Celeste	Reach the Santa Maria Houses in Old Town Buried City; Locate the dead drop inside the courtyard	Advanced Electrical Components, 4 Speaker Component
57	Turnabout	Celeste	Go to the North Trench Tower on Spaceport; Locate and upload the blackmail files	Heavy Gun Parts, 2 Medium Gun Parts
58	Building a Library	Apollo	Locate the Library in the City Center area of Buried City; Find a romance book, a detective book, and an adventure book	Jolt Mine, Heavy Fuze Grenade
59	A New Type of Plant	Lance	Search for the new plant near the Baron Husk in the Old Battleground on Dam Battlegrounds; Deliver the Possibly Toxic Plant to Lance	Vita Shot, 5 Antiseptic
60	Armored Transports	Tian Wen	Reach the Checkpoint area on Blue Gate; Search the guard huts for the Armored Patrol Car Key; Find and unlock the rear door of an armored patrol car in the Traffic Tunnel	3 Smoke Grenade, 3 Defibrillator

Sources: PC Gamer's quest list, May 1, 2026; KeenGamer's launch rewards, Nov 8, 2025.

Blue Gate quests: A First Foothold, Reduced to Rubble, With a Trace

8:21 These three open with The Blue Gate and sit apart from the main line. Embark added props and visual cues at A First Foothold's final camp in 1.7.0 to make it easier to find. Reduced to Rubble requires a photo since 2.0. The map itself is on The Blue Gate. The clip, from Nov 2025, walks through A First Foothold's four steps.

#	Quest	Trader	Objectives (PC Gamer, May 2026)	Launch reward (KeenGamer, Nov 2025)
1	A First Foothold	Apollo	Nail down the roof plates on the raider structure in Trapper's Glade; Stabilize the observation deck near the Ridgeline; Enable the comms terminal south of the Olive Grove; Rotate the satellite dishes on the church roof, north of Data Vault	3 Shrapnel Grenade, 3 Snap Blast Grenade, 3 Heavy Fuze Grenade
2	Reduced to Rubble	Shani	Take a photo of the collapsed highway; Go to the Broken Earth and follow the trail of destruction northeast up the hill; Investigate the unknown ARC machines	Zipline, Barricade Kit, Doorblockers
3	With a Trace	Shani	Reach the Barren Clearing and find signs of who brought down the ARC machines; Reach the Adorned Wreckage and inspect the communications device	Looting Mk. 2, Medium Shield

Sources: PC Gamer's quest list, May 1, 2026; KeenGamer's launch rewards, Nov 8, 2025.

Sizing Things Up

Sizing Things Up is not part of the launch line: it is Celeste's Frozen Trail quest, added on Oct 8, 2026, and players often look for it with the main quests. TheGamer's walkthrough, Oct 8, 2026, has three steps on Pendola Pass: photograph the Emperor's leg from the broken bridge east of Old Town; analyze the hydraulic joint south of Railroad Junction (or the probe by Almatera Station); and search the Buried Harvester Payload at the Emperor's base, west of Piazza della Rupe, for an ARC Conductive Coupler. Update 2.1.0 made its cinematics play correctly after completion. The rest of that line is on Update Quests.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first quest in ARC Raiders? Picking Up the Pieces, from Shani: visit any map area with a loot category icon and loot three containers. KeenGamer lists the launch reward as a Rattler III and 80 Medium Ammo.

How long is the ARC Raiders main questline? PC Gamer's order has 60 main quests, plus three on The Blue Gate, for the 63 that KeenGamer listed at launch on Nov 8, 2025.

How do you complete A First Foothold in ARC Raiders? On The Blue Gate, for Apollo: nail down the roof plates at Trapper's Glade, stabilize the observation deck near the Ridgeline, enable the comms terminal south of the Olive Grove, and rotate the dishes on the church roof north of Data Vault.

How do you complete With a Trace in ARC Raiders? On The Blue Gate, for Shani: reach the Barren Clearing and find signs of who downed the ARC machines, then reach the Adorned Wreckage and inspect the communications device.

How do you complete Sizing Things Up in ARC Raiders? On Pendola Pass, for Celeste: photograph the Emperor's leg, analyze the hydraulic joint or probe, then search the Buried Harvester Payload for an ARC Conductive Coupler, per TheGamer on Oct 8, 2026.

Which ARC Raiders quest gives the Hullcracker Blueprint? The Major's Footlocker, from Tian Wen, per KeenGamer's launch list. Embark said on Aug 21, 2026 that it would add other ways to get it, because Expeditions no longer have to reset quests.

Sources

All Arc Raiders quests and how to beat them, PC Gamer, May 1, 2026
Arc Raiders All Quests List and Their Rewards, KeenGamer, Nov 8, 2025
How To Complete Sizing Things Up In Arc Raiders, TheGamer, Oct 8, 2026
Frozen Trail - 2.0 Update, Embark, Oct 8, 2026
Store Update 2.1.0, Embark (Steam news), Oct 13, 2026
The 5th Expedition, Embark (Steam news), Aug 21, 2026
Patch Notes 1.27.0, Embark (Steam news), May 5, 2026
Riven Tides - Patch Notes Update 1.26.0, Embark (Steam news), Apr 28, 2026
Hotfix - Dec 18, Embark (Steam news), Dec 18, 2025
COLD SNAP - December Update 1.7.0 Patch Notes, Embark (Steam news), Dec 16, 2025
NORTH LINE - November Update 1.2.0 Patch Notes, Embark (Steam news), Nov 13, 2025
Arc Raiders - All Quest Locations & How to Complete Them (Ultimate Guide), takibo, Nov 3, 2025 (video)

Moments

Arc Raiders - All Quest Locations & How to Complete Them (Ultimate Guide)

takibo

0:00 The ARC Raiders main questline starts with Shani's Picking Up the Pieces (visit a marked loot area, loot three…
0:52 The opening quests teach looting, ARC parts and Field Depots, and they pay for your first upgrades. Keep materials…
11:00 The line now sends you for specific rooms on Dam Battlegrounds and Buried City, and several quests have you extract…
19:18 Lance's medical quests start here. Embark made the ESR Analyzer for A Reveal in Ruins easier to find in 1.7.0…
30:28 These are shorter errands, some needing rare items such as Tribute to Toledo's Power Rod. Life of a Pharmacist…
8:21 These three open with The Blue Gate and sit apart from the main line. Embark added props and visual cues at A First…