Why You Can't & How to Equip Medium Shield in ARC Raiders

Q: Why is Medium Shield greyed out in ARC Raiders?

Because your equipped Augment’s Shield Compatibility does not include Medium.

Q: Where do I see Shield Compatibility in ARC Raiders?

Open Loadout, select your Augment, and read the stat labeled Shield Compatibility in the Augment details.

Q: Do all Augments support Medium Shield in ARC Raiders?

No. All Augments support Light shields, but fewer support Medium, and even fewer support Heavy.

Q: Can Looting Mk 1 equip Medium Shield in ARC Raiders?

No. In current Augment lists, Looting Mk 1 is Light-only for Shield compatibility.

Q: Can I change Augments mid-raid in ARC Raiders?

In practice, treat Augments as a Loadout choice you change between runs. Some sources explicitly note you cannot remove or replace Augments while deployed Topside.

Q: Does Free Loadout Augment allow Medium Shield?

No. It is shown with Light-only shield compatibility in current Augment lists.

Q: Do I need to level up to equip Medium Shield in ARC Raiders?

Not directly. The gating factor for equipping Medium Shield is the Augment’s Shield Compatibility, not a player level requirement.

Q: How do I get a Medium Shield in ARC Raiders?

You can loot them, and at least one quest reward path shown in guides awards a Medium Shield alongside a combat-oriented Augment.

Why You Can’t & How to Equip Medium Shield in ARC Raiders

Note: This guide is written for DamnModz. It is not affiliated with Embark Studios.

In ARC Raiders, you can loot a Medium Shield and still be unable to equip it. This is usually not a bug. It is a loadout restriction tied to your Augment.

This happens most to newer and mid-game players because many early Augments only support Light shields. Medium and Heavy shields only work when your Augment’s Shield Compatibility allows them.

This guide fixes the Medium Shield equip problem by checking the one stat that controls it and swapping the correct Augment. It does not cover shield stats, farming routes, or loadout “meta.”

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ARC Raiders Assumptions

You are playing ARC Raiders on any platform.
You are trying to equip Medium Shield from the Loadout between runs.
You are not trying to change gear from inside an active match unless a section says so.
You can view your Augment details where Shield Compatibility is shown.

Topside Medium Shield

If This Then That

Fork

If the problem happens only while you are Topside, go to ARC Raiders Topside Augment Lock.

Loadout Medium Shield

If This Then That

Fork

If the problem happens in Loadout and Medium Shield will not equip, go to ARC Raiders Shield Compatibility.

Missing Medium Shield

If This Then That

Fork

If you cannot find Medium Shield in your gear list at all, go to ARC Raiders Medium Shield Inventory.

What You Should Notice: You end up in one section that matches when and where the equip failure happens.

ARC Raiders Shield Compatibility

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Fix Type: Root Cause Fix

Medium Shield equip is controlled by your Augment’s Shield Compatibility. If your equipped Augment only supports Light, you cannot equip Medium Shield until you switch Augments.

Open Loadout between runs.
Select your equipped Augment.
Find the stat labeled Shield Compatibility in the Augment details.
If Shield Compatibility shows only Light, equip a different Augment that includes Medium.
Equip Medium Shield in your shield slot (it will only be allowed/shown as equipable if the Augment supports Medium).

What You Should Notice: Medium Shield is selectable and stays equipped once you have an Augment that supports Medium.

How To Undo It: Re-equip your previous Augment, then equip a Light Shield again.

Stop Here If Fixed.

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ARC Raiders Topside Augment Lock

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Fix Type: Diagnosis

If you are already Topside, your loadout decisions can be locked in for that run. Plan to change your Augment and shield from the Loadout screen between expeditions.

Extract or end the current run.
Return to Loadout.
Change your Augment so Shield Compatibility includes Medium.
Equip Medium Shield.
Deploy again.

What You Should Notice: You can equip Medium Shield normally once you are back in Loadout with a compatible Augment.

How To Undo It: Swap back to your previous Augment in Loadout before you deploy.

Stop Here If Fixed.

ARC Raiders Free Loadout Augment

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Fix Type: Root Cause Fix

If your equipped Augment is Free Loadout Augment, it is a stripped kit and is not meant to support higher shield tiers. In guides and current Augment lists, it shows Light shield compatibility only.

Open Loadout.
Check the name of your equipped Augment.
If it is Free Loadout Augment, equip a different Augment.
Confirm Shield Compatibility includes Medium on the new Augment.
Equip Medium Shield.

What You Should Notice: Medium Shield becomes available once you stop using the Free Loadout Augment and your new Augment supports Medium.

How To Undo It: Re-equip the Augment you were using before, or select the Free Loadout option again if that is how you got the Free Loadout Augment.

Stop Here If Fixed.

ARC Raiders Medium Shield Inventory

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Fix Type: Diagnosis

Sometimes the issue is not compatibility. It is that Medium Shield is not in the items you can equip from your current Loadout or stash state. ARC Raiders separates your Loadout from stored items in your stash.

Open Loadout.
Open your stash.
Confirm you actually have a Medium Shield item available.
Move the Medium Shield into your active Loadout if needed.
Equip Medium Shield in the shield slot.

What You Should Notice: Medium Shield appears in the equip list and can be selected once it is available to your Loadout and your Augment supports it.

How To Undo It: Move the Medium Shield back to stash and equip a Light Shield instead.

Stop Here If Fixed.