Choose Your Map
Choose the map that serves your next objective, not just the one with the brightest loot label. The counts below refer to the quest entries linked from each map page, not every quest that can progress there.
Surface mapDam Battlegrounds
A hydroelectric complex with swamp gathering routes and industrial quest stops. Start here for Field Depots, mushrooms and electrical materials.
Open map →
Two map layersSpaceport
Key rooms above ground and maintenance objectives below it. Keep the surface and tunnel views separate when planning your approach.
Open map →
Surface mapBuried City
Apartment blocks, commercial buildings and medical stops reward building-by-building planning. Similar plaza names need particular care.
Open map →
Two map layersThe Blue Gate
The checkpoint, residential outskirts and underground routes combine key access with outdoor gathering. Do not mistake a road tunnel for every underground passage.
Open map →
Two map layersStella Montis
An indoor complex where the right floor matters as much as the right building. Switch between upper and lower levels before following a marker.
Open map →
Surface mapRiven Tides
Coastal facilities, a hotel and port infrastructure make room names and keycards central to navigation.
Open map →On Spaceport, the linked list retains On Deaf Ears to explain why its objectives belong on Stella Montis, rather than placing a false marker at the Arrival Building.
How ARC Raiders Maps Work
How Many Maps Are There?
There are six main raid maps in this cluster: Dam Battlegrounds, Spaceport, Buried City, The Blue Gate, Stella Montis and Riven Tides. The practice area is not a seventh loot route in this selector.
How Does Map Rotation Work?
The deployment screen determines which map and condition you can enter. Map unlock requirements and scheduled variants are separate checks, so an unavailable tile does not by itself mean a map has been removed.
Choose your destination in the client, read its condition and timer, then open the matching page here. A plain map guide describes the location, not the availability of every raid variant.
What Do Map Conditions Change?
Map conditions change the rules or opportunities of a raid without turning it into a different base map. Night Raid changes visibility, while Hidden Bunker adds a specific access puzzle on Spaceport.
Read the condition guide before committing a key or planning around a hatch. Check your in-game map for the doors, enemies and extraction options available during your raid.
How Many Players Are on Each Map?
A squad can contain up to three players, but squad size is not the same as the total number of Raiders in a raid. A fixed, current lobby cap for each map has not been verified here, so this guide does not promise a particular number of opponents.
Treat every extract and valuable building as potentially occupied. Neither a quiet opening nor an empty resource marker tells you how many other players remain.
How Should You Plan a Loot or Quest Route?
- Open your active objective in the quests hub and check whether it needs a carried item, a single round or a successful extract.
- Choose the correct map layer and identify the objective by its building or room, not by a similar name elsewhere.
- Select an available exit and a backup that your equipment and the selected condition actually allow.
- Add nearby gathering or quest stops only while the remaining time, inventory space and route still make sense.
Keep a resource hunt separate from a quest interaction. Finding ordinary Wires does not automatically complete every repair objective, and entering a building does not replace searching its named container.
Resource Locations Across All Maps
Dam is the practical starting point for combined swamp and electrical gathering, while The Blue Gate is the stronger documented fruit detour. These are route recommendations based on the available locations, not measured yield rankings.
| Resource | Recommended Starting Route | What to Search | Keep It For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wires | Dam electrical route | Search electrical containers and computer areas at Research and Administration, Power Generation Complex and Electrical Substation. | Trash into Treasure and Flickering Threat |
| Batteries | Dam electrical route | Check electrical loot along the same route rather than crossing the map for one alleged fixed spawn. | Trash into Treasure and After Rain Comes |
| Great Mullein | Wooded channel west of Hydroponic Domes | Look for the native Harvest Great Mullein prompt along the recorded wooded drainage route. This is a gathering area, not a guaranteed plant spawn. | Doctor's Orders and Antiseptic crafting |
| Lemons and Apricots | The Blue Gate gathering areas | Olive Grove is a useful fruit-focused starting point. On Dam, residential baskets are a fallback rather than a proven orchard route. | Scrappy training |
| Mushrooms | Dam swamp route | Check tree growth near Central Swamp Lift, the Hydroponic Dome Complex and pipes at Water Treatment Control. | Scrappy training |
| ARC Alloy | Dam ARC and husk route | Search defeated ARC or accessible husks on a route you can leave safely. A map marker does not mean a fresh wreck is waiting. | Clearer Skies and crafting |
| Electrical Components | Spaceport electrical areas | Check technological and electrical containers around Control Tower A6 and electrical facilities while completing nearby objectives. | Fragmented Logs requires them on another map |
Read the item requirement before recycling or consuming a find. “Loot an item,” “bring an item” and “use an item at this location” are different instructions. A search zone can help with the first, but only the quest objective tells you what counts.
Keys and Keycards by Map
A key’s map name tells you where it is used, not necessarily where it drops. Compare your inventory item with the keys and keycards guide before deploying.
| Map | Examples to Check | Navigation Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Dam Battlegrounds | Dam Surveillance Key, Dam Testing Annex Key and Dam Control Tower Key | Match the item to its specific room. A key reward from another map can still open a Dam door. |
| Spaceport | Spaceport Container Storage Key, Warehouse Key, Control Tower Key and Trench Tower Key | Separate the Shipping Warehouse room from Jiangsu Warehouse and the event bunker from an unconfirmed Outskirts key claim. |
| Buried City | Buried City Town Hall Key, Hospital Key and Residential Master Key | A residential key is not a general pass for every apartment or quest room. |
| The Blue Gate | Blue Gate Village Key, Cellar Key and Confiscation Room Key | Check the intended door and underground approach before committing the item. |
| Stella Montis | Stella Montis Medical Storage Key, Security Checkpoint Key and Archives Key | The key’s name does not replace the floor and room directions. |
| Riven Tides | Riven Tides Hotel Keycard No. 107 | Use the room number, not the hotel name alone, to identify the destination. |
A Raider Hatch Key serves extraction rather than an ordinary loot room. Protect a valuable unused key in an available safe pocket, check that it is in your loadout rather than your stash and confirm the door prompt before spending it.
FAQ
Which ARC Raiders map should a new player start with?
Start with Dam Battlegrounds, the first unlocked map. Use the dam structure to orient yourself and choose one nearby objective with an exit in mind. The industrial centre is not a compulsory first stop, and a smaller route is easier to abandon when other Raiders or ARC block your approach.
Does the interactive map show live loot or other players?
No. It shows locations and resource search areas, not the contents of your current raid. Containers may already be empty, a patrol may have moved and an interaction may be unavailable. Use a marker to find the place, then use the game’s prompts and your surroundings to judge its state.
Why is my quest marker above or below me?
You may be on the wrong level. Spaceport has a separate tunnel layer, and Stella Montis has upper and lower layers. Switch views before following the route, then use the listed entrance. A marker directly above you does not mean there is a staircase at your current position.
Can one raid progress several quests?
Yes, when the quests are active and their objectives fit the same route. Complete each required interaction separately and keep any necessary items. Shared buildings make travel more efficient, but they do not remove single-round, extraction or item-use requirements. The Dam and Spaceport stacking sections suggest practical combinations.
Are key rooms guaranteed to contain rare weapons?
No particular weapon or crate yield is promised here. A key grants access to the matching door, not a guaranteed inventory return. Choose a room that fits your route and the selected condition, then leave room to extract rather than spending every key simply because you brought it.
Why is a map or condition missing from my deployment screen?
Check the in-game map selector for available maps and raid variants. A map can remain playable between events. Use the official schedule to plan an event-specific run.
Choose Your Next Run
Pick a map and build a route around one clear objective. For help completing quests, explore the quest boost. For a materials-focused goal, review the materials option.
Gameplay Image Credits
Gameplay images adapted from the following creators. Captures have been cropped or resized for this guide.
- Dam Battlegrounds surface: gameplay capture by Mortal TV. Cropped or resized for this guide.
- Spaceport surface, Spaceport tunnels: gameplay capture by Mortal TV. Cropped or resized for this guide.
- Stella Montis upper: gameplay capture by Platinum Hunter. Cropped or resized for this guide.
- Stella Montis lower: gameplay capture by Nickko Kimiko. Cropped or resized for this guide.
- The Blue Gate surface, The Blue Gate surface: gameplay capture by Platinum Hunter. Cropped or resized for this guide.
- The Blue Gate underground: gameplay capture by TroubleChute Basics. Cropped or resized for this guide.
- Buried City surface: gameplay capture by Mortal TV. Cropped or resized for this guide.
- Riven Tides surface: gameplay capture by Platinum Hunter. Cropped or resized for this guide.
- Riven Tides surface: gameplay capture by Adam Survives. Cropped or resized for this guide.
- Riven Tides surface: gameplay capture by TroubleChute Basics. Cropped or resized for this guide.