The unwritten rules of ARC Raiders are explained

Extraction shooters like ARC Raiders are full of dos and don'ts that evolve as the community grows, and with tests like the server slam leading up to launch, the game has already seen a set of unwritten rules for player conduct evolve. While ARC Raiders does not require players to follow these rules, society at large tends to follow them to create an environment where all players can be successful. With ARC Raiders already met over 300,000 players on Steam alone, it's clear that following these rules has fostered an accessible and engaging community.

Besides just learning the meta and how to most efficiently find resources while completing ARC Raiders' quests are the multiplayer aspect of the game the primary source of the unwritten rules of the community. ARC Raiders gives players all the tools to succeed in their moment-to-moment gameplay, but the guidelines developed by the community will help players understand the social aspect of ARC Raiders as the game grows. Starting off on the right foot with the other Raiders of Speranza will set players up for the best ARC Raiders experience possible.

The unwritten rules for success in ARC Raiders

Always be prepared to lose your gear

As a PvPvE extraction shooter, dying in a match before extraction means losing all items the player is wearing. With the expectation that players can drop gear at any moment, deciding what to bring when queuing for a match requires a lot of thought. It is not necessarily in the player's best interest to pack all their best ARC Raiders weapons unless they plan to group up to tackle a night tree or other content where strong gear will be needed, as there is nothing worse than unexpectedly dying to another raider and losing some hard-earned loot.

ARC Raiders offers players the option to grab a free load of basic gear in the Rust Belt if they don't want to risk losing their best weapons. This option is perfect for players who jump in just to complete missions.

Words often speak louder than guns

Communicating with other attackers is a crucial part of ARC Raiders experience. Don't just do it ARC Raiders offers proximity chat for solo players with microphones to use, but in-game voice and emote options also allow players without microphones to communicate. Often, other players are likely to be friendly to players who chat or use the “Don't shoot” voice line, because no one wants to lose their loot. Rather than shooting on aim, talking to other raiders often results in unexpected team-ups, or at least separate paths without the need for violence.

Even with a large part of ARC Raiders community dedicated to friendly interactions, PvP combat is still expected, and players must prepare for hostile players. But even if players choose to get involved ARC Raiders' PvP, it is generally considered unacceptable to camp for extraction points and wait for players on their way back to Speranza. This behavior is seen as rude by the community, as extraction points are hot spots for players trying to escape from pursuing ARCs, and killing those just about to return to Speranza with their loot is unwarranted.

ARC is the biggest threat – help attackers when you can

Despite the PvP component, the majority of enemy players will fight ARC Raiders are ARCs themselves. These machines are far more dangerous and common than other human players, with a variety of variants to be encountered:

Cuts
Wasps
Wasps
Pops
Fireball
Ticks
Tower
Sentinels
Rocketeers
Steed
Spotters
Bastions
Bombadiers
Surveyor
The queen

It's easy to fall victim to even one or two wasps or pops if players aren't careful, so teaming up with a group of raiders or other solo players is usually more beneficial than fighting them. Some of the best meeting moments in ARC Raiders happen when random players band together to take down a menacing ARC and reap the rewards. For the benefit of all players, prioritizing ARCs over other Raiders is often the best course of action.