ARC Raiders FAQ: Common Questions and Troubleshooting#

Q: "Is ARC Raiders buy-to-play? Are there microtransactions?"

"Yes, it's a one-time purchase. The Standard Edition at $39.99 includes the full game, and there's a $59.99 Deluxe Edition on top (the \"Valente\" Legendary Outfit, \"Pathfinder\" Backpack, and \"Blanket Roll\" Backpack Attachment). The in-app purchases listed on the store page are all cosmetic — none of them touch power or progression, and there's no gacha. Details in Shop \u0026 Cosmetics."

Q: "Do I need the Deluxe Edition?"

"No. Every Deluxe perk is cosmetic and has zero effect on gameplay or progression. Start with the Standard Edition, and if you decide you're in for the long haul, you can pay the difference to upgrade later (Steam's China region lists an \"Upgrade to Deluxe Edition\" entry)."

Q: "Does the game support Chinese?"

"Yes. Interface and subtitles are available in both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, out of 13 supported languages in total."

Q: "Which platforms is it on?"

"PC (Steam / Epic Games Store), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, plus GeForce NOW cloud streaming. Cross-platform multiplayer is fully supported — players from every platform get matched into the same lobbies. For exact PC system requirements, go by the Steam store page."

Q: "Do you lose your gear when you die?"

"Yes. Everything you carry in, plus everything you scavenge during the raid — items, materials, blueprints — is lost unless you extract successfully. That's the iron rule of the extraction shooter genre, and it's the starting point for every damage-control strategy in this game."

Q: "Are blueprints gone forever if you die with them?"

"Yes, and blueprints are even stricter than regular loot: they only count toward your collection once you extract alive — die and they're gone on the spot. That's why \"pick up a rare blueprint, immediately plan your way out\" is one of the most important disciplines in the entire game."

Q: "Can you play solo?"

"Yes. Solos is an official queue, matched into the same lobbies as Duos and Trios. Solo players need to accept that they can and will run into full squads, so the playstyle leans on stealth and avoiding fights — see Trios \u0026 Squad Play for details."

Q: "Do you have to fight other players?"

"No. Official data shows 37% of players focus on friendly cooperation, and from October 13 to October 20, 2026 the devs ran an official pure PvE matchmaking toggle test with zero player-versus-player damage. The test is time-limited — see Pure PvE Mode Guide."

Q: "Is there a skill tree? How do I spend points?"

"There is a skill tree, but the devs haven't published a complete list of node names and effects, and the community's optimal builds are still being verified. We won't make up a spec table here; for general principles see Augments \u0026 Shield Loadouts, and always treat what's actually in the game as the source of truth."

Q: "Is there a season pass?"

"The full details on seasons and the pass haven't been published, so we won't speculate. For the confirmed content cadence (cosmetic sets, maps, mechanics updates), see Update Track \u0026 Seasonal Content."

This page rounds up the questions ARC Raiders players ask most, sorted into four groups: purchases, gameplay, matchmaking, and troubleshooting. If your question isn’t answered here, the dedicated guides in the section navigation break things down in far more depth.

Purchases & Editions#

Is ARC Raiders buy-to-play? Are there microtransactions?#

Yes, it’s a one-time purchase. The Standard Edition at $39.99 includes the full game, and there’s a $59.99 Deluxe Edition on top (the “Valente” Legendary Outfit, “Pathfinder” Backpack, and “Blanket Roll” Backpack Attachment). The in-app purchases listed on the store page are all cosmetic — none of them touch power or progression, and there’s no gacha. Details in Shop & Cosmetics.

Do I need the Deluxe Edition?#

No. Every Deluxe perk is cosmetic and has zero effect on gameplay or progression. Start with the Standard Edition, and if you decide you’re in for the long haul, you can pay the difference to upgrade later (Steam’s China region lists an “Upgrade to Deluxe Edition” entry).

Does the game support Chinese?#

Yes. Interface and subtitles are available in both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, out of 13 supported languages in total.

Which platforms is it on?#

PC (Steam / Epic Games Store), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, plus GeForce NOW cloud streaming. Cross-platform multiplayer is fully supported — players from every platform get matched into the same lobbies. For exact PC system requirements, go by the Steam store page.

Core Gameplay#

Do you lose your gear when you die?#

Yes. Everything you carry in, plus everything you scavenge during the raid — items, materials, blueprints — is lost unless you extract successfully. That’s the iron rule of the extraction shooter genre, and it’s the starting point for every damage-control strategy in this game.

Are blueprints gone forever if you die with them?#

Yes, and blueprints are even stricter than regular loot: they only count toward your collection once you extract alive — die and they’re gone on the spot. That’s why “pick up a rare blueprint, immediately plan your way out” is one of the most important disciplines in the entire game.

Can you play solo?#

Yes. Solos is an official queue, matched into the same lobbies as Duos and Trios. Solo players need to accept that they can and will run into full squads, so the playstyle leans on stealth and avoiding fights — see Trios & Squad Play for details.

Do you have to fight other players?#

No. Official data shows 37% of players focus on friendly cooperation, and from October 13 to October 20, 2026 the devs ran an official pure PvE matchmaking toggle test with zero player-versus-player damage. The test is time-limited — see Pure PvE Mode Guide.

Is there a skill tree? How do I spend points?#

There is a skill tree, but the devs haven’t published a complete list of node names and effects, and the community’s optimal builds are still being verified. We won’t make up a spec table here; for general principles see Augments & Shield Loadouts, and always treat what’s actually in the game as the source of truth.

Is there a season pass?#

The full details on seasons and the pass haven’t been published, so we won’t speculate. For the confirmed content cadence (cosmetic sets, maps, mechanics updates), see Update Track & Seasonal Content.

What’s the endgame loop?#

The current endgame loop: farm Stella Montis for Magnetic Accelerators → take down the Matriarch for a Matriarch Reactor → craft the legendary Aphelion or Dolabra. The full route is in Crafting & the Resource Economy and Elite Enemies & High-Danger Zones.

Matchmaking & the Player Ecosystem#

Does the PvE test affect your matchmaking rating?#

No. The devs have stated outright that PvPvE matchmaking ratings are untouched during the test; once it ends, the toggle is removed and matchmaking goes back to normal.

What is aggro matchmaking?#

A matchmaking mechanic built on a hidden aggression (“aggro”) rating, introduced in update 1.36. The design intent is to pair aggressive players with other aggressive players, so peacefully-inclined players run into fewer forced fights. Not every detail has been made public.

Will Solos run into full trios?#

Yes. Solos, Duos, and Trios sharing the same matchmaking pool is an officially confirmed rule. A solo player’s role is stealth and judgment, not head-on firepower.

Troubleshooting#

The game prompts an anti-cheat install on launch — what now?#

ARC Raiders uses kernel-level anti-cheat (Easy Anti-Cheat). The first launch requires you to authorize the driver installation and restart when prompted — standard procedure for games like this. If anti-cheat errors keep repeating, first check whether your security software is blocking its components.

The game stutters or runs poorly — how do I troubleshoot it?#

Work through the checks in order:

Make sure the game build is up to date.
Update your GPU drivers.
Cut down background processes hogging resources.
Dial back graphics settings one item at a time.

If your hardware genuinely can’t keep up, GeForce NOW cloud gaming is the way out. The full checklist is in System Requirements & Performance Optimization.

Slow matchmaking queues or disconnects?#

Check your local network first: use a wired connection, schedule large downloads off-peak, and allow the anti-cheat through your firewall. The latency disadvantage of cross-platform matchmaking is a fact of life, so favor time slots that route you to nearby servers.

How do I verify in-game issues with blueprints and quests?#

For details the devs haven’t published — full quest lists, recipe values, drop rates — always go by what’s actually in the game and the community’s latest field testing. Every relevant page in this section states its data sources, so cross-check away.

Is there a guide for the new Riven Tides map?#

The map arrived in April 2026, and community intel on its locations is still being compiled, so this section doesn’t have a dedicated page yet — we’d rather not mislead readers with unverified spots. For the map overview and news on the new addition, see Update Track & Seasonal Content.

Beginner’s Survival Guide — your first steps into the game
Shop & Cosmetics — choosing between editions
System Requirements & Performance Optimization — hardware and network checks
Pure PvE Mode Guide — the October test explained