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ARC Raiders’ PvE toggle makes your first deployments less vulnerable to other players, but it is not a safe mode. ARC machines can still down and reacquire you, extraction controls can broadcast your position, loot is worth less on PvE servers, and several high-impact map conditions are unavailable. The reliable beginner plan is to risk only affordable gear, choose a short route with multiple exits, carry recovery items, conserve stamina, and leave before a routine loot run becomes an emergency.
The toggle is currently a limited test rather than a confirmed permanent mode. The rules below apply to Embark’s October 13–20, 2026 test window and may change after it ends.
What the ARC Raiders PvE test actually changes
Embark’s October 12, 2026 announcement describes the feature as a matchmaking toggle: “The PvE matchmaking toggle will allow players to switch between the standard PvPvE experience and the new PvE servers.” You select between ordinary PvPvE matchmaking and the test’s PvE servers rather than entering a permanently separate campaign. Read the official PvE Toggle Beta Test announcement for the live rules and end date.
The test runs from October 13 at 11:00 CEST through October 20 at 11:00 CEST. It is a feedback test, not a promise that a permanent PvE queue will remain available. Treat every rule as test-specific and check Embark’s notice after October 20 before planning around the toggle.
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Rules that affect a first run
| Test rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Zero player-to-player damage | Other Raiders cannot directly damage you. Stun and fire throwables do not affect other players. |
| Physical interaction remains | Barricades and ziplines still work, so movement and positioning tools are not disabled. |
| Lower loot value | A PvE run is safer from hostile players but produces less valuable loot overall than the standard experience. |
| Squad sizes are not prioritized | Groups of different sizes can meet more often; do not assume a solo or duo will be matched only with similar teams. |
| Some map conditions are excluded | Night Raid, Locked Gate, Hidden Bunker, Frigate, and Redirection are among the major conditions that do not offer the PvE option. |
| ARC can reacquire a downed Raider | After an eight-second grace period, moving while downed can cause ARC to attack again. |
| Queue times vary | Low-population regions and quiet hours can produce longer waits; normal matchmaking still applies during PvPvE sessions. |
These rules change the risk calculation, not the objective. You still need to search, manage inventory, reach an extraction point and survive machine encounters. PvE removes one source of damage; it does not remove time pressure, noise, limited healing or the cost of losing a loadout.
Choose a loadout you can afford to lose
Your first decision should be financial and practical: take equipment that teaches you the map without making one failed deployment expensive. Items outside a Safe Pocket are lost on elimination, so the most elaborate kit is not automatically the best learning kit.
Free Loadout: the low-risk starting point
The Free Loadout supplies low-tier equipment, has limited inventory space and does not include a Safe Pocket. It is suitable for short resource-gathering runs, route scouting and learning extraction timings. Because you are carrying less, set a narrow objective—such as finding a particular crafting resource or locating two exits—rather than trying to clear the whole map.
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Custom Loadout: more capability, more exposure
A custom loadout can include an augment, a shield, up to two weapons, matching ammunition, quick-use consumables and Safe Pocket slots. Build it around the task rather than filling every slot by habit. A shield and recovery supplies increase your margin against ARC, while a second weapon is useful only if you can support it with ammunition and still have room for the resources you intend to bring home.
| Choice | Strength | Limitation | Best first-run use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Loadout | Minimal loss risk and enough equipment to gather resources | Low-tier gear, limited inventory, no Safe Pocket | Learn a spawn, test a short route and identify extraction controls |
| Custom Loadout | Can add an augment, shield, two weapons, consumables and Safe Pocket slots | More valuable equipment is lost on elimination when it is outside the Safe Pocket | Run a known route when you need specific protection, healing or weapon performance |
Before deploying, decide what success means if the run ends early. A single protected objective or a small amount of useful material is a valid win; staying for one more container is not worth a kit you cannot replace.
Plan the route before leaving spawn
Spawns are randomized, map regions have different resource profiles and extraction choices are not interchangeable. Open the map before travelling far and identify at least two possible exits. This prevents a common beginner error: reaching the edge of the map with a full inventory and discovering that the nearest extraction is noisy, patrolled or too distant to reach safely.
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Match your route to one objective
- State the objective. Choose resource gathering, progression items, a map-learning circuit or an extraction test. Do not combine every goal on the first deployment.
- Mark a primary and backup exit. The backup should be reachable from your final loot area without crossing the same exposed route.
- Keep an information buffer. Stop searching while you still have time, stamina and healing for the trip out. A route that is profitable only when nothing goes wrong is too long for a beginner.
- Reassess after every noisy action. If searching or activating an exit attracts machines, switch to the backup route rather than forcing the original plan.
In PvE, the absence of player damage may make a direct path more comfortable, but it does not make a long route efficient. Lower loot value means you should be especially selective about detours.
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ARC units remain the main combat threat in the test. The beginner guide published by the Epic Games Store in October 2025 advises against engaging every machine and emphasizes weapon ARC Armor Penetration. It names the Ferro and Hullcracker as stronger against machines than the Kettle, Stitcher or Bobcat. Weapon balance can change, so verify current performance in-game rather than treating that older guide as a permanent tier list. The guide is available at ARC Raiders guide: 12 tips to help you survive the Rust Belt.
Use avoidance as a combat skill
- Break line of sight and move around a patrol instead of spending ammunition on a low-value fight.
- Do not assume a PvE server makes loud combat harmless; machines can still consume your health, shield, ammunition and time.
- Ping an enemy to warn teammates. A spotted player can draw other robots toward the area, so treat a ping as both communication and a reason to reposition.
- Carry only the weapons and ammunition that support your route. An armor-penetrating option is more useful than a second gun you cannot feed.
Heal before a small injury becomes an extraction failure
Bandages restore health over time, while shield rechargers replenish shield energy. Carry whichever recovery items your chosen loadout permits and use them behind cover rather than waiting until you are one hit from a down. If a teammate is down, hold the interaction button to revive them; a Defibrillator completes the revive more quickly when you have one available.
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Spend stamina on escape, not convenience
Sprinting drains stamina. Standing, walking and crouching restore it. A slide after sprinting does not expend additional stamina, and holstering a weapon allows faster running. The practical rule is to keep enough stamina for the final crossing to cover or an extraction control: walk through safe areas, sprint across exposed ground and avoid arriving at a fight with an empty meter.
Search containers with the noise and time in mind
Containers take several seconds to search and make noise. Searching grants experience even when a container is empty, but inventory space is limited. Decide whether the experience or a possible item advances your objective before committing to a search in an exposed location. If the container is not worth the delay, leave it and preserve your route timing.
Understand every extraction option before you need one
Extraction is a separate phase of the run, not an automatic reward for reaching the map edge. Ordinary exits can be watched by ARC, and activating their controls makes a loud noise that can attract ARC and other Raiders. Player damage is disabled in the PvE test, but the noise and machine risk remain.
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| Extraction type | Requirement or risk | Beginner use |
|---|---|---|
| Airshaft | Can be patrolled; activating controls is loud | Use when it is close and your route leaves enough time to react |
| Subway Tunnel | Can be patrolled; activation noise can attract enemies | Good as a mapped backup when you know the approach |
| Cargo Elevator | Can be patrolled; activation noise announces the attempt | Choose only after checking cover and an alternate exit |
| Raider Hatch | Requires a key; keys come from crafting, randomized loot or Shani | A quieter, hassle-free option when you already have the key |
| Other exits | Rules and exposure vary by location | Learn the control location and escape path before relying on it |
A safe extraction sequence
- Approach the primary exit with stamina available and healing completed.
- Pause in cover and observe the control area instead of activating it immediately.
- Start the control only when you know where you will move if ARC appears.
- Use the noise window to reach the exit, not to search nearby containers.
- If the area becomes unsafe, disengage toward the backup exit rather than repeating the activation in the same place.
Raider Hatches are described as hassle-free, but the key requirement changes the planning. Obtain a key through crafting, randomized loot or Shani before selecting a hatch as your intended exit.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do when ARC downs you
PvE does not guarantee a free recovery after a knockdown. The test rules give a downed Raider an eight-second grace period. After that, ARC may attack again if it catches the player moving.
- Stop moving during the grace period. Do not crawl into the open just because another player cannot damage you.
- Use the time to communicate. Tell teammates your location and identify the machine that downed you.
- Let the teammate clear the immediate threat. A rushed revive can create a second down.
- Revive with the appropriate interaction. A teammate can hold the interaction button, or use a Defibrillator for a faster revive.
- After revival, leave the area. Heal, recharge your shield and take a route that does not require repeating the same noisy encounter.
If you are alone, the grace period is not an invitation to crawl toward a distant exit. Remaining still may prevent immediate reacquisition, but survival still depends on whether the machine loses interest and whether you can move to cover afterward.
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- Take a Free Loadout or a custom kit whose loss will not block your next deployment.
- Confirm the map condition supports the PvE toggle; major conditions such as Night Raid, Locked Gate, Hidden Bunker, Frigate and Redirection are excluded from the option.
- Choose one resource or progression objective.
- Mark a primary and backup extraction point.
- Carry bandages and shield recovery when the loadout allows.
- Keep stamina for an exposed crossing and holster your weapon when making a fast reposition.
- Ping ARC for teammates and avoid unnecessary fights.
- Search containers selectively because searches take time, create noise and consume inventory capacity.
- Leave when the objective is complete instead of converting a successful short run into an overloaded one.
Fix the most common first-run failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Correction on the next deployment |
|---|---|---|
| You reach extraction with no stamina | Repeated sprinting or carrying a weapon while repositioning | Walk in safe areas, holster for long movement and reserve stamina for the final approach. |
| The extraction area becomes overwhelmed | Controls were activated without cover or an escape route | Scout first, start the control only with a backup path and abandon the attempt if ARC converges. |
| You lose a valuable kit while learning the map | The loadout exceeded what you could replace | Return to a Free Loadout or reduce custom equipment until the route is familiar. |
| You are downed again after waiting for help | You moved after the eight-second grace period while ARC still had you in reach | Remain still during the grace window, communicate and let the teammate address the machine before the revive. |
| Your inventory fills before the objective is complete | Searching every container or carrying redundant weapons | Prioritize objective items, leave low-value finds and keep space for the return trip. |
| The PvE queue takes a long time | Low regional population or quiet hours | Allow for variable matchmaking times or use the standard PvPvE queue when you want a quicker match. |
How to judge whether PvE is helping you learn
Use the test to build repeatable habits, not to memorize a supposedly permanent ruleset. A productive first session teaches you where your randomized spawn connects to resource areas, how long a short search circuit takes, which exit has the best cover and how much healing you need for the return. Record those observations mentally or with your own notes, then shorten the route until you can extract consistently.
Once you can complete short runs, introduce one variable at a time: a custom shield, a second weapon, a farther resource area or a Raider Hatch key. If success falls apart, remove the newest variable rather than adding more gear. This isolates whether the problem is route length, ARC armor penetration, stamina management, inventory discipline or extraction noise.
What may change after October 20
Embark has presented the toggle as a limited beta test and requested player feedback. The announcement does not establish that PvE servers, their loot reduction, their excluded map conditions or their matchmaking behavior will continue after October 20 at 11:00 CEST. Recheck the official announcement for any post-test decision before treating these rules as permanent. For the game’s broader platform and availability information, consult the official ARC Raiders page.
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