You just extracted from a brutal raid with a bag full of random scrap and zero clue what to upgrade first. Sound familiar? With seven workshop stations, three skill tree branches, and dozens of materials pulling you in different directions, ARC Raiders makes it painfully easy to waste hours upgrading the wrong things. This guide breaks down the exact gear progression path you should follow to upgrade faster and hit harder at every stage of the game.
Why Your Upgrade Order Changes Everything
Unlike most shooters, where better loot drops from tougher enemies, your progression here depends entirely on your workshop. ARC Raiders doesn’t hand you a linear gear path. Every station maxes out at Level 3, and each level unlocks new blueprints and crafting recipes. But with limited materials coming in from each raid, upgrading stations in the wrong order means you’re running weaker gear for way longer than you need to.
The key insight most players miss is that certain upgrades create a snowball effect. Better weapons mean safer raids. Safer raids mean more materials extracted. More materials mean faster upgrades across the board. The players climbing through gear tiers the fastest are not grinding harder. They are following a smarter sequence.
With ARC Raiders pulling in over 3.5 million peak concurrent players across all platforms as of early 2026 and Steam player counts still climbing, the competition topside is fiercer than ever.
Phase 1: Early Game (Levels 1-20)
Your first priority the moment you set foot in Speranza is the Gunsmith. Getting it to Level 2 costs 3 Rusted Tools, 5 Mechanical Components, and 8 Wasp Drivers and it is worth every scrap. This upgrade unlocks the Arpeggio burst rifle, a mid-range workhorse that massively outperforms anything you’re getting from the basic Workbench.
Right after that, bump Scrappy to Level 2. All it takes is a Dog Collar, which you can find in residential areas on most maps. Scrappy is your passive material generator – the sooner he’s upgraded, the faster free resources start piling up between raids.
Your third early upgrade should be the Medical Lab to Level 1. It costs 50 Fabric and 6 ARC Alloy, and it gives you access to bandages and basic healing. Without it, you’re buying overpriced supplies from Celeste or going in dry.
Many players struggle with the slow pace of early upgrades. For players who want to accelerate this early grind, services like Boost Factory can help you push through the initial workshop upgrades and get raid-ready faster. This can reduce the time spent farming basic materials.
On the skill tree side, rush In-Round Crafting from the Survival branch. This level 3 ability lets you craft bandages, shield rechargers, and grenades during a raid, which saves inventory space and credits.
Follow that up with Marathon Runner and Youthful Lungs from Mobility for better stamina management. If you want a full breakdown of every station’s blueprint requirements, the ARC community is a solid reference to keep open between raids. You can update it regularly as new information becomes available.
Early game upgrade order at a glance:
- Gunsmith to Level 2
- Scrappy to Level 2
- Medical Lab to Level 1
- Skill focus: In-Round Crafting, then Mobility basics
Phase 2: Mid-Game (Levels 20-50)
Once your Gunsmith is at Level 2 and you’re surviving raids more consistently, shift your focus to the Gear Bench. Getting it to Level 2 unlocks Medium Shields and the Heavy Shield – a game-changing defensive upgrade. You’ll need 3 Power Cables, 5 Electrical Components, and 5 Hornet Drivers. Target Hornets in industrial zones and hit Spaceport for electrical materials.
Simultaneously, start working your Medical Lab to Level 2. This requires 8 Syringes, 5 Antiseptic, and 3 Snitch Scanners. The payoff here is huge: you unlock Defibrillators for squad play and Surge Shield Rechargers that instantly restore 50 shield points.
The Refiner deserves attention in mid-game, too. It converts excess common materials into rarer ones, smoothing out bottlenecks when you’re drowning in Metal Parts but starving for Electrical Components.
For skills, this is when you start investing heavily in Survival to push toward Security Breach, unlocked after 36 total points in the Survival tree. Security Lockers contain some of the best loot in the game and give you access to premium items other players can’t touch.
Phase 3: Late-Game (Levels 50-75)
Late game is where your gear truly separates from the pack. Push the Gunsmith to Level 3 with 3 Rusted Gears, 5 Advanced Mechanical Components, and 4 Sentinel Firing Cores. This opens up the Jupiter energy sniper and top-tier silencer attachments that make you nearly invisible.
Medical Lab Level 3 unlocks Vita Spray, which provides instant health restoration during combat without disengaging. This alone changes how aggressively you can play, especially in dense late-game raids where DLSS 4 support helps keep frame rates stable during chaotic fights. It also lets your team stay in the fight longer without retreating.
The Utility Station becomes relevant now, too. A fully upgraded Utility Station lets you craft Photoelectric Cloaks for complete ARC invisibility and Hatch Keys for instant silent extractions. Both are enormous advantages in high-threat raids.
Late-game priority list:
- Gunsmith Level 3
- Medical Lab Level 3
- Gear Bench Level 3 (advanced augments)
- Utility Station Level 2-3
- Explosives Station for Wolfpack grenades and sticky bombs
Material Farming Routes That Actually Work
Knowing where to farm specific materials saves more time than almost any other tip. It follows the same principle behind efficient crest farming in WoW and any other loot-driven game. Different raid zones concentrate different resources, so plan your runs around your current upgrade needs.
| Material Need | Best Farming Zone | Key Drops |
| Electrical Components | Spaceport | Power Cables, Tech Parts |
| Mechanical Components | Dam Battlegrounds | Rusted Tools, Gears |
| Fabric and Chemicals | Marano Park | Also fruits for Scrappy |
| ARC Drops (Drivers/Cores) | Industrial Zones | Wasp, Hornet, Sentinel parts |
One underrated tip: use the resource tracking feature. Click any workshop station, select Level Up, and hit Track Resources. This places a small eye icon on every material you need, both in your stash and during raids. It keeps your farming focused and prevents you from accidentally selling key components.
Night raids on maps like Blue Gate also boost industrial loot density. Expect to find 2-3 Rusted Gears per full loot clear during nighttime conditions compared to maybe one during the day.
FAQ
What should I upgrade first in ARC Raiders?
The Gunsmith to Level 2 should be your very first workshop upgrade. Better weapons improve your survival rate across all activities, which means you extract more materials and progress faster on everything else. Follow it immediately with Scrappy to Level 2 for passive income.
Can I respec my skill tree in ARC Raiders?
There’s no free respec option. The only way to reset your skill points is by completing the Expedition project, which effectively wipes your account progress. This makes planning your skill tree ahead of time extremely important, especially since you only get 75 total skill points.
What’s the best skill tree branch for gear progression?
Survival is the best early investment for gear progression. In-Round Crafting saves resources, while Security Breach gives you access to premium loot containers. Pair it with basic Mobility perks for stamina efficiency during material farming runs.
How do blueprints work in ARC Raiders?
Blueprints unlock specific crafting recipes at your workshop stations. You find them in loot containers, locked rooms, and occasionally as quest rewards. A blueprint must be extracted successfully before you can learn it. Always place valuable blueprints in your Safe Pocket to guarantee you keep them.
Key Takeaways
- Upgrade the Gunsmith first because better weapons create a snowball effect across progression
- Get Scrappy to Level 2 early for free passive materials between raids
- Follow a phased approach: Gunsmith and Medical Lab early, Gear Bench mid-game, Utility and Explosives late
- Rush In-Round Crafting and work toward Security Breach in the Survival skill tree
- Use the resource tracking feature to stay focused on what you actually need
- Farm-specific maps based on your current material bottleneck
- Always stash blueprints in your Safe Pocket before attempting extraction
- Night raids on Blue Gate offer better industrial loot density
