If you want to level fast in ARC Raiders, you need to understand how EXP actually works. The game doesn’t explain its systems very clearly, and a lot of players end up wasting time on low-value activities without realizing there are far better ways to grind. This guide breaks down how EXP is earned and highlights the most efficient methods to farm it, whether you’re playing solo, duo, or with a full squad.
How EXP is gained in ARC Raiders
Leveling in ARC Raiders comes from a mix of time spent on the surface, successful extractions, looting, completing objectives, and landing kills or assists on both players and ARC units. The game does not always show exact numbers, so here is the full breakdown of what gives you EXP and how much each source rewards.
Core EXP Sources
Action or Source | Typical XP Reward |
|---|
Time spent on the surface | 181 XP per minute |
Successful extraction (Safe Return Bonus) | 1,000 to 2,000 XP |
Searching standard containers or lockers | 200 XP each |
Searching high-value containers or airdrops | 500 XP each |
Looting a Raider or player body | 500 XP |
Assist on Raider (PvP) | 250 XP |
Raider kill or knockout | ~500 XP plus damage XP plus 500 XP for looting |
Scanning or looting probes or special objects | 500 to 700 XP |
Mid to late game quests | 5,000 to 30,000+ XP |
ARC Enemy EXP Chart
Fighting ARCs is one of the most reliable ways to level up in the game. You gain EXP for destroying each unit, for looting its parts, and a considerable amount from dealing damage, especially when breaking multiple armor plates or fighting high-health enemies.
Low-Tier ARCs
Enemy | XP for Destroying | XP for Looting |
|---|
Wasp | 100 | 200 |
Hornet | 150 | 250 |
Snitch | 100 | 200 |
Tick | 50 | 100 |
Pop | 50 | 100 |
Fireball | 50 | 100 |
Turret | 100 | 200 |
Spotter | 100 | 200 |
Mid-Tier ARCs
Enemy | XP for Destroying | XP for Looting |
|---|
Surveyor | 200 | 300 for core, 100 per extra part |
Sentinel | 200 | 300 |
Shredder | 200 | 250 |
High-Threat ARCs
Enemy | XP for Destroying | XP for Looting |
|---|
Rocketeer | 500 | 500 per part |
Leaper | 500 | 600 for core, 500 per part |
Bastion | 500 | 500 for core, 250 per part |
Bombardier | 500 | 300 per part |
Event and Boss ARCs
Enemy | XP for Destroying | XP for Looting |
|---|
The Queen | 1,000 | 1,000 for core, 500 per part |
Harvester | — | 500 per part |
Matriarch | 1,000 | 1,000 for core, 500 per part |
Best EXP farming methods in ARC Raiders
Now that you understand how EXP is earned and how much each activity and ARC enemy provides, it is time to turn that knowledge into practical leveling strategies. While ARC Raiders offers many small ways to earn XP, only two approaches truly stand out. One method delivers massive bursts of XP and credits if you are willing to take on danger, and the other gives steady, reliable progress with almost no risk at all.
Below are the two most effective ways to level quickly in ARC Raiders.
Method 1: Hullcracker Big ARC Hunt (high risk, high reward)
This is one of the fastest ways to gain huge XP and credits in ARC Raiders. The idea is straightforward:
Bring a Hullcracker, bring ammo, and spend the raid hunting Bastions and Bombardiers.
These two ARCs drop the most parts, give large destroy XP, and generate massive damage XP. With several big ARC kills, a single run can reach 50,000 to 80,000 XP and 100,000 to 150,000 credits worth of loot.
How to run it
- Bring a Hullcracker with around 50 launcher rounds.
- Equip Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) to get
- three safe pockets for banking ARC cores, and
- self-revive, which makes failed fights far less punishing.
- Rotate between known big ARC spawn locations.
- Use solid cover when fighting Bastions, and fight Bombardiers from underneath a roof so Spotters cannot mortar you.
- Drop smoke grenades on the body to loot safely, using ziplines for fast entry and escape.
- Kill smaller ARCs along the way for extra XP and avoid PVP
- Extract late or via a Raider Key hatch for maximum safety.
You keep all XP even if you die, and because your pocketed cores cover most of the run’s cost, you only need to extract successfully one time to break even on money you spend on the Hullcracker, launcher rounds, and Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor).
Method 2: The Loot Goblin Run (low risk, steady XP)
If you want consistent XP without fighting big ARCs or gambling your gear, this method is the easiest in the game. The idea is simple:
Search everything. Every container, every locker, every crate, every ARC body, every probe, even if someone else already opened it.
ARC Raiders still gives you XP for searching objects that another player has looted, so you are constantly earning progress just by interacting with anything marked “searchable.”
Searching stacks incredibly fast because the numbers are generous:
- Standard containers: 200 XP each
- High-value containers: 500 XP each
- ARC bodies: 200 to 700 XP each
- Probes or special world objects: 500 to 700 XP each
A single run filled with aggressive looting often reaches 15,000 to 20,000 XP, even if you barely fight anything.
How to run it
- Bring whatever gear you want, but it is better to use Looting Mk. 2, a cheap gun that’s good for PvP and PvE such as the Ferro or Anvil with a Sticher, and basic heals and shield rechargers. You can also run free loadout, but that heavily limits your loot stash.
- Run solo or with a group, it does not matter.
- Go to an area with large amounts of loot and search absolutely everything. Even if teammates or other squads searched it first, because the XP is awarded for the search, regardless of whether an item is in the box or not.
Example XP breakdown
A typical loot goblin run might look like this:
- 40 standard containers → 40 × 200 = 8,000 XP
- 5 high-value containers → 5 × 500 = 2,500 XP
- 4 ARC bodies → 4 × 500 = 2,000 XP
- 3 probes or special objects → 3 × 500 = 1,500 XP
Total: 14,000 XP, before counting time on the surface, random ARC kills, or extraction XP. Reaching 15,000 to 20,000 XP requires almost no risk.
Conclusion
Leveling quickly in ARC Raiders is all about choosing the approach that fits your playstyle. If you want explosive XP gains and high-value loot, the Hullcracker big ARC hunt can push your levels up rapidly with just a few successful kills. If you prefer a safer and steadier route, the loot goblin method turns every searchable object into free XP with almost no risk or investment.
Both methods work consistently, and both can be mixed into your regular raids depending on your gear, comfort level, and the map you are running. As long as you stay active, search everything you see, and take advantage of ARC XP whenever the opportunity appears, you will keep leveling efficiently no matter how you choose to play.
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