Crafting and continuously developing your base are the foundation of survival and successful raids in ARC Raiders. To create the most powerful gear, effective medical supplies, and devastating weapons, you’ll need not only to gather resources but also to upgrade your Workbenches and your arsenal itself.
Many beginners run into a common issue: they can’t find the workbench upgrade menu and think they’re doing something wrong. This happens because the basic Studding Workbench you receive at the very beginning cannot be upgraded at all — this is intentional game design.
To upgrade other stations (for example, the Gunsmith, Medical Lab, or Explosives Station), follow these simple steps:
The game features several key workbenches: Gunsmith, Medical Lab, Gear Bench, Explosives Station, Refiner, and Utility Station. Each of them requires specific resources. For example, the Medical Lab requires old medkits and antiseptics, while the Gunsmith requires mechanical parts.
Weapon upgrades should be your top priority. Improved firearms directly increase your combat effectiveness, make it easier to destroy ARC machines, and improve your chances of successful extraction.
This workbench unlocks immediately after completing the introductory quests. Install it in your Workshop as soon as possible.
Click on the installed Gunsmith and switch to the Weapon Upgrade tab.
Here you will see your entire arsenal available for upgrades. Conveniently, the game automatically pulls weapons from your Stash, so you don’t need to move them into your active inventory.
On the right side of the screen, you’ll see a list of required materials. With each weapon level (and depending on its rarity), the requirements become more demanding. Click the Upgrade button to improve the weapon’s stats.
Important: To upgrade weapons to their maximum potential, you must also increase the level of the Gunsmith workbench itself.
Resource gathering in ARC Raiders can feel like a tedious grind if you don’t understand the game’s logic. Here are a few tips to save you hours of time:
Each material tooltip includes an origin tag (for example: Mechanical, Industrial, Medical, ARC). Open the world map during a raid and look for zones or buildings marked with matching icons.
Need bandages or antiseptics? Head to medical tents.
Need gears? Go to industrial areas.
Most level 2 and 3 upgrades require specific chips and drivers (Drivers, Cores, Cells). These can only be obtained by destroying ARC enemies.
Wasp Drivers drop from Wasp drones, Rocketeer Cores from Rocketeers, and Bastion Cells from heavy Bastion robots.
Complex loot can be dismantled into simpler components. For example, a full Motor can be converted into Oil and basic Mechanical Components.
If you’re low on resources but don’t want to risk your loot, plan night raids. This is the perfect time for stealth farming with minimal risk of running into hostile player squads.
Main rule for beginners: always prioritize developing your Gunsmith and upgrading the weapons you use most often.
As a reminder, Ubisoft is preparing “several” games in the Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed series.
