ARC Raiders Enemy Types: The ARC Machines and How to Fight Them
The ARC machine types in ARC Raiders — from Ticks and Wasps to Bastions, Leapers and Queens — with what the community wiki records for each.
Applies to: ARC machine enemy types and community-recorded tactics from the ARC Raiders Wiki, checked on October 15, 2026 and labelled third-party
Quick answer
ARC machines are the main enemy above ground, and they range from small drones to large bosses. The community wiki lists a long roster, including small threats like Tick and Pop, flying units like Wasp, Hornet, Firefly and Comet, sentry types like Turret and Sentinel, mid-size units like Bombardier, Bastion, Leaper and Rocketeer, a transport called ARC Reclaimer, and the boss-tier Queen and Matriarch, alongside the Bully that appears in Frozen Trail content. Weak points, drops and XP values vary by unit; the page below reports the community-recorded patterns and labels them as third-party.
At a glance
The ARC machines are the main enemy above ground in ARC Raiders, and they come in very different sizes — from one-shot drones to multi-legged bosses that take a squad to bring down. The roster below is compiled from the community-run ARC Raiders Wiki, which records each unit's drops and player-tested tactics; Embark Studios does not publish an equivalent public list, so everything here is labelled third-party.
How ARC machines behave
ARC is not a uniform faction. Different units fill different roles: some swarm, some snipe, some call in reinforcements, and the largest ones anchor a map. Two behaviours matter most for a new player — a scout unit that alerts nearby ARC to your position, and the fact that noise carries, so a fight against ARC can also draw other Raiders.
Small and flying units
| Unit | Community notes |
|---|---|
| Tick | Ceiling ambusher that latches on; usually heard before it is seen; dodge as it attaches. |
| Pop | Small exploder; climb away if ambushed. |
| Wasp | Flying drone; destabilised by destroying its thrusters. |
| Hornet | Flying drone with an unarmoured rear; dodge roll when it sounds its attack. |
| Firefly | Semi-armoured flier; aim for the yellow canister on its body. |
| Comet | Explosive flier; dodge to the side before it detonates. |
| Snitch | Scout that loudly alerts nearby ARC; destroy it quickly to avoid reinforcements. |
| Spotter | Marks targets; destroy it before it locks on, and take vertical cover. |
| Fireball | Weak point exposed when it opens to attack; move after killing it to avoid fire. |
| Turret | Baits you into its firing line; use cover and heavier ammo. |
| Sentinel | Long-range sniper turret; shoot the yellow canister on its arm. |
Mid-size units
| Unit | Community notes |
|---|---|
| Bombardier | Weak points at the yellow leg joints and rear canister; destroying the Spotter reduces its vision. |
| Bastion | Slow but heavily armed; hit the yellow leg joints and rear canister, and use cover. |
| Leaper | Aggressive but weak at the leg joints and eye; doorways it cannot fit through are a common trick. |
| Rocketeer | Rocket platform; weak points are the thrusters and the scanner above. |
| Vaporizer | Uses a laser attack and an energy shield similar to the Matriarch's. |
| Shredder | Weak point is the thrusters; never engage without cover. |
| Bully | Appears in Frozen Trail content; the wiki lists a Bully Fragmenter as its notable drop. |
Boss-tier units
| Unit | Community notes |
|---|---|
| Queen | Shoot off armour plates, then aim for the red glowing core; yellow weak points on the legs. |
| Matriarch | Boss-tier threat that anchors a map; the wiki records powercell and reactor drops. |
| ARC Turbine | Deploys cluster lightning missiles and lays a minefield before landing. |
Two contextual units are worth knowing about: the ARC Reclaimer, which the wiki describes as the only known way of boarding the powerful ARC Frigate, and the Hydra, which the wiki notes is easier to bring down in a group.
Husks and probes
Not every ARC object fights back. Husks are the remains of destroyed machines scattered across the surface, and probes land to collect data before leaving. Both can be looted — the wiki lists husks such as the Wasp Husk and Rocketeer Husk, and probes such as the ARC Probe and ARC Courier — but a probe will signal nearby ARC for help if you breach it.
What is not official
- An official enemy list or bestiary. Embark Studios does not publish one; the roster above is community-maintained.
- Exact health, damage or spawn values. The wiki's XP and drop figures are player-recorded, not published statistics.
- Complete coverage. New units arrive with updates (Frozen Trail added the Bully), so any list is a snapshot.
Sources and review scope
- ARC Raiders Wiki — ARC (community-run) — the source for every unit name, drop and tactic on this page. Labelled third-party, not official.
- Embark Studios — ARC Raiders official site — confirms the ARC premise and the Frozen Trail update that added new ARC content.
Checked on October 15, 2026. The unit names and tactics are community-recorded and may drift with patches. Nothing here is presented as an Embark Studios statement, and specific numbers from player testing are kept out of the body where they would read as official.
Checked on October 15, 2026 against the Steam store listing and the Steam Web API app-details, current-players, review-summary and news endpoints for ARC Raiders, and Embark Studios' own posts on arcraiders.com. Live figures such as the concurrent-player count and the review total are timestamped snapshots that keep moving and are labelled as such. Game-internal details that Embark Studios has not published come from the community-run ARC Raiders Wiki and are labelled third-party, not official. Player-tested values are marked as such. Anything neither source states is written as unconfirmed rather than guessed.
Not independently play-tested. This is not a claim that every platform or game version was tested. Source review: Oct 15, 2026.
More ARC Raiders Guides
ARC RaidersARC Raiders PvE Mode: The October Toggle Test, Rules and Dates
How the ARC Raiders PvE matchmaking toggle works, when the October 2026 test runs, what changes, and whether a permanent PvE mode is coming.
ARC RaidersARC Raiders Maps and Map Conditions: The Current Rotation
Every ARC Raiders map and map condition named on the official map-conditions page, how the hourly rotation works, and what each condition means.
ARC RaidersARC Raiders Skill Tree: Branches, Tiers and Respec Cost
How the ARC Raiders skill tree is built — three branches, how points are earned, the tier thresholds and the respec cost — with the Frozen Trail overhaul noted.
ARC RaidersARC Raiders Outpost and Research Station: How to Unlock It
The ARC Raiders Outpost added in Frozen Trail — how to unlock it through the Sheltered Retreat project, what the Research Station does, and what Embark has not confirmed.
ARC RaidersARC Raiders Materials and Crafting Items: How to Find Them
How materials work in ARC Raiders, the items players ask about most, and why exact spawn locations are not something any official source publishes.
ARC RaidersARC Raiders Quests: How the Quest Line Works
How the ARC Raiders quest line is structured, who hands out quests, and how to tell a quest from an item or event when a search term is confusing.