How to Level Up Fast in Arc Raiders

Arc Raiders is one of the most intense extraction shooters out there, and if you want to survive, leveling up fast isn’t optional — it’s essential. To stay ahead of the competition, you’ll need to drop in, hunt XP, and make every run count. Rack up experience to unlock Skill Points and powerful new gear that give you a real edge in the field. This is your ultimate Arc Raiders leveling guide — let’s get you geared, upgraded, and ready to dominate.

If you want to level up fast in Arc Raiders, farming kills over and over isn’t required. You can stack XP from almost everything you do in a single raid, and it adds up quickly. Leveling is essential because each rank earns you a Skill Point for Conditioning, Mobility, or Survival, letting you shape your build. The key is to jump into quests, loot consistently, and pull as much XP as possible from every run.

Arc Raiders features underground NPCs who offer quests and objectives to complete. While none of them are mandatory, tackling them early is highly recommended. Your first quests come from Shani, who tasks you with collecting specific items, taking down ARC enemies, or looting caches. Completing these objectives rewards you with XP, and some pay out more than others. Since these quests offer one-time XP boosts, you can also jump into additional objectives to keep the progress rolling.

Scavenging is another easy way to rack up serious XP in Arc Raiders. Search everything you come across, including bags, lockers, ARC Machine carcasses, crates, and Raider packs. Every basic container nets you 200 XP just for checking it. Larger targets like ARC Probes, heavy husks, and decaying ARC Machines reward even more, often landing you 500 XP per search. Exploration also pays off, with discovering new areas of the map granting 200 XP, so make a point to push into unfamiliar territory whenever you can.

Taking out other players can be risky, but the payoff is worth it. Each kill rewards you with a base 500 XP, plus bonus XP based on how much damage you deal. Even if you don’t secure the final blow, assists still count, earning you XP for the damage you put in.

Going head-to-head with Raiders can feel intimidating, but engaging the fight is usually the better call. Dealing damage earns bonus XP, while running away and getting taken out gets you nothing. When the opportunity’s there, stand your ground and make it count.

Taking down ARC Machines is another reliable way to earn XP in Arc Raiders. You don’t always need the final kill either, as dealing damage or assisting a teammate still rewards XP. The world is packed with ARC Machines, so with the right loadout, you can clear several in a single run and stack serious experience. Tougher, more dangerous robots also grant bonus XP, making them worth the risk if you’re prepared.

That said, leveling up fast means choosing your fights wisely. Engaging ARC Machines can draw unwanted attention thanks to the noise and chaos, so always be aware of your surroundings before committing to a fight.

You earn XP in Arc Raiders just by staying alive and spending time on the topside. The game rewards roughly 3 XP per second, or about 180 XP per minute, making survival time one of the biggest contributors to long-term leveling. Even if a run ends badly, you’ll still walk away with XP for the time you put in. That’s where the risk-versus-reward comes in, since pushing your time on topside can lead to bigger gains, but only if you can survive long enough to cash them in.

Extracting safely back to Speranza rewards you with a Safe Return XP bonus. The amount you earn scales with how long you spent in the world, so longer runs mean a bigger payout. That said, the bonus isn’t large enough to justify forcing a dangerous endgame fight. If you’re in a good position, though, staying out a bit longer and extracting cleanly is one of the best ways to boost your overall XP gains.

Being a solid teammate always matters, and in Arc Raiders, it pays off with XP too. Running in a squad means you won’t land every kill, but that doesn’t leave you empty-handed. As long as you deal some damage before a target goes down, you’ll earn participation XP. Assists reward you with 250 XP, which is a solid return for simply playing smart and supporting your team.

Arc Raiders maps are huge, which can feel overwhelming at first, especially for new players. To encourage exploration, the game hands out bonus XP for discovering locations like landmarks, extraction points, and other points of interest for the first time. It’s not a consistent XP farm, but it’s a solid incentive to step outside your comfort zone and learn the map while you’re at it.

This Arc Raiders leveling guide covers plenty of ways to stack XP, but the most reliable strategy is to focus on PvE and survivability. Head topside, move smart, and prioritize scavenging, since container searches can net you 200 to 500 XP each. Stay in the match long enough to earn the 180 XP per minute time-on-surface rewards, then extract to Speranza to lock in the Safe Return bonus and maximize your overall gains.