The ARC Frigate in Arc Raiders requires an active map condition to access, and boarding it does not complete the Power Core sequence needed to release its Cargo. Decide before deployment whether you want Celeste's introductory quest or a full Cargo attempt. When reviewing
ARC Raiders Items, use that objective to set your equipment priorities. The Frigate arrived with Frozen Trail 2.0 on October 8, 2026.
Check the destination before committing your equipment Select a destination displaying the ARC Frigate condition. The ship is a scheduled encounter, so choosing a map where it can appear is not enough. Its schedule includes destinations such as Pendola Pass, Spaceport, Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, and The Blue Gate. Check the active label immediately before deploying.
The condition disables Free Loadouts and Raider Hatches, leaves locked loot doors inactive, and reduces overall surface loot value. That changes both preparation and extraction: bring your own equipment, and plan around a normal extraction point rather than a hatch.
The schedule's rotation window determines when the encounter is available to enter. It is not a personal countdown for your time aboard. Once deployed, use the raid timer to decide how long you can keep progressing.
Pack for vertical movement and sustained ARC combat A movement tool is useful, but it cannot replace the Raiders needed for coordinated controls. A Snap Hook can bypass the first lift, while the central Power Core requires three Raiders operating its Move Up panels together. A solo boarding attempt and a complete Cargo attempt therefore have different practical requirements.
Carry ammunition, healing supplies, Shield Rechargers, and weapons suited to fighting ARC. A Defibrillator is useful when working with teammates. Treat suggested weapon combinations as options, not entry requirements; the encounter does not demand one fixed equipment setup.
Check your movement equipment before relying on repeated climbs. Frozen Trail 2.0 changed the Snap Hook's range, durability consumption, and power cost, so older equipment advice may overstate how freely you can use it.
Board first, then follow the correct objective Climb onto a low Reclaimer drone and use its Disrupt interaction to ride up to the Frigate. These circular platforms provide the boarding route; firing at the ship from the surface does not advance its internal sequence. Step off at the hull and continue toward the upper deck.
Celeste's Boarding the Frigate quest requires reaching the top and dealing 100 damage each to a Hydra, a Vaporizer, and a Rocketeer. Complete the boarding objective first, then handle the damage targets in any order. Killing blows and Cargo access are unnecessary for this introductory task, so check the quest counters before committing to a longer run.
A Cargo attempt requires further work through the ship. Clear the defending machines, coordinate the central controls, and destroy exposed Power Core sections. Continue checking the internal route as well as the upper deck: reaching the roof does not establish that every required core is destroyed. The Cargo release uses paired controls on opposite sides, operated repeatedly until it drops.
Leave time to get the loot out Riding the released Cargo to the surface is not extraction. After searching its containers, you still need to reach an extraction point. Set a stopping point before boarding, and reassess it when ammunition, healing supplies, or remaining raid time become tight.
For your next deployment, choose the active Frigate destination and agree on the objective with your teammates before launching. When reviewing
ARC Raiders BluePrints alongside your preparation, keep the immediate decision practical: take equipment you can support with enough ammunition, confirm who will operate the controls, and preserve time for surface extraction.
