In the harsh, post-apocalyptic landscape of
ARC Raiders, resources are the difference between a successful extraction and a fatal failure. As a survival and extraction shooter, the core gameplay loop revolves around scavenging materials, crafting essential gear, and getting back to Speranza alive. One of the most vital, yet often overlooked, mechanics that fuels this entire process is
Recycling.Recycling allows Raiders to convert unwanted or situational items found during risky runs into the fundamental raw materials needed for crafting. For instance, finding an Arc Coolant when your current loadout doesn't need it might seem like a waste, but recycling it yields valuable chemicals—the very component needed to craft crucial ammunition and grenades. This transformative mechanic is absolutely essential to long-term survival and progression.Here is a complete, step-by-step guide to mastering the art of recycling and turning your surplus loot into indispensable crafting components in Embark Studios’ latest shooter.
ARC Raiders: How To Recycle Items
The Importance of the Recycling Loop
During every run in ARC Raiders, you will inevitably acquire a backpack full of miscellaneous loot. While some items are directupgrades or necessities, others may be redundant or simply not suited to your current objectives.
In traditional survival games, excess junk is often sold or discarded. In ARC Raiders, recycling offers a superior alternative:
- Efficient Resource Conversion: Recycling allows you to transform items you don't need—such as specific components, outdated gear, or certain consumables—into base crafting materials (like chemicals, metal, or circuitry).
- Fueling the Crafting Economy: These base materials are the building blocks required to craft everyessential item: weapons, ammunition, grenades, and various utilitytools. By recycling, you are actively sustaining your craftingpotential.
This makes recycling a crucial bridge between successful scavenging and successful preparation for your next high-stakes raid.
Step-by-Step Guide to Recycling Items
The best part about recycling is its accessibility; you don't need to be at a specific station to perform the action. It can be done quickly andseamlessly through your inventory.
- Access Your Inventory: Open your Inventory. This action can be performed at any time, whether you are safely in the main menu or mid-game, deep in the Rust Belt.
- Locate the Item: Navigate through your backpack and find the specific item or component you wish to convert.
- Select the Recycle Option: Select the item, and then scroll down to the Recycle option in the contextual menu.
- Confirm and Convert: Confirm your choice by selecting Recycle again.
The item is instantly broken down, and the corresponding crafting materials are added to your inventory, ready to be used at the nearest craftingstation.
Making Smart Recycling Decisions
While recycling is almost always better than outright discarding an item,it’s important to understand the nuances of resource gain to maximizeyour efficiency.
Rarity Dictates Yield
The types and amounts of materials you gain from recycling are directly tied to the item you are breaking down:
- Item Rarity: The rarity and complexity of an item will determine the quality and quantity of the resources recovered. Recycling a rare, high-tech component willyield valuable, high-tier materials, while recycling a simple, low-grade item will only produce common materials.
Recycle vs. Sell: A Strategic Choice
Not every item is a good candidate for recycling. Since the game features a selling mechanic for Coins (the in-game currency), sometimes thefinancial reward outweighs the material gain.
- When to Recycle: Prioritize recycling components that yield materials (like chemicals or metal) that you are frequently running low on for essential consumables (like your favorite ammo or stun grenades).
- When to Sell: Consider selling items that provide a high coin value but break downinto common, easily scavenged materials that you already have inabundance. This ensures you maintain a healthy coin balance forhigh-tier purchases, such as the crucial Raider Hatch Key.
By making informed choices about what to break down and what to sell, youcan maintain a balanced, self-sufficient inventory. Mastering therecycling mechanic is the mark of a seasoned Raider, ensuring that noloot run is ever truly wasted. If you want to jump into the action andpractice this vital skill, be sure to hop into the current limited-timeServer Slam playtest before the full launch!
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 PS5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X/S
Genre(s): Third-person shooter
Developer(s): Embark Studios
Publisher(s): Embark Studios
Release date: October 30, 2025
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