Arc Raiders' Bird City map modifier explained

The Arc Raiders Bird City map modifier was added as part of the Headwinds update, and adds flocks of birds to Buried City, along with more loot, rubber ducks and increased vertical options for exploration. It turns out the previously 'leaked' Arc Raiders Toxic Swamp modifier was just a decoy and instead we have this new map option, exclusive to the Buried City map, in which flocks descend on the region, leaving treasure in the chimneys.

What does the Bird City map modifier do in Arc Raiders?

The Bird City map modifier was one of the first major new features in the Headwinds part of the new Arc Raiders Escalation Roadmap. It's specific to the Buried City, and when active, the following occurs:

Flocks of birds appear in great numbers across the Buried City map. When disturbed, they loudly take flight, becoming a visual and auditory alert to all those nearby.
Ziplines are more common. While ziplines aren't new, here there are many more for rapid rooftop travel.
Chimneys can be searched for significant loot pools. Practically every rooftop chimney in Buried City can be searched for loot, and the loot pools seem to contain the following:
- Unique Rubber Ducks (See below)
- Sellable "Trinkets" of all sorts
- All nature items, including Arc Raiders Mushrooms, Prickly Pears and Apricots
- Low value scrap, such as Metal Parts
There are new unique, collectible Rubber ducks. Variants of the standard rubber duck have been appearing in chimneys, and though they serve the same function mechanically (a throwable noisemaker that also appears in your base) now there are multiple types of different rarities and values. All the ones we've found so far are:
- Tropical Duck (Uncommon)
- Gentle Duck (Uncommon)
- Alien Duck (Uncommon)
- Flashy Duck (Rare)
- Doodly Duck (Rare)
- Familiar Duck (Epic)

Arc Raiders rubber duck — (Image credit: Embark Studios)

Birds have existed in Arc Raiders since launch, scattering when you scare them and alerting other players to your presence. In this mode they're everywhere, creating more risk of giving yourself away but also new loot opportunities. If you're out to search chimneys, I heavily recommend sticking to the South Piazzas and residential areas - there are plenty of them there.

The new map mode is just one of a range of new objectives, features and goals added in the update, including the Arc Raiders Trophy Display project, where players hunt Arc robots and submit their pieces for rewards.

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Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.