How to get a free loadout in Arc Raiders

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A free loadout in Arc Raiders is very useful in risky areas, or if you're lacking equipment

A player in Arc Raiders
(Image credit: Embark Studios)

A free loadout in Arc Raiders is something that a lot of early players (or just those who are struggling after a few bad games) can make good use of, as free loadouts mean that players can effectively gamble with the house's money and not have to risk anything of their own. Admittedly, free loadouts are never very good, but considering they're free, that needn't be much of an issue. Here's how you get one.

Choosing a free loadout in Arc Raiders

An Arc Raiders free loadout augment

(Image credit: Embark Studios)

If you want a free loadout in Arc Raiders, you need to go to the custom loadout building screen and press R1 if you're on PS5 or RB if you're on Xbox. This should bring up a new tab for Free Loadouts as shown above, though it's displayed as an empty loadout except for a special Augment. At this point, you can choose to ready up and go into the match accordingly. Selecting a free loadout has the following effects once you go into the match:

  • You'll get a random weapon and ammo
  • You'll get a light shield
  • You'll get a small selection of basic quick use items
  • Your maximum loadout weight is set to 35.0
  • You have 14 backpack inventory slots
  • You'll get no Safe Pocket

Ultimately, this isn't a great setup. You can carry less than with a normal loadout, are not specced for any particular build, and the equipment you have is about as basic as things get. Not only that, but the lack of a Safe Pocket means that if you find something good, you can't protect it.

Still, as mentioned, it's the house's money, and taking a free loadout makes perfect sense for certain players or games. If you're running low on equipment and the resources to obtain more, then a free loadout is a solid choice. Likewise, picking a free loadout can also make sense with a particularly hard mission! Yes, you're less well equipped to deal with it, but it also means that in the likely event you die, you won't lose anything.

Want better gear while you're on the overworld? Grab some Arc Raiders supply drops while you're out and about, or find out how to call in gear through the Arc Raiders Field Depots!

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Joel Franey
Joel Franey
Guides Writer

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and raconteur with a Masters from Sussex University, none of which has actually equipped him for anything in real life. As a result he chooses to spend most of his time playing video games, reading old books and ingesting chemically-risky levels of caffeine. 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 USgamer, Gfinity, Eurogamer and more besides.

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