In Arc Raiders, the difference between scraping by and dominating the battlefield often comes down to gear. Most squads spend hours picking through wreckage for scraps, but there’s a hidden route straight to the best loot in the game. If you know where to look, you can walk away with rare weapons, top-tier armour, and more Fuel Rods than you’ll know what to do with. That’s why many seasoned players swear by the Secret Vault run — it’s a game-changer, especially if you’re aiming to stockpile ARC Raiders Coins along the way.

Step 1: Getting the Vault Key

You’ll need the Decrypted Uplink Key before you can even think about finding the vault. It’s not something you can buy or stumble across — you’ve gotta earn it. The key drops from high-threat Data Uplink events, which are public battles where you and your squad defend a terminal against waves of ARC units. The harder the difficulty, the better your odds. These fights get messy fast, so make sure your team’s got solid firepower and a plan. Once you’ve got the key, remember it’s single-use. Don’t waste it on a half-prepared run.

Step 2: Tracking Down the Vault

Once the key’s in your inventory, you’ll start picking up a faint signal. That’s where your triangulator comes in. The signal tends to lead you toward abandoned structures or deep-cut canyons way off the beaten path. The exact spot changes each time, so you can’t just rely on old coordinates. Keep an eye on your scanner for odd energy spikes, and listen for that low hum — it’s a dead giveaway you’re close. The entrance blends into the environment, often looking like a collapsed tunnel or a sealed blast door tucked into rock. Easy to walk past if you’re not paying attention.

Step 3: Breaching and Looting

Find the entrance, slot in your key, and the vault’s defences kick in. You’ll have about a minute and a half to reroute power through a simple conduit puzzle while elite ARC sentinels drop in to ruin your day. Clear them out fast or have one teammate hold them off while the others solve the puzzle. Once the door’s open, you’re in loot heaven. Expect multiple weapon crates with rare or epic guns, each fitted with strong attachments, plus a full set of epic armour. The real prize? Fuel Rods — heaps of them. One vault run can net more than hours of scavenging, making it the best resource farm in the game.

Just remember, once you’ve grabbed the goods, you’ll light up on everyone’s radar. ARC forces will come for you, and rival Raiders won’t hesitate to take you down. Plan your escape route before you even start the run, and make sure your squad’s ready to fight their way out. Pull it off, and you’ll walk away with gear, resources, and maybe even enough cheap Raider Tokens to keep your upgrades rolling for a long time.