Embark just pulled the free loadout out of the two highest-loot scenarios in ARC Raiders. As of Live Update 1.33.0 (June 16, 2026), you can no longer drop into Night Raid or Close Scrutiny on a free, no-cost kit — every run there now costs real gear. That changes the math on a lot of greedy, low-investment loot runs. This guide explains exactly what changed and why, then gives you the cheapest effective way to keep gearing up — budget loadouts, the materials and blueprints to prioritize, the recycle/repair economy, and how to stop bleeding kit on death.
Quick answer (TLDR): In ARC Raiders 1.33.0, free loadouts are disabled for Night Raid and Close Scrutiny to push players to commit appropriate gear to these higher-loot scenarios. It is a three-week test that may expand to more map conditions. To keep raiding cheap, run a Ferro + Stitcher kit (~8K coins community-reported, both craftable with no blueprint at Gunsmith 1) on a Light Shield, recycle broken gear into gun parts instead of buying new, and lean on a Safekeeper augment so a wipe doesn't reset you. Read on for the full budget-loadout cost table and economy breakdown.
What changed in Night Raid and Close Scrutiny?
The headline change in 1.33.0 is a deliberate barrier to entry. Free loadouts — the random, no-cost starter kits you can ready up with instead of bringing your own gear — are gone from two specific high-value scenarios:
"We are disabling free loadouts for Night Raid and Close Scrutiny to increase the barrier of entry so that players commit to appropriate risk and reward in these scenarios that have better loot." — ARC Raiders Live Update 1.33.0 patch notes (arcraiders.com)
Two things matter here. First, this is scenario-specific — free loadouts still work everywhere else. Night Raid (the high-XP, high-loot night map condition) and Close Scrutiny (the first ARC Operation map condition, live on Blue Gate, Buried City, Spaceport and Dam Battlegrounds) are the two best loot environments in the game, so Embark wants you to put skin in the game before you farm them.
Second, it is a test, not a permanent state. Per the patch notes, Embark "may add this limitation to more map conditions in the future after we've observed its impact and analyzed your feedback" (arcraiders.com). It is framed as a three-week experiment. If it sticks, expect EM Storm and other conditions to follow.
Why did Embark remove the free loadout?
The free loadout was a low-commitment way to farm the best loot pools with nothing to lose. You'd ready up on a random second-hand kit, drop into a Night Raid, and either extract with high-value loot or lose a kit that cost you zero. That asymmetry — best loot, no risk — is exactly what 1.33.0 targets.
A few other 1.33.0 changes stack with this to make gear genuinely cost something again:
- The duplication exploit was hardened. 1.33.0 added detection and prevention safeguards against item duplication. You can't dupe your way to infinite free gear anymore — so the cheap, sustainable kit you bring actually matters. (For the full history, see our dupe glitch explainer.)
- Faster gear management. New inventory shortcuts add Sell, Recycle, Repair (gamepad only), Salvage and Drop straight from the inventory action menu — the game is nudging you toward an active recycle/repair economy rather than throwaway free kits.
- Map Condition countdowns are now visible only 60 minutes before a condition goes live, tightening the window to plan a Night Raid push.
- Rocketeer now drops Launcher Ammo instead of Heavy Ammo, a small but relevant change if your budget rifle runs Heavy Ammo (the Ferro does).
The net message is clear: gear has a cost now, so the smart play is to gear up cheaply and repeatably, not to chase a free ride that no longer exists.
How much does a budget loadout actually cost?
You don't need expensive gear to run Night Raid or Close Scrutiny — you need a cheap, replaceable kit you won't cry over losing. The community-standard budget setup pairs the Ferro (a no-blueprint battle rifle that's genuinely good against ARC) with the Stitcher (a no-blueprint SMG for close range), on the lightest shield you can carry.
Here are the verified craft costs straight from the wiki:
| Item | Role | Blueprint? | Craft cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferro | Range / anti-ARC battle rifle | None (Gunsmith 1) | 5× Metal Parts + 2× Rubber Parts | The literal free-loadout rifle; "an inexpensive but effective option." Uses Heavy Ammo. |
| Stitcher | Close-quarters SMG | None (Gunsmith 1) | 8× Metal Parts + 4× Rubber Parts | Common rarity; Light Ammo. |
| Light Shield | Cheapest shield tier | — | Lowest-cost shield to craft/buy | Light enough to keep a "naked" Safe Pocket setup. |
| Looting augment (Mk.1) | Safe Pocket / weight | Security container drop | One-time blueprint | Keep one item on death. |
For sell-value context, a freshly crafted Ferro I sells for just 475 coins and a Stitcher I for 800 coins — that's how little value is on your body if you go down. Community guides peg a full Ferro + Stitcher + Light Shield kit at roughly 8K coins to assemble, and the whole point is that it's trivial to rebuild. Once you've got 20K+ coins banked, step up to mid-tier guns; until then, run the cheap kit without fear.
Which materials and blueprints should you prioritize?
Now that free kits are off the table for the best loot, your gearing speed is gated by two things: basic gun parts (for crafting and repairing your budget guns) and the blueprints that unlock the better weapons you graduate to.
- Stock Metal Parts and Rubber Parts. Every cheap gun above is built from them. Recycling junk gear and scavenging structures keeps you in steady supply — see our full materials farming guide for the fastest routes.
- Simple Gun Parts are the budget economy's currency. They're used to craft, upgrade and repair a large portion of your arsenal. Recycling a weapon you no longer want yields roughly 1–5 Simple Gun Parts depending on the gun and its level (community/wiki-reported), so a broken budget rifle is never a total loss.
- Prioritize blueprints that pay off the new commitment. Since you're now investing real gear into Night Raid and Close Scrutiny, it's worth unlocking the guns that actually carry those scenarios. Our best weapons tier list covers the S-tier picks, and the blueprints farming guide shows the fastest unlock paths. (Note: Close Scrutiny itself is how you breach the ARC Assessor for blueprint rolls like the Dolabra — so even gearing up there feeds your blueprint progression.)
How do you avoid losing your kit?
The whole reason free loadouts felt safe is that you kept your real gear in your stash. With a budget paid kit, you'll occasionally die — so build it to lose gracefully.
- Use a Looting augment for the Safe Pocket. The Mk.3 Safekeeper is the gold standard: a universal Safe Pocket that holds any item through death, so even a wipe brings home one valuable find. Even a Light Shield with no augment gives you a basic "naked" Safe Pocket slot for cheap insurance.
- Repair before you replace. With the new inline Repair shortcut, top off a worn weapon with Simple Gun Parts instead of crafting a fresh one. Only recycle a gun once its durability is too low to bother repairing.
- Recycle, don't sell, when you need parts. Breaking gear down between raids generally yields more crafting materials than scavenging — it's the cheapest way to keep your budget pipeline full.
- Bank a reserve. Keep enough Metal/Rubber Parts stashed to rebuild your full Ferro + Stitcher kit on demand. If you can re-gear in 60 seconds, a death costs you almost nothing.
Skip the grind: gear up cheap without the farm
Free loadouts are gone from Night Raid and Close Scrutiny — so every run now costs gear. If you'd rather spend your time raiding than farming Metal Parts and chasing blueprint drops, gear up the smart way:
- ARC Raiders Materials — from $0.02 — all rarities, instant delivery. Stock the Metal & Rubber Parts and components your budget kit burns through, no farming.
- ARC Raiders Blueprints — from $0.99 — 60+ blueprints, unlock the rare weapons that actually carry Night Raid and Close Scrutiny; fast & secure delivery.
- All ARC Raiders services — leveling, boosts and equipment to keep you geared between wipes.
Want the full 1.33.0 rundown? Read our Live Update 1.33.0 patch notes breakdown for everything new this patch. New to gearing up? Start with the best beginner loadout.
FAQ
Are free loadouts removed from all of ARC Raiders? No. Free loadouts are only disabled in Night Raid and Close Scrutiny as of Update 1.33.0. You can still ready up on a free loadout in every other scenario and map condition. Embark says it may extend the limit to more conditions later, but for now it's just those two.
Why did Embark disable free loadouts in Night Raid and Close Scrutiny? To raise the barrier of entry so players commit appropriate gear to the game's higher-loot scenarios. The patch notes state the goal is to make players "commit to appropriate risk and reward in these scenarios that have better loot." It's a three-week test that may expand based on player feedback.
What's the cheapest loadout for ARC Raiders right now? A Ferro battle rifle plus a Stitcher SMG on a Light Shield. Both guns need no blueprint and craft at Gunsmith 1 — the Ferro for 5 Metal Parts + 2 Rubber Parts, the Stitcher for 8 Metal Parts + 4 Rubber Parts. Community guides estimate the full kit around 8K coins, and it's cheap to rebuild after a death.
Is the duplication exploit still working for free gear in 1.33.0? No. 1.33.0 added detection and prevention safeguards against item duplication, on top of the last working method being patched back in April 2026. There is no confirmed active dupe — gearing up cheaply through crafting, recycling and smart loadouts is the legitimate path.
How do I keep loot when I die in Night Raid? Equip a Looting augment for the Safe Pocket — the Mk.3 Safekeeper holds any single item through death. Pair that with a habit of recycling broken gear into Simple Gun Parts and repairing worn weapons rather than buying new, so a wipe never sets you back far.
Does Close Scrutiny still drop good loot if I have to pay to enter? Yes — Close Scrutiny is the first ARC Operation and spawns the ARC Assessor, which offers blueprint rolls (including the Dolabra) when you breach its chambers. The free-loadout removal just means you bring real gear to farm it, which is exactly the commitment Embark is after.
Sources: ARC Raiders Live Update 1.33.0 patch notes; ARC Raiders Wiki (Ferro, Stitcher, Loadout). Facts verified against arcraiders.com and arcraiders.wiki, June 16, 2026.
