Dam Battlegrounds is open from your first raid, and every other ARC Raiders map opens once you've played enough rounds. Embark has never published the numbers, so the counts below are the ones players have tracked. There's also a faster way in: join a party with someone who has the map.
That shortcut is in Embark's own patch notes, and it's how a new player can reach Pendola Pass today. Below is every map's requirement and what each map is good for, checked on 9 October against Embark's patch notes and news posts.
| Map | Opens after |
|---|---|
| Dam Battlegrounds | Your first raid |
| Practice Range | 4 rounds |
| Buried City | 6 rounds |
| Spaceport | 12 rounds |
| The Blue Gate | 18 rounds |
| Riven Tides | 20 rounds |
| Stella Montis | 24 rounds |
| Pendola Pass | Not published |
The shortcut: play it in a party
Since February's 1.17.0 patch, a party's map list shows every map unlocked by its member with the most rounds played. Squad up with a veteran and you can queue their maps, even on a new account. Embark confirmed it works for Pendola Pass too.
- It follows one player: the list comes from whoever has played the most rounds, not from everyone's unlocks combined.
- It's not a permanent unlock: Embark hasn't said playing a map in a party opens it for you afterwards. Expect it to stay locked when you play solo until your own count gets there.
Map by map
Dam Battlegrounds
The map everyone starts on. It also gets the ARC Frigate more than any other map, so it's the easiest place to catch it.
Buried City
Home of the Bird City condition, when chimney nests hold trinkets. It also gets Night Raid a few hours a day.
Spaceport
Home of the Hidden Bunker and Launch Tower Loot conditions, and the map where Electromagnetic Storm runs most often.
The Blue Gate
Where the Outpost project starts: its first stage is a photo at the Ruined Homestead here. It also hosts the Locked Gate condition.
Riven Tides
An abandoned stretch of the western coast with an old Exodus port and the Panorama Azzurro hotel. The only map with Beachcombing, and home of the ARC Turbine.
Stella Montis
An abandoned research facility carved into the northern mountains. It gets more Night Raid hours than any other map.
Pendola Pass
An old Italian village and Exodus transport hub with the fallen Emperor at its centre. Its solo unlock isn't published yet, so the party route is the sure way in.
Stella Montis opened differently
When Stella Montis arrived in November 2025, players opened it together through Breaking New Ground, a community project that collected materials to restore the tunnels north. Anyone with five rounds played could chip in. New players since are reported to reach it through a rounds gate.
Playing on the free weekend?
ARC Raiders is free on Steam, Xbox and PlayStation until 12 October at 08:00 UTC. Every map is in the free build, but expect the usual rounds gates. Embark says all progress carries over if you buy the game, so this weekend's rounds still count.
What Embark hasn't confirmed
- The exact counts: every number in the table comes from players, not Embark. Buried City is reported as both 6 and 8.
- Pendola Pass: there's no published solo requirement yet. One guide says 25 matches, with no source.
- Deaths and quits: whether a raid you die in, or leave early, counts as a round.
We'll update this guide when any of these are confirmed.
Want a map you haven't reached yet?
On Team up, our operator brings you into their party, so you can play Stella Montis, Riven Tides or Pendola Pass runs before your own count gets there. You keep everything you loot.
Got questions first? The FAQ on our ARC Raiders page covers how team up and piloted orders work.
Map unlock questions
How many rounds does it take to unlock Buried City? Most players report 6 rounds, though one widely copied list says 8. Embark hasn't published the number.
How do you unlock Pendola Pass in ARC Raiders? The quickest way is to party with someone who already has it, which Embark confirms works for new players. The solo requirement isn't published yet.
How do you unlock Stella Montis? By playing rounds. It's reported to open at 24. When it launched in November 2025, the community opened it together through the Breaking New Ground project.
Does free weekend progress carry over? Yes. Embark says all progress from the free event carries over if you buy the game.