Since Update 2.2, ARC Turbines spawn in almost every session on Buried City, Riven Tides, Blue Gate and Spaceport, so any of those four maps is now a reliable Turbine hunt. Dam Battlegrounds is the one to skip: Embark removed Turbines from its standard sessions entirely.

That matters because the Turbine is the only known source of Turbine Compressors (per the community wiki), a part several Amplified weapon upgrades need. Before 2.2, many sessions on those maps only had a chance of a Turbine, which made farming a gamble. Checked against Embark's 2.2.0 notes (20 October) and its earlier Turbine patch notes.

What the ARC Turbine is, and why you'd farm it

The ARC Turbine is a flying ARC machine Embark added with the Riven Tides update on 28 April. Embark describes it as calm and docile while it drifts across the Rust Belt, until someone interferes, at which point its defences turn "brutal".

  • Its signature part: the Turbine Compressor, an Epic item scavenged from a destroyed Turbine, per the community ARC Raiders wiki.
  • Why players want it: Amplified weapon upgrades use it. Il Toro's Slug Rounds cost four and the Anvil Splitter costs three, as covered in our Amplified weapons guide.
  • A research quest: the Aphelion's High-Voltage Exposure research asks you to destroy five ARC Turbines.
  • Better loot than it used to be: Embark "significantly increased" Turbine loot in update 1.36.0 (7 July) after players said the payout was too low for the effort.
  • Only from the Turbine: the same patch stopped Turbine parts dropping from Couriers.

Where do ARC Turbines spawn after Update 2.2?

Embark's notes give the maps, not exact spawn points, and the Turbine moves around once it's in the air. Pick the map that suits your loadout and the rest of your run.

Where it started

Riven Tides

The map the Turbine debuted with in April, now near-guaranteed every session.

Near-guaranteed

Buried City

Now spawns in almost every session, up from a chance-based spawn.

Near-guaranteed

Blue Gate

Same 2.2 change: a Turbine in nearly every raid.

Near-guaranteed

Spaceport

Same 2.2 change, so it pairs well with a Spaceport loot run.

Skip it

Dam Battlegrounds

Gone from standard sessions and most minor map conditions. Only a few remaining conditions still spawn it.

How the Turbine fights

Embark's patch notes explain most of the fight, and its 25 September Frozen Trail developer Q&A (as summarised by a fan hub) adds tactics. A few specifics come from the community wiki, labelled as such below.

  • It drops in mid-raid: the community wiki says it usually arrives partway through, with roughly 16 to 12 minutes left on the timer.
  • Lightning: its attacks call down lightning. Embark confirmed in 1.42.0 that the Photoelectric Cloak works against Turbine lightning.
  • Mines: it deploys proximity mines. Embark adjusted their visibility in 1.27.0, and fixed them being impossible to ping in 1.45.0.
  • It lands: Embark improved its landing behaviour in 1.27.0 to avoid poor landing spots such as treetops.
  • Sound: Embark increased the distance you can hear a Turbine from, so listen before you look.
Listen for the Turbine first: Embark increased the distance it can be heard from. · Open full size

A Turbine hunt, step by step

  1. Pick one of the four maps. Buried City, Riven Tides, Blue Gate or Spaceport.
  2. Bring a squad. In the Q&A summary, Embark's developers described the Turbine as a cat-and-mouse fight best taken on as a coordinated squad.
  3. Don't shoot it in the air. The developers' advice is to save ammo while it flies, because it folds up and relocates when attacked. The wiki adds that its heavy armour shrugs off most hits.
  4. Wait for it to land. Once the landing gear opens, the wiki says the spinning yellow tanks inside are the weak point.
  5. Mind the mines and lightning. Watch where it sprayed mines, and consider a Photoelectric Cloak for the lightning.
  6. Scavenge the wreck and extract. The Compressor comes from scavenging the destroyed Turbine, so clear the area before you loot.

What else Update 2.2 changed

  • Wreck Set: the new set that arrived with 2.2.
  • PvE beta over: the PvE test has wrapped up, and Embark is surveying a sample of players from 22 October.
  • Hydra fix: its guns now spread across targets as intended, with base damage raised to compensate.
  • "To the Skies": the quest now completes on any map, wherever you made progress.
  • Expedition Vault: the tab and its offer were removed.

For more on map rules and night raids, see our map conditions guide.

Riven Tides, where the ARC Turbine first appeared in April. · Open full size

Skip the hunt

If you just need the parts, our Materials include Turbine Compressors, dropped to you by our operator in a raid. Or run Buried City or Spaceport with our operator: Team up in your squad, or go piloted on PC, and everything recovered stays yours.