Prickly Pears power your survival in Arc Raiders, but their spiny clusters hide in plain sight across the map. Pinpoint the best spots to harvest them fast.
In typical Arc Raiders fashion, you’re not given much to go about where they grow and how to find these fruits for yourself. In this guide, we’ll walk you through where to find Prickly Pears in Arc Raiders, including the most reliable farming spot we’ve come across to find the six needed to sate the demanding rooster’s needs.
How to get Prickly Pears in Arc Raiders
Prickly Pears grow on cacti in Arc Raiders, mainly on Dam Battlegrounds and Buried City maps. Check spots like the road from Ruby Residence to West Broken Bridge, near Red Lakes Hatch extraction, north of Generator Hall on Dam Battlegrounds, and cactus patches in Buried City. Collect six from the plant bases to train Scrappy the rooster, store them in a safe pocket loadout for protection, and watch for other players or Arcs while gathering.
In Arc Raiders, Prickly Pears spawn at the foot of cactus plants that grow in Buried City and Dam Battlegrounds. They also have a chance to appear in areas marked with Nature loot like Trapper’s Glade on The Blue Gate, though this is more hit and miss than searching near the cacti. The spawn rate is pretty erratic, and there’s no guarantee every cactus, or even every dozen cacti, will drop one for you to harvest.
Of the two maps, Buried City has proven to be the most reliable for Prickly Pear drops. In particular, the area around Church Ruins in Old Town should yield at least one Prickly Pear for every visit, though, again, this isn’t guaranteed, and harvesting six fruits may take a few runs.
Image credit: Tom Bardwell for Gamer4K, Embark Studios
In the map image above, we’ve marked spots where you’ll find clusters of cacti that spawn Prickly Pears. I highly recommend not going topside with a Free Loadout for the simple reason that you’ll want to stow any pears you come across in your Safe Pocket for safekeeping. A custom loadout with a low-tier weapon, a Light Shield, and a couple of bandages will serve you well. Little’s lost with a throwaway gear set like this if you don’t make it out, but the fruit will be safe.
If you’re set on searching Dam Battlegrounds, the northern portion of Victory Ridge in the north of the map is your best bet. You’ll find several cacti patches just west of the West Broken Bridge for you to comb through. Searching for Prickly Pears is a worthwhile side activity while you’re out tackling multiple-raid quests like Eyes in the Sky, so you don’t necessarily need to go into runs with the sole goal of finding the fruit.
Best route to farm six Prickly Pears quickly
Buried City offers the fastest route to farm six Prickly Pears due to its high cactus density in key spots, allowing multiple finds per short raid. Expect 5-8 quick runs total, stashing finds in your safety pocket each time.
Quick Farming Route
Focus on a tight loop in southern Buried City for efficiency.
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Spawn and head directly south from Old Town’s yellow boundary to the massive cactus patch on the sandy outskirts-check every base for random drops.
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Circle the cluster counterclockwise, scanning ground near isolated cacti nearby, then extract via the closest zone (often adjacent).
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Repeat: This 2-5 minute loop maximizes odds per raid over scattered checks.
Backup Option
If Buried City queues are long, use Dam Battleground’s northern spot left of Power Generation Complex near road intersections-grab and extract fast.
Fastest looped route on Buried City for prickly pears
The fastest looped route for Prickly Pears in Buried City focuses on the southern desert outskirts, leveraging high cactus density for 2-3 drops per 2-5 minute run.
Optimal Loop Steps
Sprint immediately south from spawn past Old Town’s yellow boundary to the massive cactus cluster on the sandy edge.
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Scan bases while circling the main patch counterclockwise, watching for the white UI interaction prompt (pears blend into sand).
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Check 5-10 nearby isolated cacti, then extract via the adjacent zone.
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Repeat: Stash in safety pocket; this tight loop beats scattered checks for speed.
Efficiency Notes
Prioritize solo queues or low-traffic times to avoid competition; expect 2-4 runs for six pears total.
