Scavengers are finding ways to gear up without spending a single credit. Here’s how players are securing a full loadout in Arc Raiders for free-and the tricks that make it possible.
There’s no cap on Free Loadouts, either, effectively giving you a risk-free way to play, though the weapons and gear are as basic as they come. Nevertheless, they are a reliable option for quest runs or if you’re just out to explore with no cost or downside. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to get a Free Loadout in Arc Raiders.
How to choose a Free Loadout in Arc Raiders
Open the loadout menu from the main hub or pre-match screen. Scroll through available slots until you spot the one marked as free-usually the first or default option with no upgrade cost. Select it to equip basic weapons, armor, and gadgets without spending credits or resources. Confirm your choice before dropping into a raid to avoid last-second swaps. This slot refreshes after each session, letting you grab fresh gear on repeat runs.
To get a Free Loadout in Arc Raiders, select a map from the main Speranza menu. When you reach the pre-match lobby ‘Manage Loadout’ screen, select ‘Free Loadout’ among the tabs at the top of the screen. You’ll then see an empty inventory screen, aside from the Free Loadout Augment. Tap ‘Ready Up’ when you’re ready to start the match.
When you load into the match, you’ll find the following in your inventory:
- A low-tier, basic weapon like a Kettle, Stitcher, or Ferro.
- Light/Medium/Heavy ammo that matches your allocated weapon.
- A Free Loadout Augment with fourteen inventory slots and 35.0 carry capacity, but no Safe Pocket.
- A Light Shield and one Shield Recharger.
- A couple of healing Quick-Use items like Bandages.
Compared to most custom loadouts, it’s rough going, but again, it’s free, so it’s hard to complain about. Note that you don’t get a Safe Pocket, meaning there’s no way to take any valuable items you find back should you die without extracting. The carry capacity is also pretty meagre, meaning you won’t have much scope to ferry back heavy items like weapons.
Arc Raiders Free Loadouts come in clutch if your inventory is looking sparse for weapons and gear. They are also useful if you’ve got a set quest objective to complete, like those in A Reveal In Ruins, and aren’t fussed about accumulating loot. More often than not, it’s a solid starting point that should let you loot or kill your way to better gear as the match progresses. If you do die, nothing’s lost, and you can jump right back in with another Free Loadout; there’s no cap or limit on how many times you can use one.
Lastly, if you make it back to Speranza in Arc Raiders with a Free Loadout, there’s a neat little trick you can use to generate some loot for yourself. You can sell your Free Loadout Augment to Lance in the Clinic to get a free uncommon rarity augment, either a Looting Mk. 1, Combat MK. 1, or Tactical Mk. 1. Doing so allows you to turn your free kit into a slightly better loadout, especially if you managed to extract with a couple decent weapons or the loot to craft new ones.
Best weapons you can get from free loadouts
From free loadouts you mostly get early-game “I-tier” guns, and the standouts are usually Ferro I, Stitcher I, Kettle I, and (situationally) Rattler I.
Top free-loadout weapons
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Ferro I (heavy AR / battle rifle)
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High per-shot damage and great for cracking tougher ARC enemies or armored players.
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Downsides are its slow reload and heavier ammo, so treat it as a mid-long-range anchor gun rather than a spray weapon.
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Stitcher I (light ammo SMG / LMG hybrid)
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Very large mag and some of the highest raw DPS among common weapons, ideal for close- to mid-range melting arcs or pushing players.
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Burns light ammo quickly, so pick your fights and try to stay within effective range for consistent hits.
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Kettle I (light rifle)
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Flexible, low recoil and strong when you land consistent headshots, letting you take multiple fights on one stack of light ammo.
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Feels weak if you only hit body shots, so it rewards good aim and calmer, tap-fire play.
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Rattler I (medium ammo rifle)
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More precise and with good medium-ammo versatility, so it works well as a generalist weapon in mixed PvE/PvP runs.
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Time-to-kill and ammo efficiency are weaker than Ferro or Kettle in many players’ experience, making it more preference-based.
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How to prioritize them in a free kit
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Take Ferro I when you expect tougher arcs or more long-range fights; pair it with shield rechargers and cover-heavy play.
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Take Stitcher I when doing close-quarters or loot-dense areas where you can surprise enemies and use raw DPS to win trades.
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Take Kettle I for safer, economy-minded raids where you want good ammo efficiency and all-round usefulness with light ammo.
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Keep Rattler I if you like precise mid-range play and already plan to bring extra medium ammo or craft more in raid.
If you say whether you prefer PvP, PvE, or a mix, a simple “best free-loadout gun for your playstyle” recommendation can be narrowed down further.
Which free loadout weapons have the highest DPS
Within free loadouts, the highest DPS options are generally the Stitcher I and Ferro I, with Stitcher leading for raw sustained DPS and Ferro close behind for burst damage per shot.
Highest DPS free-loadout guns
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Stitcher I – top sustained DPS
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High fire rate, large magazine, and close- to mid-range focus make Stitcher I the strongest sustained damage dealer among common/free-loadout weapons when you land most of your shots.
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It chews through light ammo quickly, but in short fights and room pushes it can out-DPS most other free guns, which is why many players rank it as the best “free loadout warrior” weapon.
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Ferro I – huge burst DPS, slightly lower sustained
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Ferro I hits very hard per bullet and can delete enemies quickly in short engagements, giving it one of the best burst DPS profiles in the free pool.
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Its long reload and smaller effective mag mean its sustained DPS over a long fight is worse than Stitcher’s, but in quick peaks and short trades it is extremely lethal.
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Other notable free-loadout damage options
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Kettle I has lower raw DPS than Stitcher/Ferro but strong effective DPS thanks to accuracy and ammo efficiency, especially if you consistently hit headshots.
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Rattler I is more of a balanced rifle with decent DPS, but it does not match Stitcher or Ferro in pure time-to-kill and is usually picked for comfort and range rather than max damage.
If your goal is absolutely highest DPS from a free kit: pick Stitcher I for close-range shredding, or Ferro I if you prefer higher damage per shot and can manage the long reloads.
