ARC Motion Cores are one of the most crucial materials in ARC Raiders. Whether you’re trying to upgrade your Refiner, craft advanced gear, or unlock key technology, knowing exactly where and how to get these cores can drastically speed up your progression.
ARC Motion Cores are a rare topside material dropped primarily by ARC enemies or activities during a raid. They are used in:
- Upgrading your Refiner workstation
- Crafting high-tier weapons and components
- Creating items like Magnetic Accelerators and other advanced gear
They’re not easily found in predictable static locations, so players must interact with ARC threats to earn them.
Here are the most effective methods to farm ARC Motion Cores in ARC Raiders:
Surveyors are rolling spherical drones that spawn across maps (often once per match). These machines emit a distinct blue beam of light into the sky, making them easier to spot from a distance.
Tips for success:
- Surveyors tend to roll and flee from combat, so be ready to chase.
- Use crowd-control gear like Showstopper grenades to stun them before finishing them off.
- Once destroyed, look through the wreckage — they often drop multiple ARC Motion Cores.
This method is one of the most consistent ways to secure multiple cores in a single outing.
ARC Probes — small, crashed aerial drones — often contain valuable loot, including ARC Motion Cores. These probes emit audible beeps before crashing, helping you locate them across the map.
Once a Probe crashes:
- Approach it
- Interact with its debris
- Loot the ARC Motion Cores and other components
Some players find Probes easier than Surveyors because they’re static once on the ground.
Many of the larger, more powerful ARC enemies have a chance to drop ARC Motion Cores when defeated. Notable examples include:
- Bastions
- Leapers (Bison)
- Rocketeers
- Bombardiers
- Even late-game bosses like the Queen and Matriarch can yield cores due to the volume of loot they drop.
Because their bodies break into many parts when destroyed, each part can be looted — increasing your chances for multiple cores per boss encounter.
- Scout open maps like Dam Battlegrounds or Blue Gate to improve your chances of encountering Surveyors and Probes.
- Pack explosives and stun equipment to quickly dispatch Surveyors and ARC bosses.
- Prioritize these cores early — they’re essential for Refiner upgrades that unlock better crafting recipes.
While most players focus on finding them in the field, ARC Motion Cores can also be crafted (once your Refiner is leveled up). You’ll need ARC Alloy and a high-level Refiner to do so — but it’s often better to earn cores by farming than spend alloy crafting them.
If you decide to recycle them, you’ll only get a small return in ARC Alloy, so recycling is generally not recommended unless you have surplus.
Arc Raiders’ ARC Motion Cores are rare but essential. While there’s no “one spot” guaranteed to spawn them every time, understanding enemy types, patrol behaviors, and map indicators (like the blue Surveyor beam) significantly boosts your chances of collecting what you need.
Focus your farming on:
- Surveyors
- ARC Probes
- Large ARC bosses
By actively engaging these targets, you’ll steadily build up your stock of ARC Motion Cores and unlock deeper progression in ARC Raiders.