Arc Raiders Upgrade Guide: Workbenches, Crafting Tips

Arc Raiders Upgrade System Overview

The upgrade system in Arc Raiders sits at the core of your long-term progression. Every raid you complete feeds directly into your power level through crafting, upgrading, and improving your loadout. Weapons, gadgets, and armor pieces you equip can all be enhanced via different upgrade mechanics tied to workbenches and your base of operations.

In this guide, we’ll break down how the Arc Raiders crafting and upgrade system works, how each bench fits into your progression, and why your base upgrades matter as much as your gear. You’ll also learn how passive systems like Scrappy help you gather materials, making it easier to stay raid-ready without constant grinding.

Key Takeaways

• Crafting and upgrading are your main progression tools. Everything you bring back from raids — components, resources, and loot — is funneled into crafting new items or upgrading existing gear, steadily increasing your combat effectiveness.
• Each bench has a specific role in the upgrade loop. Weapon, gear, healing, explosive, and utility benches all focus on different item types. As you level them up, they unlock new recipes and higher-tier items to craft, expanding your build options.
• Scrappy provides a steady stream of materials. This helper gathers resources over time in the background. Investing upgrades into Scrappy keeps your crafting pipeline flowing so you don’t have to farm every single part manually.
• Upgrading benches unlocks blueprints, not raw stats. When you upgrade a bench, you don’t get direct damage or defense boosts. Instead, you gain access to new weapons, tools, consumables, and support items, which is where your real power spike comes from.

How Arc Raiders Upgrades Work

The Arc Raiders upgrade system affects not only your weapons, but also your base and overall progression. The entire gameplay loop is designed around a cycle of fighting, looting, returning to base, and upgrading. You head out on missions, defeat enemies, complete objectives, collect materials and schematics, and then bring everything back to your Raider Den to craft or upgrade your gear.

To really understand how upgrades work in Arc Raiders, it helps to look at the full progression loop step by step:

• Go on raids (Topside / surface missions).
  You deploy into hostile zones, clear areas, complete objectives, defeat enemies, and loot everything you can — materials, blueprints, components, rare drops, and other key resources.
• Extract successfully to keep your loot.
  Reaching the extraction point and leaving the area safely is crucial. If you die or fail the extraction, you risk losing valuable materials and blueprints you collected during the run.
• Return to the Raider Den (base / hideout).
  Back at your base, you bring all recovered materials and schematics to the Workshop and crafting stations, where actual progression happens. This is where raid loot turns into permanent power.
• Unlock and learn new blueprints.
  Blueprints you find on raids must be unlocked or learned before you can use them. Once unlocked, they become part of your permanent crafting library, letting you reproduce that item whenever you have the required materials.
• Upgrade your crafting stations and benches.
  You can invest materials into upgrading benches, which unlocks higher-tier recipes, better items, and broader crafting options. Higher-level benches don’t just feel like a side feature — they’re what allow you to access late-game weapons, armor, and utility tools.
• Craft weapons, gear, consumables, and utilities.
  With upgraded benches and unlocked blueprints, you can craft the exact loadout you need for future raids, from main weapons and sidearms to healing items, explosives, and tactical gadgets.
• Upgrade your stash, inventory, and Scrappy.
  Expanding your storage and improving Scrappy (your passive resource gatherer) ensures you can hold more loot and gain a steady flow of materials over time, even when you’re not constantly grinding.
• Return to raids stronger and repeat the loop.
  With better weapons and gear crafted from your last runs, you go back into raids stronger, clear harder content, secure better loot, and push your upgrades even further.

In other words, upgrading and crafting in Arc Raiders is not just an extra layer on top of the game — it’s the core progression system. If you want to increase your power, access better zones, and survive tougher encounters, you must interact with the upgrade loop regularly.

Arc Raiders Weapon Upgrades

Weapon upgrades in Arc Raiders play a central role in how effective you are during raids. While the system is easy to understand, it has a huge impact on your performance. After gathering enough materials during your missions, you head to the appropriate workbenches at your base. These benches are used to both craft brand-new weapons and upgrade your existing ones.

Upgrading the weapon workbench itself is just as important as upgrading individual guns. As you level up these benches:

• Early levels typically allow you to craft only the most basic weapons and low-tier upgrades.
• Higher tiers unlock more advanced weapon types, improved blueprints, and powerful variants that drastically increase your effectiveness in combat.

It’s also important to understand that upgrading a weapon works differently from crafting a completely new one:

• Crafting a new weapon gives you a fresh gun based on a blueprint, usually with a specific role or archetype (close-range, long-range, support, etc.).
• Upgrading an existing weapon usually doesn’t just stack raw damage numbers. Instead, it focuses on improving key stats such as:
• Reload speed
• Recoil control and stability
• Handling and ADS responsiveness
• Magazine size or ammo efficiency

These upgrades make your favorite guns feel smoother, more accurate, and more reliable during intense firefights. Rather than chasing only higher damage, you’re fine-tuning how each weapon behaves, which is crucial in a game where survivability and control matter as much as raw firepower.

By combining bench upgrades, blueprint progression, and targeted weapon enhancements, you gradually build a loadout that fits your playstyle and gives you a clear edge in every Arc Raiders raid.

Arc Raiders – How to Upgrade Workbenches

Your Workshop in Arc Raiders is built around several different benches, each responsible for its own part of your progression. Together, they form the backbone of your crafting system: weapons, gadgets, grenades, healing items, and utilities are all created and improved here. Upgrading workbenches unlocks new crafting options, expands your blueprint list, and makes your base much more efficient over time.

However, bench upgrades aren’t free. Each tier costs valuable materials and can be quite time-consuming to unlock, especially if you’re trying to progress multiple benches at once. This is exactly why you can simply upgrade crafting stations with the help of our services at Onlyfarms – we handle the grind for you, while you enjoy the benefits of a fully developed Workshop.

If you choose to upgrade everything yourself, it’s crucial to understand what each bench does, which upgrades are worth prioritizing first, and what kind of materials you’ll need at every step. Knowing this lets you plan your raids more efficiently, focus on the resources that actually matter, and avoid wasting time on low-impact upgrades.

Below, we break down the key benches starting with the most important one for your offensive power.

Gunsmith Upgrades

The Weapon Bench (Gunsmith) is your main station for improving firepower in Arc Raiders. Upgrading the Gunsmith unlocks access to stronger weapon blueprints, better modifications, and more advanced crafting options, allowing you to keep pace with tougher enemies and higher-risk raids.

With each upgrade tier, the Gunsmith typically:

Level	Requirements
1	Metal Parts ×20
2	Rusted Tools ×3, Mechanical Components ×3, Wasp Driver ×8
3	Rusted Gear ×5, Advanced Mechanical Components ×3

Gear Bench Upgrades

The Equipment Bench (Gear Bench) in Arc Raiders is where you craft and improve shields and raider augments. This bench directly impacts your survivability, tankiness, and overall comfort during raids. By upgrading it, you gain access to more advanced defensive gear and enhancement components, which help you stay alive longer in high-risk missions.

Level	Requirements
1	Plastic Parts ×30, Fabric ×40
2	Power Cable ×3, Electrical Components ×3, Tick Pod ×8
3	Industrial Battery ×5, Advanced Electrical Components ×3, Rollbot Part ×3

Medical Lab Upgrades

The Medical Lab (Med Station) handles all your healing items and medical supplies. Upgrading this bench increases the quality, efficiency, and variety of healing tools you can bring into a raid, which is essential for surviving tougher encounters and longer missions.

With each upgrade to the Medical Lab, you typically unlock:

Level	Requirements
1	Fabric ×50, ARC Alloy ×8
2	Syringe ×8, Antiseptic ×5, Snitch Scanner ×3
3	Rusted Shut Medical Kit ×5, Antiseptic ×10, Bastion Part ×3

Explosives Bench Upgrades

The Explosives Bench controls your access to grenades, traps, and explosive gadgets. Upgrading this station lets you craft stronger and more specialized explosives, making it much easier to deal with armored targets, clustered enemy groups, or fortified positions.

Higher-level Explosives Bench tiers usually provide:

Level	Requirements
1	Arc Alloy ×6
2	Synthesized Fuel ×5, Explosive Mixture ×5, Fireball Burner ×8
3	Laboratory Reagents ×5, Explosive Mixture ×10

Utility Station Upgrades

The Utility Bench (Utility Station) is where you craft gadgets, support tools, and utility items that enhance your overall efficiency during missions. While these upgrades may not always boost raw damage, they significantly improve your versatility, mobility, and quality of life in raids.

Upgrading the Utility Station can unlock:

Level	Requirements
1	Plastic Parts ×50, ARC Alloy ×6
2	Electrical Components ×3, Hornet Driver ×6
3	Fried Motherboard ×5, Advanced Electrical Components ×3, Bison Driver ×3

Refiner Upgrades

The Refiner is the heart of your resource economy in Arc Raiders. It allows you to convert lower-quality materials into higher-grade components, making it far easier to keep up with the growing material demands of advanced crafting and bench upgrades. Instead of relying only on rare drops, you can recycle and transform common loot into something truly valuable.

As you upgrade the Refiner, you:

Level	Requirements
1	Metal Parts ×75, ARC Motion Core ×3
2	Toaster ×3, ARC Circuitry ×8, Fireball Burner ×10
3	Motor ×5, ARC Motion Core ×20, Queen Reactor ×1

Arc Raiders Crafting

Crafting in Arc Raiders is one of the most important systems for preparing your character before every mission. Almost everything you bring into a raid — weapons, armor pieces, healing items, explosives, and utility gadgets — can be created or upgraded through crafting. The more developed your Workshop and workbenches are, the more powerful and flexible your crafting options become.

Most crafting takes place at your base, where you interact with different benches dedicated to specific item types. As you upgrade these benches, you unlock new recipes, higher-quality gear, and more specialized tools tailored to different playstyles. A well-upgraded workshop means you can fine-tune your loadout for difficult zones, elite enemies, or specific team roles.

You’ll use materials and blueprints obtained during raids to create new equipment. Blueprints define what you can craft, while materials determine how often and how quickly you can do it. Higher-level benches unlock better recipes, allowing you to build stronger, rarer, and more specialized gear that significantly improves your performance in the field.

On top of that, if you invest into your Survival skill tree, you can unlock the ability to craft certain items during raids themselves. This on-the-fly crafting lets you restock essential consumables, adapt to changing situations, and recover from mistakes without having to abort the mission, making the crafting system a core part of both your preparation and in-raid survival strategy.

Arc Raiders Scrappy

Here we have prepared a list of materials you will need to fully upgrade Scrappy to his maximum potential:

Level	Requirements
1	No Requirements
2	Dog Collar ×1, Torn Blanket ×1
3	Lemon ×5, Apricot ×5
4	Prickly Pear
5	Cat Bed
6	No Requirements

⚙️ Combine tactical mastery with structured progression using Arc Raiders Leveling — faster unlocks, better synergy, and smarter XP routes.

Arc Raiders Crafting Recipes

As you upgrade your workbenches and collect new blueprints in Arc Raiders, your list of available crafting recipes steadily grows. Each new tier of your Workshop doesn’t just improve existing items — it unlocks entirely new recipes that let you customize your loadout around your preferred playstyle.

Every crafting recipe requires a set of specific materials that you either:

• Loot during raids from enemies, containers, and objectives, or
• Passively gather through Scrappy, who slowly accumulates resources over time.

These recipes cover everything from basic ammo packs and medkits to advanced defensive tools and high-tech gadgets such as:

• Shields and personal protection gear
• Powerful explosives, grenades, and traps
• Utility items like scanners, cloaking devices, and support tools

The deeper you progress into Arc Raiders, the more important these recipes become. Stronger enemies and more dangerous zones demand specialized gear, and the right blueprint can be the difference between a clean extraction and a failed run.

Below, we’ve prepared a list of the currently available blueprints and crafting recipes in Arc Raiders, so you can better plan your upgrades, target the materials you need, and optimize your route through the game’s progression system.

Arc Raiders Weapon Blueprints

Weapon blueprints let you craft new guns at the bench. You’ll find them during raids, unlocking more options as you progress.

Weapon	Type	Required Materials	Required Workbench
Venator I	Semi-automatic pistol	×2 Advanced Mechanical Components, ×4 Magnet	Gunsmith III
Anvil II	Single-action hand cannon	×1 Mechanical Components, ×3 Oil	Gunsmith I
Bobcat I	Fully automatic submachine gun	?	Gunsmith III
Arpeggio I	Burst Rifle	×1 Mechanical Components, ×3 Magnet	Gunsmith II
Burletta I	Pistol	×15 Metal Parts, ×3 Duct Tape	Gunsmith II
Equalizer	Energy Beam	×8 Power Rod, ×20 Voltage Converter	Gunsmith III
Il Toro I	Pump-Action Shotgun	×1 Mechanical Components, ×3 Canister	Gunsmith II
Jupiter	Bolt Action Sniper Rifle	×8 Power Rod ×20 Processors	Gunsmith III
Osprey I	Scoped Sniper Rifle	×2 Mechanical Components, ×4 Oil	Gunsmith III
Renegade I	Lever-Action Rifle	×2 Advanced Mechanical Components, ×4 Oil	Gunsmith III

Arc Raiders Weapon Attachment Blueprints

Weapon attachment blueprints let you craft mods that improve your guns. These include things like sights, grips, and barrels.

Attachment	Effect	Required Materials	Required Workbench
Extended Light Mag I	+5 Magazine Size	×6 Plastic Parts, ×1 Steel Spring	Gunsmith I
Extended Light Mag II	+10 Magazine Size	×1 Mechanical Components, ×1 Steel Spring	Gunsmith II
Extended Light Mag III	+15 Magazine Size	×1 Mod Components, ×6 Steel Spring	Gunsmith III
Extended Medium Mag I	+4 Magazine Size	×6 Plastic Parts, ×1 Steel Sprins	Gunsmith I
Extended Medium Mag II	+8 Magazine Size	?	Gunsmith II
Extended Medium Mag III	+12 Magazine Size	×1 Mod Components ×6 Steel Spring	Gunsmith III
Extended Shotgun Mag I	+2 Magazine Size	×6 Plastic Parts, ×1 Steel Spring	Gunsmith I
Extended Shotgun Mag II	+4 Magazine Size	×1 Mechanical Components, ×1 Steel Spring	Gunsmith II
Extended Shotgun Mag III	+6 Magazine Size	×1 Mod Components, ×6 Steel Spring	Gunsmith III
Vertical Grip I	20% Reduced Vertical Recoil	×6 Plastic Parts, ×1 Duct Tape	Gunsmith I
Vertical Grip II	30% Reduced Vertical Recoil	?	Gunsmith II
Vertical Grip III	40% Reduced Vertical Recoil, 30% Reduced ADS Speed	×1 Mod Components, ×6 Duct Tape	Gunsmith III
Angled Grip I	20% Reduced Horizontal Recoil	×6 Plastic Parts, ×1 Duct Tape	Gunsmith I
Angled Grip II	30% Reduced Horizontal Recoil	?	Gunsmith II
Angled Grip III	40% Reduce Horizontal Recoil 30% Reduced ADS Speed	?	Gunsmith III
Horizontal Grip	30% Reduced Horizontal Recoil, 30% Reduced Vertical Recoil, 30% Reduced ADS Speed	?	?
Kinetic Converter	15% Increased Fire Rate, 20% Increased Vertical Recoil, 20% Increased Horizontal Recoil	?	Gunsmith III
Stable Stock I	20% Reduced Recoil Recovery Time, 20% Reduced Dispersion Recovery Time	×7 Rubber Parts, ×1 Duct Tape	Gunsmith I
Stable Stock II	60% Reduced Recoil Recovery Time, 60% Reduced Dispersion Recovery Timer	×1 Mechanical Components, ×1 Duct Tape	Gunsmith II
Stable Stock III	80% Reduced Recoil Recovery Time, 80% Reduced Dispersion Recovery TIme, 20% Increased Equip Time, 20% Increased Unequip Time	×1 Mod Components, ×6 Duct Tape	Gunsmith III
Lightweight Stock	200% Increased ADS Speed, 30% Reduced Equip Time, 30% Reduced Unequip Time, 50% Increased Vertical Recoil, 50% Increased Recoil Recovery Time	×1 Mod Components, ×6 Duct Tape	Gunsmith III
Padded Stock	15% Reduced Vertical Recoil, 15% Reduced Horizontal Recoil, 20% Reduced Per-Shot Dispersion, 20% Increased Equip Time, 20% Increased Unequip Time, 30% Reduced ADS Speed	1x Mod Components, 6x Duct Tape	Gunsmith III
Muzzle Brake I	15% Reduced Vertical Recoil, 15% Reduced Horizontal Recoil	×6 Metal Parts, ×1 Wires	Gunsmith I
Muzzle Brake II	20% Reduced Vertical Recoil, 20% Reduced Horizontal Recoil	×1 Mechanical Components, ×1 Wires	Gunsmith II
Muzzle Brake III	25% Reduced Vertical Recoil, 25% Reduced Horizontal Recoil, 20% Increased Durability Burn Rate	?	Gunsmith III
Extended Barrel	25% Increased Bullet Velocity, 15% Increased Vertical Recoil	?	Gunsmith III
Anvil Splitter	+3 Projectiles Per Shot, 60% Reduced Projectile Damage	?	Gunsmith III
Compensator I	35% Reduced Per-Shot Dispersion	?	Gunsmith I
Compensator II	35% Reduced Per-Shot Dispersion	?	Gunsmith II
Compensator III	50% Reduced Per-Shot Dispersion, 20% Increased Durability Burn Rate	?	Gunsmith III
Shotgun Choke I	20% Reduced Base Dispersion	×6 Metal Parts, ×1 Wires	Gunsmith I
Shotgun Choke II	30% Reduced Base Dispersion	×1 Mechanical Components, ×1 Wires	Gunsmith II
Shotgun Choke III	40% Reduced Base Dispersion, 20% Increased Durability Burn Time	×1 Mod Components, ×9 Wires	Gunsmith III
Silencer I	20% Reduced Noise	×1 Mechanical Components, ×1 Wires	Gunsmith I
Silencer II	40% Reduced Noise	×1 Mod Components, 9x Wires	Gunsmith II
Silencer III	60% Reduced Noise, 20% Increased Durability Burn Rate	?	Gunsmith III

Arc Raiders Gadget Blueprints

Gadget blueprints let you craft tools that support your playstyle, like deployable shields, ziplines, or binoculars. They add extra utility to your loadout and can make a big difference in tougher raids.

Name	Required Materials	Required Workbench
Binoculars	×8 Plastic Parts, ×4 Rubber Parts	Utility Station I
Barricade Kit	×5 Metal Parts, ×1 Steel Spring	Utility Station I
Door Blocker	×3 Metal Parts, ×2 Rubber Parts	Utility Station I
Photoelectric Cloak	×2 Advanced Mechanical Components, ×3 Speaker Components	Utility Station III
Remote Raider Flare	×2 Chemicals, ×4 Rubber Parts	Utility Station I
Snap Hook	×4 Advanced Electrical Components, ×4 Rope	Utility Station III
Zipline	×1 Rope, ×7 Metal Parts	Utility Station I

Arc Raiders Upgrading Tips

Upgrading in Arc Raiders can become resource-intensive very quickly, so planning ahead is crucial if you don’t want to stall your progression. Instead of spreading your materials thin across every bench, you should focus on the upgrades that give the biggest impact early on and match the way you like to play. Below are some practical Arc Raiders upgrade tips to keep your progression smooth and efficient.

• Upgrade Scrappy early
  Scrappy is your passive material generator, and the sooner you invest into him, the faster he starts paying off. A higher-level Scrappy brings in more and better resources over time, meaning you’ll spend less time hard-farming low-value materials and more time doing the raids you actually enjoy. Treat Scrappy as a long-term investment in your entire crafting economy.
• Prioritize your Gunsmith (Weapon Bench)
  Stronger and more efficient weapons make every raid feel easier and more profitable. Upgrading the Gunsmith unlocks better weapon blueprints and mods, giving you access to higher damage, smoother handling, and better ammo efficiency. The result is cleaner kills, safer engagements, and fewer failed extractions, which all translate into more loot and faster progression.
• Don’t rush every bench at once
  It’s tempting to bump every bench a level “just because,” but that’s how you burn through materials with minimal gain. Focus on the workbenches that directly support your current build and role. If you lean on explosives, invest in the Explosives Bench first; if you’re a more tactical or support-oriented player, prioritize Utility and Medical upgrades. Specializing your upgrades keeps your power curve ahead of the content you’re tackling.
• Target raids that drop the materials you need
  Not all raids are equal when it comes to loot. Choose missions that match your current upgrade goals:

1. Spaceport is ideal if you need Electrical or Tech loot.
2. Dam Battlegrounds is better for farming Industrial or Mechanical items.
   Planning your routes around specific material types ensures that every successful extraction pushes you directly toward your next key upgrade.

• Avoid upgrading just before a big crafting goal
  Try not to sink all your materials into minor bench levels if you’re close to unlocking a major blueprint or gear piece. Always keep a small reserve of key components so you can immediately craft important weapons, shields, or gadgets when you finally unlock their recipes. This helps you feel the impact of progression right away instead of waiting for several more raids.

By following these Arc Raiders upgrading tips, you’ll keep your resource flow steady, avoid wasteful upgrades, and make sure every raid brings you closer to a stronger, more efficient build.