I played like a rat in Arc Raiders, and the loot was incredibly good.

      I didn’t approach Arc Raiders with the intention to play sneakily. After some unfortunate runs, I lost valuable gear and just wanted to unwind in the game’s unofficial PvP area known as “Stella Montis.” Ideally, I aimed to charge in, grab some decent equipment from other raiders, and make off with it to the extraction point. Worst-case scenario—losing everything—didn’t faze me since I was using a free loadout.

      Stella Montis has a notorious reputation. The layout consists of tight, tense corridors that promote player interaction. However, its infamy also stems from highlighting one of the game's major frustrations: the issue with free loadouts. Players using free loadouts show up with just a basic weapon, ammo, a shield, and health—modest gear on paper, but they can still pose a significant threat since they have nothing to lose.

      My random teammate suggested we take advantage of this dynamic. Instead of charging into battles, the plan was to wait and "fourth" party whoever emerged as the victor. Patience was crucial, and so the waiting began.

      Here’s what happened.

      After hearing some gunfire nearby, we crept closer to the action. For several minutes, we lingered while other teams did the heavy lifting. They fought, made noise, consumed resources, defeated Arc enemies, looted bodies, and gradually concentrated high-value items into fewer backpacks. When the chaos subsided and it seemed one team had come out on top, we sprang into action with our inadequate weapons and sent them fleeing. Was it a cowardly tactic? Certainly. But it was astonishingly effective.

      By the end of the run, I had walked away with four weapon blueprints, including the Aphelion, one of the game’s legendary weapons. Given that I had risked practically nothing, the value of what I extracted was incredible.

      I even snagged a Jupiter from another raider while using a free loadout.

      Patience as a Weapon in Stella Montis

      Extraction shooters revolve around the concept of risk and reward. The better gear you carry, the higher your chances of surviving and obtaining superior loot. However, there is always the possibility of losing everything you’ve brought along. So, avoiding fights helps you keep your equipment longer, while engaging with teams can lead to potential rewards. The tension arises from understanding that every choice has consequences.

      In contrast, playing sneakily disrupts this balance. On Stella Montis, the map does much of the work for you. Players are naturally attracted to areas with high-value loot, which quickly become battlegrounds. After various teams clash, a patient squad doesn’t need to be more skilled than others; they just need to be quiet. My team and I didn't give our opponents a chance to fight back. We let others exhaust themselves and then seized the opportunity, all while using free kits.

      The Need for Free Loadouts, But a Perceived Imbalance

      I believe free loadouts are a beneficial idea. They serve a specific function: extraction games can become disheartening when players run out of resources. Offering a free kit allows players to rejoin the fray. It enables newer players to familiarize themselves with maps, supports struggling players, and decreases the anxiety of jumping back in after a few unsuccessful runs. However, the situation has evolved. Instead of being a backup option, it has turned into a more strategic approach.

      If you've been active in the Arc Raiders community, you might have noticed numerous complaints regarding free loadouts. No matter how good your gear is, a player with a free kit can still take you down if they catch you off guard. This seems to undermine the "high risk, high reward" formula typical of this genre, yet it doesn’t apply to free loadouts in the same manner. Embark attempts to balance this by having free loadout players join lobbies later, reduce their backpack capacity, and eliminate Safe Pockets altogether. These are significant trade-offs, yet they don't seem adequate.

      Although the free kit may be basic, it provides enough equipment for players to fight while allowing them to play more aggressively since their main inventory isn’t at stake, especially on maps like Stella Montis. This aligns with my experience, where a low-level opponent handed me some of the best loot I've encountered in a while. And I can't deny that playing sneakily and waiting for the ideal moment to strike was how I secured the best rewards in the lobby.

      When this strategy works, it nudges players toward the least engaging version of the game. Why risk bringing a good weapon to a PvP-heavy map when I can let someone else do the fighting, then ambush them with throwaway gear?

      These encounters are all from PvP situations. I’ve never crafted an Epic weapon in this game.

      What the Community Thinks

      One common suggestion involves giving players with free loadouts later spawn points, allowing those with custom gear to have priority