ARC Raiders Ascending the Mountain Rewards Guide

The Ascending the Mountain Raider Project is now live in ARC Raiders. It runs from September 8 through October 5 and gives Raiders four stages of objectives to complete before the Frozen Trail update arrives on October 8.

The rewards include weapons, attachments, consumables, a Crash Mat Blueprint, Raider Hatch Keys, a Powered Descender, and the Hot Air Balloon Charm.

If you are deciding how far to push the Project, Stage 3 is the main stopping point for players who want the most useful reward. Stage 4 is mainly for players who want the additional weapon, attachment, and cosmetic rewards.

Stage 1 Rewards

The first stage, Research High-Altitude Mechanics, asks for:

10 Mechanical Components
6 Pop Triggers
10 Explosive Compounds
2 Headphones

Completing the stage gives:

Burletta IV
Extended Light Mag III
Silencer III

This is a fairly simple starting point and most of the required materials can be picked up naturally during regular raids.

The Burletta IV is the main weapon reward, while the two attachments are useful additions if they fit your current loadout. There is no reason to build your entire farming route around this stage, but it is worth completing while you are already collecting the materials for the later objectives.

Stage 2 Rewards

The second stage is Begin Ignition Tests.

The requirements include:

20 Wires
8 Voltage Converters
2 Sentinel Firing Cores
1 Rocket Thruster

The rewards are:

2 Wolfpacks
2 Deadlines
3 Trailblazers
Crash Mat Blueprint

This is where the material requirements start becoming more demanding.

The Crash Mat Blueprint is the most useful reward here because it gives you a permanent crafting option rather than a one-time supply of consumables.

It is worth keeping an eye out for Sentinel Firing Cores and the Rocket Thruster before you reach this stage. Those are more likely to slow you down than common materials such as Wires.

Stage 3: The Most Important Reward

Stage 3 is called Implement Landing Capabilities.

The required materials are:

2 Ruined Parachutes
10 Crash Mats
5 Shredder Gyros
3 Breathtaking Snow Globes

The rewards include:

Powered Descender
2 Raider Hatch Keys
Rascal IV
30 Launcher Ammo

The Powered Descender is the standout reward.

It is an Epic Gadget designed to reduce fall speed, giving Raiders another way to deal with vertical movement. The item itself is not new to ARC Raiders—it was originally introduced alongside the Crash Mat—but Ascending the Mountain gives players another direct way to obtain one.

That makes Stage 3 particularly attractive for players who do not already have a Powered Descender.

It is also a natural fit for the game's upcoming mountain-focused content. However, there is currently no official statement that the Powered Descender is required to access Frozen Trail.

Stage 4 Rewards

The final stage is Final Tweaks.

It requires:

30 Sensors
3 Broken Guidance Systems
15 Advanced Electrical Components
3 Vaporizer Regulators

The rewards are:

Hot Air Balloon Charm
Tactical Mk. 3 Defensive
Tempest IV
Kinetic Converter

The Tempest IV is the main gameplay reward, while the Hot Air Balloon Charm is primarily a cosmetic item.

If you already have a good weapon collection, Stage 4 is less urgent than Stage 3. On the other hand, players who want the full reward set should start saving the required materials early rather than trying to collect everything during the final few days.

Which Rewards Are Worth Getting?

For most players, the rewards can be divided into three groups.

High Priority

Powered Descender

This is the most interesting reward in the Project, especially if you do not already have one.

Worth Getting

Tempest IV

A useful weapon reward for finishing the final stage.

Crash Mat Blueprint

A permanent crafting option that can remain useful after the Project ends.

Extended Light Mag III, Silencer III and Kinetic Converter

Their value depends on the weapons you normally use, but they are worthwhile additions to your stash.

Mostly Cosmetic

Hot Air Balloon Charm

There is nothing wrong with finishing Stage 4 for the charm, but it is not a gameplay upgrade. It is mainly a collection and customization reward.

The Wolfpacks, Deadlines, Trailblazers, and Launcher Ammo are useful consumables, but they should not be the main reason you farm rare materials.

Start Saving the Rare Materials Early

One of the easiest ways to make Ascending the Mountain take longer than necessary is to wait until a stage becomes active before looking for its materials.

The later stages require several less common ARC Raiders Items, including Rocket Thrusters, Breathtaking Snow Globes, Broken Guidance Systems, and Vaporizer Regulators.

The common materials are much easier to collect during normal raids, so there is no need to dedicate every run to the Project.

Instead, keep the unusual materials whenever you find them and check your stash before heading back Topside.

This is especially useful if you are also working on Expedition 5. You can make progress toward multiple goals instead of spending every raid on one Project.

How It Connects to Frozen Trail

Ascending the Mountain is also part of the story leading into Frozen Trail.

In Update 1.45.0, ARC signals are discovered in the mountain range beyond the current Tube network. Apollo is working on an experimental solution to reach the area, which sets up the next update.

Frozen Trail is scheduled to arrive on October 8, only three days after Ascending the Mountain ends. The new update will add a new map, a new ARC Operation, new ARC content, the Outpost, and more.

Completing Ascending the Mountain is not currently confirmed as a requirement for accessing Frozen Trail. It is better viewed as a limited-time Project that also prepares the story and gives players useful rewards before the update.

Is Ascending the Mountain Worth Completing?

For active ARC Raiders players, it is a worthwhile Project.

If you only care about useful gameplay rewards, Stage 3 is the biggest target because of the Powered Descender. If you want the full reward set, Stage 4 adds the Tempest IV, Kinetic Converter, Tactical Mk. 3 Defensive, and Hot Air Balloon Charm.

The Project also gives you a reason to start saving materials before Frozen Trail arrives.

There is no need to rush through every stage in a single session. Keep the required materials you find during normal raids, complete the easier objectives along the way, and focus on the rarer requirements when you are ready to finish the next stage.

With Ascending the Mountain ending on October 5 and Frozen Trail arriving on October 8, completing the Project before the deadline is a good way to enter the next update with the main rewards already secured.

The U4GM Team