ARC Raiders Outpost: How to Unlock and Upgrade Your Base

The Frozen Trail update adds Outpost to ARC Raiders, giving players a new place to prepare for raids and work toward stronger equipment. It expands on the Raider Den concept and gives collected ARC Raiders Items another important use outside of basic crafting and gear preparation.

Outpost sits between the Rust Belt and the mountains and represents another step in reclaiming the surface. More importantly, it introduces the Research Workstation and the new Amplified weapon quality, making the base an important part of long-term progression.

How to Unlock Outpost

Unlocking Outpost is straightforward. After the Frozen Trail update becomes available, follow Celeste's introduction quest to gain access to the new base.

There is no complicated unlock chain that requires players to spend hours completing unrelated objectives. Once the introductory task is finished, Outpost becomes available as a new location for preparation and progression.

After entering for the first time, it is worth taking a few minutes to look through the available Modules and check the Research Workstation.

What Can You Do at Outpost?

Outpost has several useful functions, although some are much more important than others.

The main features include:

Modules: Build different Modules to expand and change the structure of your Outpost.
Furniture: Craft furniture and decorations using materials collected during raids.
Research Workstation: Upgrade the workstation to unlock weapon research and Amplified Weapons.
Equipment Preparation: Organize weapons, ammunition, medical supplies, and other gear before your next raid.

Furniture gives the base more personality, but the Research Workstation is the feature that has the biggest effect on actual gameplay.

Research Workstation Is Your First Priority

If you only focus on one Outpost system early on, make it the Research Workstation.

The workstation can be upgraded over time, and higher levels allow you to research a selection of weapons. Once the required research is completed, those weapons can reach the new Amplified quality.

Amplified is positioned above Epic and is not simply another version with slightly higher numbers. The most interesting part is that research can change how certain weapons actually work.

Some examples include:

Burletta: Becomes fully automatic.
Renegade: Gains an optic.
Rattler: Gets incendiary ammunition and a 64-round magazine.

These changes can have a much bigger impact than a simple damage increase. A weapon you already know can take on a completely different role once its Amplified version becomes available.

Which Weapons Should You Research First?

The Research Workstation currently supports a specific group of 15 weapons, so choosing what to research first is worth considering.

There is no reason to spend your early resources on a weapon you rarely use. Instead, start with the weapons that already fit your preferred loadout.

A simple priority list is:

Pick the weapon you use most often.
Check its Amplified version and what changes it receives.
Collect the required research materials.
Complete the research.
Move on to another weapon once the first one is finished.

Players who frequently change their loadout can eventually research several options, but there is no need to rush through everything at once.

How to Spend Your Outpost Resources

Not every material needs to go toward furniture or cosmetic improvements.

Early resources are better spent on progression that improves your ability to raid.

A sensible order is:

First: Build the basic Modules needed to develop the Outpost.

Second: Upgrade the Research Workstation.

Third: Gather materials for your preferred Amplified weapon.

Fourth: Continue improving the Outpost as additional upgrades become available.

Finally: Use spare materials for furniture and decoration.

Furniture is a fun part of the system, especially for players who enjoy customizing their base, but it does not provide the same gameplay value as weapon research.

Use Outpost as Part of Your Raid Routine

The easiest way to get value from Outpost is to include it in your normal raid cycle.

Before heading to the surface, check your:

Weapons
Ammunition
Medical supplies
Utility items
Research progress
Available upgrades

After returning from a successful raid, deposit the materials you collected and check whether you have enough resources for the next upgrade or research project.

This creates a simple loop:

Raid → collect materials → upgrade Outpost → research weapons → prepare → raid again.

As your Research Workstation improves, the materials you bring back from each raid become increasingly valuable.

Current Outpost Limitations

Outpost is still relatively limited compared with a fully explorable player base.

At launch, much of the interaction is handled through menus rather than allowing players to freely walk through and inspect every part of the base. You should therefore think of it primarily as a progression and preparation system rather than another large exploration area.

That could change as the system develops. Outpost is intended to be expanded over time, so its current version may only be the beginning of what the personal base can eventually become.

Outpost gives ARC Raiders a useful new progression layer in Frozen Trail. It is not simply a place to store equipment or decorate with furniture. The Research Workstation makes it an important part of the endgame, especially for players who want to get the most out of their favorite weapons.

If you have just unlocked the system, keep your priorities simple:

Build the necessary Modules. 
Upgrade the Research Workstation.
Focus on weapons you actually use.
Save materials for Amplified research.
Spend leftover resources on furniture.

The biggest reward from Outpost is not how the base looks. It is what the Research Workstation eventually lets you take back into the next raid.

The U4GM Team