Embark Studios has launched the Phantom Targets Player Project, a new in-game event for its upcoming title Arc Raiders, offering players a series of challenges and associated rewards. The project is divided into multiple parts, with the first currently available to participants.

Part 1: Objectives and Rewards

The initial phase of the Phantom Targets Player Project focuses on three distinct challenges. Completing these will grant players specific in-game items, including a Combat Mk. 3 augment, a heavy shield, a vita spray, various weapons such as the Aphelion battle rifle and Dolabra shotgun, and cosmetic items like a powered descender and horizontal grip. Players will also earn Raider tokens, a form of in-game currency.

The three challenges for Part 1 are:

  • Upgrade antennas: Players must locate and upgrade three antennas found on top of Cargo Elevators. The Dam Battlegrounds extraction point is recommended as the easiest location for this objective.
  • Test Arc parts for irregular behavior: This challenge requires players to deal damage to Arc enemies using specific weapon components: 50 damage with pop triggers, 500 damage with wasp drivers, and 1,000 damage with leaper pulse units.
  • Test multiple Arc destruction methods: The final challenge involves using specific damage types and weapons to defeat enemies. This includes dealing 1,500 damage with fire-based items, destroying three specific enemy types with energy weapons, and destroying 20 flying Arc enemies using launcher ammo weapons.

Navigating the Challenges

Upgrading the Cargo Elevator antennas involves approaching one atop an elevator and interacting with it until an "Upgrade" bar fills. This action only needs to be performed once per antenna, and multiple antennas can be upgraded in a single expedition. After completing this, players must return to Speranza to finalize the step.

For the second challenge, identifying and utilizing the correct Arc parts is key. Pop triggers are dropped by exploding enemies known as Pops, often found in Stella Montis and the Buried City. Wasp drivers are acquired from Wasps, common flying drones found on all maps, which can be located more easily with a Snitch or scanner. Leaper pulse units come from Leapers, large four-legged robots; the Water Treatment extraction point and the Red Lakes area of Dam Battlegrounds are noted locations, though these areas are often contested by other players. The developers note that stunning enemies with Showstoppers or targeting more stationary foes like Bombardiers can make this step more manageable.

Completing the third challenge requires specific damage outputs. Fire damage can be applied using items like blaze grenades or fireball burners, with larger enemies being a safer target for ranged attacks. For defeating specific enemy types with energy weapons, players can utilize the Aphelion, Dolabra, or Jupiter, all of which may have been acquired from the previous challenge. The Jupiter is suggested for its range. Finally, targeting 20 smaller flying Arc enemies is advised for the launcher ammo challenge due to their lower health. For players who do not possess the necessary launcher weapons, the Hullcracker can be purchased from Tian Wen for 30,000 coins upon reaching level 20.

Part 2 of the Phantom Targets Player Project is slated to arrive with update 1.42 on August 18.