Most purchasable items fall into a few categories:
Cosmetic items are the main thing players buy. These include character outfits, weapon skins, backpack styles, emotes, and other visual changes. They don’t affect damage, armor rating, or extraction success.
Bundles usually combine multiple cosmetics. They often include a full outfit set, matching weapon skins, and sometimes extra profile-style items like banners.
Battle pass or seasonal progression unlocks (if available in your version of the game) are usually paid tracks that give cosmetics as you level them up.
In general, if something is in the paid store, assume it is meant to be cosmetic. Anything that directly affects power is typically tied to crafting, looting, or progression systems.
In most cases, you buy items through the in-game store menu. This is the only place that is guaranteed to be safe and officially supported.
The store usually has rotating sections like:
Featured items
Limited-time bundles
Daily or weekly rotation
Seasonal collections
In practice, players check the store the same way they check daily quests: quickly, to see if anything is worth picking up before it rotates out.
If you're looking for something specific, be aware that store rotation can be slow. Some cosmetics disappear for weeks before returning.
Arc Raiders typically uses a premium currency system. You buy premium currency with real money, then spend that currency in the store.
A common mistake new players make is buying the exact currency amount for one skin, then realizing later that bundles offer better value. If you think you might buy more than one item, it’s usually smarter to wait, look at bundles, and decide after you’ve seen the full weekly rotation.
Some games also include a free currency earned through gameplay, but that usually goes toward crafting, upgrading, or standard progression—not premium cosmetics.
In real gameplay terms, most store items are not pay-to-win. The main purchases are cosmetic.
That said, players sometimes confuse “convenience” with “power.” If the game offers paid boosters (like XP boosts), those can speed up progression, but they don’t automatically make you stronger in actual combat. Skill, map knowledge, and extraction decision-making still matter more than anything you can buy.
If you lose a fight, it’s almost never because the other player bought something. It’s usually positioning, timing, noise, or getting third-partied.
Most extraction-style systems don’t let you directly buy high-tier gear with real money. Instead:
You loot weapons and equipment during raids
You craft gear using extracted materials
You unlock better crafting options through progression
Sometimes a store might sell cosmetics that look like certain gear types, which confuses newer players. But the actual functional weapons and armor are typically earned.
If Arc Raiders offers starter packs, those may include basic gear, but they’re usually not enough to skip the progression loop. Experienced players know that gear comes and goes, and the real long-term advantage is knowing how to consistently extract.
If you’re new, the best approach is simple: buy only what you will actually use.
Most players regret impulse purchases in two situations:
They buy a skin for a weapon they stop using later.
They buy individual items and later realize the bundle was cheaper.
If you’re going to spend money, prioritize:
Outfit sets (you always see them)
Universal cosmetics (usable across multiple weapons)
Bundles with multiple matching items
Avoid buying a cosmetic just because it looks rare. In games with rotating stores, “rare” often just means “not currently available.”
Special features in Arc Raiders are usually tied to progression systems like:
Base upgrades
Crafting station improvements
Skill/perk unlocks (depending on the version)
Reputation or faction rank
Quest chains
In practice, most players unlock these features by focusing on two things:
Consistent extractions and targeted looting.
If you extract with junk materials every raid, your progress is slow. If you extract with materials that match your next upgrade requirement, your progress speeds up a lot.
The game rewards players who plan ahead rather than players who loot randomly.
When players talk about special features, they usually mean things like:
New crafting recipes
Expanded inventory space
Faster crafting or reduced costs
New character customization options
Access to higher-tier equipment crafting
Unlocking new mission types or raid zones
These features are rarely unlocked instantly. Most require multiple raids, upgrades, and quest completions.
If you want faster access, don’t grind everything. Pick one upgrade path and commit until it’s finished.
Usually no. Cosmetics are cosmetic.
But sometimes cosmetic sets come with small extra elements like:
Alternate color styles
Matching weapon skins
Player card cosmetics
Profile badges
These don’t change gameplay. They just expand customization.
Some players assume a full cosmetic set unlocks a hidden feature. That’s usually misinformation spread by social media clips or players guessing based on other games.
If you’re looking for cheaper items, be careful. The safest discounts come from official sources:
In-game store sales
Seasonal events
Official platform discounts (Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox store)
Official bundle promotions
You may also see third-party websites advertising discounted arc raiders items for sale, but you should treat those with caution. In most games, third-party item selling can lead to account risk, stolen keys, or chargeback problems. Even if it works once, it’s not worth losing your account later.
If the discount isn’t happening through the official store or official platform, it’s not reliable.
Most experienced players don’t farm by killing everything. They farm by avoiding unnecessary fights.
A common efficient loop looks like this:
Spawn in
Loot 2–3 high-value locations
Avoid loud fights unless you have an advantage
Extract early if you already have upgrade materials
Newer players often stay too long and lose everything. That slows progression more than anything else.
If your goal is unlocking upgrades, the best strategy is boring but effective: extract more often, even with smaller loot.
It depends on what you want.
A battle pass is usually worth it if:
You play regularly
You expect to finish most of the levels
You like the cosmetics in the track
A starter pack is usually worth it if:
It includes cosmetics you actually want
It gives some early convenience without breaking the game loop
What isn’t worth it is buying a pass and then barely playing. Most players who regret spending money do it because they bought progression-based content but didn’t have time to grind it.
A few mistakes show up all the time:
Buying currency too early. Wait until you see something you actually want.
Buying individual cosmetics instead of bundles. Bundles are usually priced to push players into buying them.
Trusting third-party sellers. Account bans and fraud problems are common in games with premium stores.
Assuming cosmetics will increase performance. They won’t.
If you want an advantage in Arc Raiders, spend time learning extraction routes, audio cues, and when to disengage from fights. That will outperform any purchase.
Buying items in Arc Raiders is simple. You open the store, use premium currency, and get cosmetics. Unlocking special features takes longer, and it’s mostly about smart progression.
If you want to unlock features faster, focus on:
Extracting consistently
Looting upgrade-related materials
Completing quests that unlock recipes or upgrades
Avoiding unnecessary fights when carrying key items
Most players don’t fall behind because they didn’t buy something. They fall behind because they keep dying with upgrade materials in their bag.