ARC Raiders Stella Montis Guide: Loot, Blueprints, PvP

ARC Raiders Stella Montis is the mountain research facility that opens last: the ARC Raiders Wiki lists it as unlocked after 24 rounds played, more than any other map. This guide covers what that unlock gets you, which blueprints you can only find here, and what changes when the map runs a Night Raid.

Updated 2026-10-08: corrected the blueprint section. Tempest and Wolfpack are Night Raid blueprints on any map, not Stella Montis exclusives, and Stella Montis has its own list of six map-only blueprints. Also removed a "level 25" requirement that no source supports; the real gate is 24 rounds played.

TL;DR: Stella Montis unlocks after 24 rounds played and runs 30 minutes like the other maps. The wiki rates it 4 out of 5 for difficulty; Riven Tides is the only map rated 5. Six blueprints drop only here (Aphelion, Deadline, Gas Mine, Pulse Mine, Seeker Grenade, Trailblazer). Night Raid on Stella Montis has no active Raider Hatches, fewer Return Points and no free loadout.

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ARC Raiders Stella Montis: quick answer

Stella Montis is a two-level research facility in the mountains, added in patch 1.2.0 (the North Line update) on November 13, 2025. Embark's patch notes introduced it in one line: "We've discovered a secluded research facility in the mountains." Unlock it by playing 24 rounds, then farm it for the blueprints no other map drops.

The map arrived with the ARC Matriarch and Shredder, a community unlock event and new quests, according to the same 1.2.0 notes. The wiki adds that Night Raid came to Stella Montis in patch 1.4.0.

Image: Embark Studios, thumbnail of the official "New map - Stella Montis" video on the ARC Raiders YouTube channel.

How Stella Montis compares to the other maps

The wiki's map table gives every map a 30 minute round and a difficulty rating from 1 to 5. Stella Montis is the last to unlock, but it is not the top-rated map.

The facility has an upper and a lower level, and the wiki hosts a separate map for each. The upper level alone is crowded with named areas: Assembly Workshops, Lobby, Security Bridge, Medical Research, Cafeteria, Atrium, Communications, Business Center and Cultural Archives, among others.

Image: upper-level map by @Cartotect (version 1.0.3, February 14, 2026), hosted on the Stella Montis page of the ARC Raiders Wiki.

That same map marks three Raider Hatches on the upper level (Assembly Hatch, Sandbox Hatch and Eastern Tunnel Hatch), the Lobby and Loading Bay metro stations, and keys for areas like the Medical Storage and the Archives. If you are new to the map, learn those names first. The ARC Raiders maps guide covers the other five maps the same way.

GODEEPER: How the six maps differ and which to run while you work toward the Stella Montis unlock. ARC Raiders maps guide →

Stella Montis blueprints: what drops only here

The wiki's blueprint table lists six blueprints whose only map is Stella Montis, under any map condition: Aphelion, Deadline, Gas Mine, Pulse Mine, Seeker Grenade and Trailblazer. Five augment blueprints drop in Stella Montis or The Blue Gate: Combat Mk. 3 (Aggressive), Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking), Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive), Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing) and Tactical Mk. 3 (Revival).

Image: table by GameBrief, built from the Blueprints page on the ARC Raiders Wiki, checked 2026-10-08.

The Aphelion is the headline drop. It is a Legendary two-round-burst battle rifle that fires Energy Clips, and it cannot be upgraded. Embark moved its blueprint here in patch 1.7.0 (Cold Snap, December 16, 2025): "Moved the Aphelion blueprint drop from the Matriarch to Stella Montis." Crafting it still needs a Matriarch Reactor, plus 3 Magnetic Accelerators and 3 Complex Gun Parts at Gunsmith level 3.

Two blueprints are often linked to this map but are not tied to it. The wiki lists Tempest (an Epic assault rifle) and Wolfpack (an Epic grenade that splits into 12 homing missiles) as condition-only blueprints. Wolfpack needs a Night Raid and Tempest a Night Raid or Hurricane, on any map, and both come from residential containers. You can farm them on Stella Montis at night, but you do not have to.

If the blueprints you want are augments, the ARC Raiders augments guide covers what each Mk. 3 frame changes, and the crafting guide explains how learned blueprints turn into gear. Since Frozen Trail, Gas Mine, Pulse Mine, Seeker Grenade, Deadline and Trailblazer can also be researched at the Outpost; the blueprints guide has the costs.

Night Raid on Stella Montis

Night Raid is a map condition, and the wiki is specific about what it changes:

• Fewer active Return Points
• No active Raider Hatches
• Increased loot value, especially behind locked doors, where keys show up more often
• More ARC, and a higher drop rate for parts such as the Advanced ARC Powercell and cells like the Bastion Cell and Leaper Pulse Unit

Since patch 1.33.0, Night Raid does not allow the free loadout. On Stella Montis that matters twice: the free loadout already has no Safe Pocket, and the three upper-level hatches are closed at night. Plan your exit through a regular extraction, and read the ARC Raiders extractions guide before you go.

Video: "The North Line Update," the official trailer for the patch that added Stella Montis, from the ARC Raiders YouTube channel.

Loadout choices for Stella Montis

The wiki's loadout page makes a point that fits this map. Going Topside with no loadout gives you 10 backpack slots and one Safe Pocket, and the wiki suggests this when you want one particular item, "especially in a dangerous area like Stella Montis." The free loadout gives you gear but no Safe Pocket.

If you bring a full kit, remember that augments cannot be swapped once you deploy, and that the wiki rates Night Raid on this map at the same difficulty as the day version. The ARC Raiders loot guide covers what to protect in the Safe Pocket, and the augments guide covers shields.

GODEEPER: What the Safe Pocket protects and which loadout gives you one. ARC Raiders loot guide →

What players say about Stella Montis

The most common advice on r/ArcRaiders is about learning the layout. In a thread titled "Me trying to navigate Stella Montis," u/JarJarBanksy420 wrote: "My tip for Stella is to learn what all the areas are called and just read the signage on the map. There’s also shortcuts everywhere."

In the same thread, u/st0wnd explained a map detail that confuses new players: "The yellow/red outlines describe the quantity of loot containers, not quality of them." In other words, a heavily marked area is not automatically a better one.

Step-by-Step

1. Unlock the map: Play 24 rounds. Use the earlier maps to build a kit and learn extraction habits; the beginner guide covers the basics.

2. Check the map condition: If it is a Night Raid, expect no Raider Hatches, fewer Return Points and no free loadout.

3. Pick your loadout: For a single target, consider no loadout and use the one Safe Pocket. For a full run, choose the augment before you queue.

4. Learn the area names: Study the upper and lower level maps and the signage, and know where the hatches and metro stations are.

5. Target the map-only blueprints: Aphelion, Deadline, Gas Mine, Pulse Mine, Seeker Grenade and Trailblazer only drop here.

6. Extract before you are forced to: Plan two exits before you loot, especially at night.

Tips

Do not farm Tempest here on purpose. Its blueprint drops in Night Raid or Hurricane on any map, so an easier map with the right condition works too.

Bring a key if you want a hatch. In normal conditions, a Raider Hatch Key opens one of the marked hatches, and the hatch stays open for about 10 to 15 seconds.

Remember the Aphelion recipe. Finding the blueprint is half the job; you still need a Matriarch Reactor. The Matriarch boss guide covers that fight.

Our take

Stella Montis earns its place through its blueprint list, not through being the hardest map; Riven Tides holds that rating on the wiki. If you are chasing the Aphelion, Deadline or Trailblazer, this is the only map that drops them. If you are chasing Tempest or Wolfpack, wait for a Night Raid anywhere. And because Night Raid closes every Raider Hatch and blocks the free loadout, a night run on Stella Montis is the one time the map really asks you to commit a kit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you unlock Stella Montis in ARC Raiders? The ARC Raiders Wiki lists Stella Montis as unlocked after 24 rounds played. Like the other maps, a round lasts up to 30 minutes. It arrived in patch 1.2.0, the North Line update, on November 13, 2025.

Which blueprints only drop in Stella Montis? The wiki lists six blueprints as Stella Montis only: Aphelion, Deadline, Gas Mine, Pulse Mine, Seeker Grenade and Trailblazer. The Combat Mk. 3 and Tactical Mk. 3 augment blueprints drop in Stella Montis or The Blue Gate.

Are Tempest and Wolfpack blueprints Stella Montis night exclusives? No. The wiki lists both as condition-only blueprints that can drop on any map. Wolfpack needs Night Raid, and Tempest needs Night Raid or Hurricane. Both come from residential containers.

Can you use a Raider Hatch during a Stella Montis Night Raid? No. Night Raid has no active Raider Hatches and fewer active Return Points, and since patch 1.33.0 it does not allow the free loadout. Plan a normal extraction route before you loot.

Is Stella Montis the hardest map in ARC Raiders? Not on the wiki's scale. It rates Stella Montis 4, the same as The Blue Gate, while Riven Tides is rated 5 and Dam Battlegrounds 2. Stella Montis needs the most rounds played to unlock, though.

Where did the Aphelion blueprint move? Patch 1.7.0, Cold Snap, released December 16, 2025, moved the Aphelion blueprint drop from the Matriarch to Stella Montis. The same patch improved Stella Montis spawn distance checks.

Related Reading

• ARC Raiders maps guide: all six maps and how they differ.
• ARC Raiders Riven Tides guide: the coastal map the wiki rates 5 for difficulty.
• ARC Raiders Blue Gate guide: the other map that drops the Mk. 3 augment blueprints.
• ARC Raiders Matriarch boss guide: where the Matriarch Reactor for the Aphelion comes from.
• ARC Raiders extractions guide: extraction types and when hatches are closed.

References

• ARC Raiders Wiki: Stella Montis: setting, unlock and level maps
• ARC Raiders Wiki: Maps: difficulty ratings and unlock requirements
• ARC Raiders Wiki: Blueprints: where each blueprint drops
• ARC Raiders Wiki: Night Raid: what the condition changes
• ARC Raiders patch notes 1.2.0: Embark's North Line notes adding Stella Montis
• ARC Raiders Cold Snap patch notes 1.7.0: Aphelion blueprint move and spawn distance fix
• ARC Raiders on Steam