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ARC Raiders · Guides
ARC Raiders electromagnetic storm: what the modifier does, which extractions it disables, and how to survive a lightning strike for 1,800 Trial points.
The ARC Raiders electromagnetic storm is a Major Map Modifier, not a cosmetic weather effect. When it's active on a zone, it changes the risk-reward equation of the whole run: doubled Trial points, more aggressive ARC units, fewer extraction options, and lightning that can drop 70 HP on unprepared players.
Some Raiders avoid it. Others specifically queue for storm conditions because the Trial point multiplier is significant enough to make the risk worth it. Here's what it actually does and how to work with it. If Trial points and map modifiers are still new territory, the ARC Raiders beginner guide has the foundational context.
TL;DR: The electromagnetic storm is a Major Map Modifier that cycles onto zones several times a day for up to an hour. It doubles all Trial points, makes ARC units more aggressive, disables Raider Hatches, and cuts the number of active extraction points. Lightning strikes deal ~70 HP but award 1,800 Trial points if you survive a direct hit (strike zones telegraph 2-3 seconds early). It does not shrink the play area like a battle-royale storm.
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General · 8 min
The storm is classified as a Major Map Condition in ARC Raiders: one of the higher-impact modifiers that can apply to a zone for a given session. It activates periodically on certain maps, cycling through them several times daily, and lasts for up to an hour at a time. You can see it listed as an active condition in the zone selection screen before you insert, so there's no ambiguity about whether it's running.
This distinguishes it from softer environmental conditions. The storm isn't flavor: it's a mechanical state that affects enemy behavior, extraction point availability, and ambient hazards simultaneously.
Double Trial points is the headline effect. Every Trial point-awarding action during a storm run (ARC kills, objective completions, successful extractions) pays out twice the normal amount. For players grinding Trial rank, storm runs are the most efficient time to play.
The multiplier applies to everything, including the 1,800 point reward for surviving a direct lightning strike. That specific reward exists because the game explicitly tracks whether you take a direct strike and get out: it's a designed interaction, not a glitch. In practice, players in safe cover who can predict a strike zone will step into it intentionally, absorb the 70 HP hit, and bank the points. It's a calculated risk that works if your health state allows it.
Every kill, objective, and extraction scores double during storm conditions. Engagements like this (where a tank ARC and an aerial ARC are both alive on the map) are when the doubled scoring matters most. The Trial point ceiling for a single run is significantly higher than normal weather.
GODEEPER: Storm doubles all Trial points: knowing what to prioritize extracting and which Safe Pocket items are worth protecting changes what a storm run is worth. ARC Raiders loot guide →
Lightning strikes are the storm's ambient hazard. They don't track players directly: they hit areas, and those areas are marked before impact.
Two to three seconds before a lightning strike lands, the targeted zone shows electrical discharge particle effects. The telltale is a crackle of sparks in the air above the strike point. Players who recognize this early leave the area; players who miss it take the 70 HP hit.
70 HP is significant but not immediately lethal for a raider at full health with decent armor. It becomes dangerous in specific situations: already damaged from an ARC engagement, in a confined space where repositioning is slow, or caught in the open while another player has line of sight.
The particle warning is consistent enough that lightning doesn't function as random instant damage. It's more of a terrain hazard: one that punishes standing still in the open and rewards movement awareness.
Storm conditions increase ARC aggression and unit strength. The same encounters that are manageable in clear weather cost more resources (medkits, armor durability) when the modifier is active.
This is where the storm has the biggest tactical impact. Two extraction-specific changes happen during storm conditions:
Raider Hatches are disabled. The silent extraction option is gone for the duration. If your run was planned around a Raider Hatch exit (specifically to avoid broadcasting your position to other Raiders) you'll need a cargo elevator or airshaft instead. Both are louder. Both will announce your extraction to anyone in audio range.
Fewer extraction points are active. The map doesn't lose all extractions, but the total available count drops compared to normal conditions. The specific reduction varies by zone. The practical effect is less flexibility in where you can exit, which matters most when your first-choice extraction gets contested or ambushed.
Before inserting into a storm zone, check the ARC Raiders extraction guide for the extraction types available on your target map. Plan two fallback exits: if both of your primary cargo elevator locations are contested during a storm run, the reduced total count means fewer alternatives than normal.
ARC units increase in difficulty across two axes during storm conditions:
Aggression: units respond to player detection more aggressively and pursue further than their normal patrol boundaries. Players who rely on breaking contact and resetting at the edge of a patrol zone will find that pattern less reliable.
Strength, ARC units deal and absorb more damage during storm conditions. Specific values aren't published, but the differential is noticeable in direct engagements. Fights that are comfortable at the same level in clear conditions tend to cost more resources, medkits, armor durability, during a storm.
The combination means storm runs favor efficient movement and avoiding unnecessary ARC contact over farming kills. The Trial point multiplier rewards extractions and objective completions, not body count. Raiders who use ARC kills to farm materials for the run may find the storm's difficulty increase diminishes the efficiency of that approach.
For loadout selection during storm conditions, the ARC Raiders best solo loadouts guide covers quiet builds that minimize ARC detection: particularly relevant when storms make enemies more aggressive.
GODEEPER: How storm conditions affect specific ARC unit types: aggression patterns, detection behavior, and audio changes. ARC Raiders enemy types guide →
Storm conditions favor players who:
Storm conditions don't favor:
The storm isn't mandatory. It cycles on and off. If a zone's storm timing doesn't match your availability, you can insert during normal conditions and get the same map experience without the modifier. The Trial point efficiency loss is real, but so is the loadout cost savings from quieter runs.
What is the electromagnetic storm in ARC Raiders? A Major Map Modifier active on certain zones several times daily, each lasting up to an hour. It doubles Trial points, increases ARC aggression, disables Raider Hatches, reduces active extraction points, and adds ambient lightning that deals ~70 HP on a direct strike.
Does the storm shrink the play zone in ARC Raiders? No. The storm applies zone-wide effects (more aggressive enemies, disabled hatches, fewer extraction points) but does not progressively close off areas like a battle royale storm. You can move freely across the map.
How much damage does lightning deal in ARC Raiders? Approximately 70 HP. Strike zones are marked by electrical particle effects 2-3 seconds before impact. Surviving a direct hit awards 1,800 Trial points: intentionally triggerable for score.
Are Raider Hatches available during the electromagnetic storm? No. Completely disabled for the storm's duration. Use cargo elevators or airshafts instead.
Does the storm affect all maps in ARC Raiders? It cycles through certain zones several times daily, not all maps simultaneously. Check the map modifier indicator before inserting to confirm whether a storm is active.
How do I farm Trial points during the storm in ARC Raiders? The storm doubles all Trial points. Combine that with actively surviving lightning strikes (1,800 each) and completing objectives for maximum efficiency. The tradeoff is higher ARC aggression and no Raider Hatch option.
