ARC Raiders Beachcombing: Detector, Route and Dig Traps on Riven Tides
Treasure Hunting on the Sands of Riven Tides
Beachcombing in ARC Raiders is a minor map condition on Riven Tides, added with the map on April 28, 2026. While it is active, buried finds show up along the coast, and you locate them with the Dockmaster's Detector. It works like a metal detector: follow the signal and dig where the device points.
The essentials: it is not a permanent mode, you need the detector in your kit before the raid starts, and an open beach is one of the most dangerous places on the map. Other Raiders know exactly why you are on the sand, and they know how to wait.
Below you will find when the condition rolls, where to get the detector, how a search runs, which route to take, and what happens when a dig goes wrong.
When Beachcombing Is Active
Riven Tides conditions rotate on the official schedule, and major and minor conditions refresh every hour. Beachcombing is a minor condition, so you only see it when Riven Tides is up and this particular condition rolls. Queueing for buried treasure without checking the schedule is pointless: with no active condition, there is nothing to dig.
Live rotations are easy to follow on third-party map trackers such as arcstatus.com. Still, check before you queue that Riven Tides actually rolled Beachcombing.
If the condition is not up, Riven Tides still has regular containers, quests and ARC fights. There just will not be buried finds that hour.
How to Get the Dockmaster's Detector
Without the detector you cannot run Beachcombing. It does not appear on its own, and you lose it if you die in a raid, so be ready to earn it again.
Here are the routes:
The Shoring Up Defenses quest from Apollo. You destroy 5 Wasps and 3 Fireflies, use 1 Arc Alloy to reinforce a Raider structure on a crane in Stacking Yard, and board up the hotel windows. Players disagree on whether the detector arrives on accepting the quest or on handing it in, so just count on the quest providing one. You can work through other quests alongside it.
The Avian Alarm project. Its first stage, Initial Flock Intake, with a bird trap at the Seabed buoys, granted the detector and 25 RT. The project was time-limited and expired around May 25-26, 2026. As of October 18, 2026 it has not returned, so treat this route as history.
Random loot. A detector can drop from containers and toolboxes on Riven Tides mid-raid, but do not plan around it.
The most predictable path today is the Apollo quest. Finish it before your first trip to the coast. If you want to speed up your progress, leveling can unlock the needed progression faster, and coins can cover consumables for the trip.
How Scanning and Digging Work
Once in the match, equip the detector and move along the shore with it in hand. The signal color tells you how close you are: orange means far, yellow means closer, and green brings up the dig prompt. Dig only on green.
Digging takes time, and you are standing in the open the whole time. Before you press the button, look around: is there a rock, a crate or a boat hull to crouch behind, and where do you run if other players arrive at the noise?
A practical tip: scan in short passes and change position after every find. Staying in one place is the fastest way to lose both your loot and your detector. This is tactical advice, not a game rule.
A Route Along the North Coast
Buried finds are concentrated on the north of the map. Start on the northern coast, the Seabed area and the beach north of the Port Authority Building: according to player reports, that stretch gives the smoothest path between dig points.
A simple raid plan looks like this:
Confirm Beachcombing is active in the lobby.
Head quickly to the north coast while it is still quiet.
Scan in short passes without standing still.
Dig only with cover or a quick exit nearby.
Leave for extraction after two or three good finds.
That last step is tactical advice, not a game rule. If the lobby feels quiet you can stay longer, but the more time you spend on the beach, the likelier you are to meet a squad that simply camps diggers. A solid loadout helps: check weapon blueprints and pick a gun that handles open-range fights.
Traps, Mines and Other Players
Not every dig is a pleasant surprise. Some spots hide landmines, and others bring Ticks or other trouble nearby. The detector does not tell you what lies underground, so treat every dig as a possible trap.
Mines can be handled: if you stand still and hold the interact button, you can disarm one. Step away and it goes off. So when you realize a mine is under you, do not run. Try to disarm it first, then decide what to do next.
The second source of risk is the open coastline. It is exposed to snipers, and the noise of digging can draw ARC patrols. Stay close to cliffs and structures, and avoid digging in a clear line of sight from high ground.
If Raiders are already closing in, walking away empty-handed beats losing the detector. It stays with you only until you die, and the quest is the easiest way to get it back, so do not gamble everything on one find.
What You Can Find and How to Prepare
Digs have no full reward table. Two notable categories are known for sure: Ship Models of various rarities and Blue Suitcases tied to Leviathan's Crown. Players describe the rest only in broad terms, such as valuables and crafting materials.
Such finds used to help with the Avian Alarm and Last Resort projects. Last Resort ran from April 28 to May 25, 2026 and has ended, and Avian Alarm has also closed. Ship Models were valued at 5, 10, 25, 50 and 250 Merits depending on rarity, but today that is just a note on past events.
What to bring:
a light kit you can afford to lose and a compact set of healing;
enough ammo and consumables that you are not draining your stash; if space is tight, a stash expansion helps;
developed abilities: plan your skill tree ahead of time;
keys where they open rooms on your path: see the list of keys;
a dependable weapon from an upgraded crafting station.
Is Beachcombing Worth the Trip
Beachcombing suits players who like short, risky raids: value builds up quickly, and you do not have to spend the whole match searching. It is less friendly to newcomers, since it demands both attention to the signal and readiness to fight in open terrain.
The condition works best alongside normal looting on Riven Tides: a quick sweep of the beach first, then the main route. If a squad shows up on the way, leave. The condition will return on the schedule, and a lost detector has to be earned again.
The short version of the prep: check the schedule, bring the detector, go in light and do not get greedy. Two or three finds are enough for one raid; past that, risk grows faster than reward.