The Rust Belt doesn’t only threaten you with ARCs and rival Raiders, the game world also puts you in trouble. Every few hours, one of ARC Raiders’ maps is consumed by an Electromagnetic Storm, a brutal weather event that fills the skies with lightning and howling winds. The storms twist the extraction rules, impact danger zones, and increase the tension of every raid. On the Dam Battlegrounds or Blue Gate, when you see the map version labeled “Electromagnetic Storm,” you enter the event-enabled region. It’s the same map but with half the safety, double the danger, and a handful of new tricks to learn to survive.
What the Electromagnetic Storm Does in ARC Raiders
An Electromagnetic Storm is a map modifier that rolls across maps at different times of day and lasts around an hour. When active, it changes normal conditions into hard, intense weather. Lightning cracks across the landscape, rain floods the sky, and visibility drops. Sparks flicker across the ground, and anyone (or anything) standing there will take massive damage on its hit. The storm is powerful enough to fry electronics and ARC units, temporarily stuns or even destroys them if they’re unlucky to be struck.
Gameplay-wise, some major changes happen during a storm:
- Extraction points are limited. Only a few Return Points remain active, which forces more players to the same extract zones.
- Raider Hatches are locked. Hatch Keys won’t work during this event, so you lose that escape option.
- Difficulty spikes. Enemy ARCs deal higher damage than normal and appear more aggressive, and some spawn points shift to make combat more unpredictable.
- Trials rewards double. Any progress you make toward Trials earns 2× the normal points.
The storms appear on all major maps, but are very hard in:
- Dam Battlegrounds: Difficulty 4/5 (normal 2/5)
- Spaceport: Difficulty 5/5 (normal 3/5)
- Blue Gate: Difficulty 5/5 (normal 4/5)
In early previews, Embark teased that lightning might create “curious formations” — strange objects or residual anomalies left after strikes. The community is still chasing these reports, and so are we, but scattered stories tell players finding rare loot near lightning impact zones. Nothing concrete yet, but it’s worth searching around when you see a strike hit close by.
How to Survive the Electromagnetic Storm
Fewer extraction points during Electromagnetic Storm in ARC Raiders mean more PvP pressure, and every team on the map funnels toward the same limited exits. Campers thrive here, and wait to attack desperate Raiders trying to escape with their loot. The best strategy is to scout your exit before you commit. Use scopes to check elevator platforms and Return Points from a distance. Don’t sprint in blind — a single ambush can end a perfect run.
Lightning management is another means of survival. The sparks that precede strikes can appear anywhere, and they occasionally favor players in open areas. If you see the ground start to glow or hear a similar hum, dodge out of the radius immediately. On the other end, you can use this lightning as a weapon — ARC struck by it can stun or destroy. So you can use the thunder light to lure drones into these spots for free kills without a single bullet being fired. Because the thunder drowns out gunfire and footsteps, stealth play is much easier in the storm. You can sneak past squads, loot safely, or change position without giving away your location.
Despite how intense the Electromagnetic Storms are, it’s not a loot jackpot. Loot quality doesn’t increase in the event, unlike Night Raids, so there’ll be the same general tier of materials and blueprints. But a few players have seen more downed ARC machines in open areas, which drop quality items like ARC Alloys, ARC Powercells, Gun Parts, Ammos, Rocketeer Drivers, purple-tier materials, etc. The best reward is the 2× Trials multiplier and the chaos-driven PvPvE dynamic. It’s the right time to push for progression or farm challenges if you’re confident that you can handle the storm’s danger (or enjoy such harsh weather).
Difference Between Electromagnetic Storms and Night Raids
At a glance, both events seem similar — dark skies, limited extraction, and more danger — but the difference lies in mechanical impact. Night Raids increase loot quality and reduce visibility for everyone, and Electromagnetic Storms increase raw difficulty, remove hatch escapes, and bring environmental hazards. If Night Raids test your patience and awareness, storm weather tests your adaptability. You manage PvP choke points, random lightning strikes, and aggressive ARCs when you know that there’s no easy way out.
