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ARC Raiders is online multiplayer-only, but you can launch a one-player run or enter with two- or three-person teams. Your best choice depends on the quest, your teammates, your tolerance for losing a run, and whether you are protecting progress before an Expedition.
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What solo and squad play actually change
The quest objectives themselves do not become a different game mode when you change party size. What changes is how many decisions, risks, and jobs your group can handle at once.
| Factor | Solo | Duo or trio |
|---|---|---|
| Control | You choose the route, pace, fights, and extraction timing. | Movement and decisions are shared with other players. |
| Coordination | No teammate dependency; every task is yours. | Teammates can cover angles, revive a downed player, carry items, and divide attention. |
| Risk | A mistake, ambush, or down can end the run because there is no teammate safety net. | More combat capacity and recovery options, but more noise, visibility, and communication demands. |
| Quest execution | Well suited to quiet collection, scouting, and personal pacing. | Well suited to contested objectives, protection, and situations requiring simultaneous coverage. |
| Published evidence | No universal solo completion advantage has been published. | No universal squad completion advantage has been published. |
That distinction matters because a larger party is not an automatic quest-speed bonus. A squad can solve a dangerous encounter quickly, yet lose time waiting for a separated player, attracting attention, or attempting a fight that a solo Raider would have bypassed. A solo Raider can move quietly and leave on their own schedule, but one bad engagement has a much higher cost.
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How to decide before queuing
Use the following decision test rather than choosing by habit.
Choose solo when control is the priority
- You want to scout, collect, and extract without negotiating every turn with teammates.
- Your objective can be approached quietly or completed in a single area.
- You are comfortable disengaging instead of taking every fight.
- You can accept that a down or ambush may end the run immediately.
- Your regular teammates are unavailable, unreliable, or using a different pace.
Choose a coordinated duo or trio when support is the priority
- The route passes through dangerous ARC activity or a location likely to attract other Raiders.
- You need one player watching an angle while another interacts, searches, or carries an item.
- You are learning an area and want someone who can revive, cover a retreat, or explain the route.
- Your planned haul is heavy enough that carrying and escorting it are concerns.
- Your group can communicate a simple plan before entering the run.
Do not confuse a full party with a coordinated party
A trio of strangers who split in three directions may provide less practical help than one reliable teammate. Squad benefits depend on proximity, communication, and a shared extraction plan. If your teammates do not stay close enough to revive or cover one another, you are paying the visibility and coordination costs without receiving the safety benefits.
What is known about quest rewards and progress
Quests can award gear and customization items. That makes the decision more consequential than simply choosing the most entertaining firefight: losing a run can delay an item or objective you have already invested time in.
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Quest credit can vary by mission and update. Do not assume that every objective is automatically shared with every squad member. Before relying on a teammate to complete an interaction or pickup for the whole group, check the wording of that particular quest and confirm whose progress advances.
Solo quest runs: a practical method
Solo play rewards preparation and restraint. The aim is not to win every encounter; it is to complete the required work and leave with enough margin to survive the return route.
- Read the quest before matchmaking. Separate objectives that require collection, travel, interaction, or a dangerous location. A quiet collection task may be a good solo run, while an objective that forces prolonged exposure deserves more caution.
- Set a stopping point. Decide what you will consider a successful run before you enter. For example, you might leave after the required item is secured rather than adding optional loot that increases exposure. The exact threshold is yours; the important part is making it before pressure builds.
- Choose a route with an exit in mind. Plan how you will approach the objective and how you will reach extraction if another Raider or an ARC threat appears. A route that works only when nothing goes wrong is not a complete solo plan.
- Scout before committing. Use your first moments to identify threats and escape directions. If the area is busy, wait, circle, or abandon the approach. Solo success often comes from refusing a bad timing window.
- Complete the minimum required interaction. Avoid turning a quest step into an unnecessary loot sweep. Every extra search extends the time you remain exposed and can make the extraction route harder.
- Disengage early. If a fight is not required, break contact and move. A solo Raider has no partner to revive them after a prolonged exchange, so preserving the run is often more valuable than proving that an encounter can be won.
- Extract with margin. Begin the return while you still have options. Do not wait until the final safe moment if the objective is already complete; an unexpected encounter can turn a successful quest run into a defeat.
When solo is especially efficient
Solo is often comfortable for quiet collection, scouting, and personal pacing. You can pause to listen, change direction, or leave without waiting for a teammate. It is also easier to keep a low profile when only one player must move through the area. These are practical advantages, not measured completion-rate claims.
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Solo’s non-negotiable weakness
There is no teammate safety net. If you are downed, an ambush catches you in the open, or an ARC encounter consumes your escape options, the run can end immediately. Build your route around avoiding situations that require a rescue rather than assuming you can recover after a mistake.
Duo and trio quest runs: a practical method
Squad play works best when each person has a clear job and everyone agrees on when to leave. Extra guns alone do not guarantee progress.
- Confirm the objective and credit rules. Read the quest together and identify whether the step appears to require each player to interact, collect, or remain nearby. If the wording is unclear, have the player who needs credit perform the interaction rather than assuming the whole squad advances.
- Assign a simple formation. One player can lead the route, another can watch a vulnerable angle, and a third can stay close enough to revive or carry. Keep the arrangement flexible; the purpose is shared coverage, not rigid choreography.
- Set a communication rule. Call out when you have seen an ARC threat, another Raider, a completed objective, or a reason to retreat. Short, consistent calls prevent three players from making three different decisions.
- Keep the team close enough to help. Splitting may appear faster, but a separated player cannot benefit from cover or a revive. Divide attention only when the objective and escape routes make the separation safe.
- Use the squad’s extra capacity deliberately. Have one player watch while another completes an interaction, or have a teammate carry while another checks the route. Do not create noise and exposure merely because more players are present.
- Choose a retreat trigger. Agree in advance that the squad leaves after the required step, after a teammate is downed, or when a fight becomes too visible. A predefined trigger prevents an optional fight from consuming a completed quest run.
- Extract together when practical. A player who reaches safety while another is still exposed may not have converted the squad’s extra strength into a safer result. Keep the final route and timing shared.
When a duo is the best compromise
A duo offers one partner for cover, carrying, and recovery without requiring a three-person group to coordinate every movement. It can be a strong choice for a player learning a dangerous area or for a quest that combines a vulnerable interaction with a difficult return route.
When a trio earns its complexity
A trio is most useful when the route demands simultaneous coverage, when a contested objective can attract several threats, or when the group wants dedicated support while another player carries or interacts. The larger party also creates more opportunities for noise, visibility, and disagreement, so it needs clearer communication than a duo.
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Quest runs expose you to two broad categories of danger: ARC encounters and other Raiders. Squad size changes how you respond to both, but it does not remove the need to choose fights carefully.
Against ARC encounters
A coordinated squad can divide attention, cover an escape, and keep a downed player from becoming an immediate run-ending loss. That makes a squad attractive when the quest route necessarily passes through a dangerous ARC area or when you are still learning threat patterns.
Solo play instead favors avoidance. You have no teammate to hold an angle while you retreat, so the safe solo answer is often to scout, wait for a better opening, or reroute before the encounter becomes unavoidable.
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Against other Raiders
A squad may deter or survive a contested engagement because several players can watch different approaches. It also presents a larger footprint: more movement, more opportunities to be seen, and more coordination required to retreat together. A solo Raider can sometimes pass unnoticed, but cannot rely on a partner to recover a failed engagement.
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Solo vs Squads: the level-40 challenge option
Embark’s January 27, 2026 Headwinds Patch Notes, version 1.13.0, added a special Solo vs Squads option. The official wording says: “Solo Raiders level 40 and above will get the ‘Solo vs Squad’ toggle above matchmaking to join the Squads queue and tackle squads of Raiders head-on.”
This is not a general recommendation that solo play is better for quests. It is a higher-risk matchmaking choice for eligible experienced solo players who want to enter the Squads queue alone.
| Requirement or effect | What it means |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | Solo Raiders must be level 40 or above, according to the January 27, 2026 patch notes. |
| Queue | The toggle places the solo player in the Squads queue. |
| Risk | You are choosing to face squads without teammates to revive or cover you. |
| XP bonus | Embark specifies 20% bonus XP at the end of the round, whether you successfully extract or are defeated. |
| Quest value | The bonus is XP, not a published guarantee of faster quest completion, better loot, or higher extraction rates. |
Use this toggle only after verifying that it is currently available in your client and that your Raider meets the level requirement. Treat the 20% figure as the patch-defined end-of-round bonus for eligible Solo vs Squads rounds, not as a universal solo reward multiplier.
The October 2026 PvE matchmaking-toggle beta
Embark announced a temporary PvE matchmaking-toggle beta running October 13–20, 2026. During that dated test window, reduced pressure from hostile players may change how a quest route feels. It should not be presented as a permanent matchmaking rule.
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If you are deciding on October 18, 2026, you are inside that announced window. Check the live in-game matchmaking screen and the latest official announcement for the exact options available to your region and account. If you read this after October 20, do not assume the toggle remains active; a beta can end, change scope, or return in a different form.
How Expeditions should affect your choice
Because PC Gamer’s May 1, 2026 guide reports that quest progress resets when a character is sent on an Expedition, separate two decisions that are easy to mix up:
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- Run choice: whether to attempt the quest solo or with a squad right now.
- Progression choice: whether to send the character on an Expedition and accept the reported reset.
If you intend to start an Expedition soon, protect the time-sensitive goals you want to finish first. A safer solo route may be preferable when the objective is quiet and repeatable. A coordinated squad may be worth the added visibility when the objective is dangerous and one failed attempt would cost more time than the coordination takes. The correct answer depends on what you value before the reset: completing a progression path, collecting quest rewards, or taking a high-risk challenge.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common mistakes and how to correct them
Assuming squads automatically share quest progress
Problem: One teammate completes an interaction while another expects credit and later discovers the objective did not advance.
Correction: Read the mission wording and have each player who needs credit perform the required action when practical. Objective behavior can vary by quest and update.
Using a squad for a quest that rewards stealth
Problem: The group creates more movement and noise than the objective requires.
Correction: Keep the team compact, avoid optional fights, and leave after the required step. If the squad cannot maintain a quiet route, a solo attempt may fit the objective better.
Taking a solo challenge into a mandatory fight
Problem: A player selects solo for control but reaches an encounter that offers no safe disengagement.
Correction: Reclassify the run before queuing. Bring a reliable duo or trio for the dangerous route, or change the approach so the encounter is avoidable.
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Chasing optional loot after the quest is complete
Problem: A successful objective becomes a failed extraction because the player stays for extra searches.
Correction: Decide the stopping point before the run and treat completion as the signal to begin the return.
Relying on outdated matchmaking advice
Problem: A guide treats the Solo vs Squads toggle or the PvE beta as a permanent rule.
Correction: Verify the current in-game toggle, your level, and the dates attached to the feature. The Solo vs Squads option is tied to the level-40 requirement in Embark’s January 27, 2026 notes; the PvE toggle was announced as an October 13–20, 2026 beta.
A quick choice guide by player situation
| Your situation | Better starting choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| You are learning a route and can avoid fights. | Solo | One pace, one plan, and no dependence on a teammate’s position. |
| You are learning a dangerous area. | Duo | A reliable partner can cover, revive, and help identify a retreat. |
| The objective is contested or requires coverage. | Coordinated duo or trio | Players can divide observation, interaction, carrying, and protection. |
| You have no teammate but want a high-risk challenge. | Solo vs Squads, if level 40+ and available | You enter the Squads queue alone and receive the specified 20% end-of-round XP bonus, including on defeat. |
| You are close to an Expedition decision. | The safer format for your exact quest | PC Gamer reports that quest progress resets when the character is sent on an Expedition. |
| You are playing during October 13–20, 2026. | Check the PvE toggle first | The announced beta may change hostile-player pressure, but its availability is temporary. |
What the available evidence does not prove
No cited authoritative source publishes a controlled solo-versus-squad comparison for quest speed, extraction rate, reward value, or loot earned. That means a precise claim such as “trios finish quests a certain percentage faster” or “solo extracts more often” would be unsupported. Player skill, route familiarity, communication quality, quest type, matchmaking conditions, and willingness to disengage can all change the result.
The most defensible conclusion is therefore practical rather than statistical: choose solo for independence and quiet control; choose a coordinated squad for coverage, recovery, and dangerous objectives. Reassess when the quest changes, your teammates change, or a temporary matchmaking test changes the environment.
Final recommendation
For most players, start solo when the quest is a quiet collection or scouting job and you are comfortable abandoning a fight. Switch to a reliable duo or trio when the route is dangerous, the objective is contested, or carrying and reviving matter more than stealth. If you are level 40 or above and deliberately want to challenge squads alone, verify the Solo vs Squads toggle and treat its 20% end-of-round XP as the stated challenge reward—not proof of better quest performance. Before an Expedition, account for the reported quest-progress reset and finish the goals you are unwilling to lose.
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