If you’re stepping into the world of Arc Raiders, one of the smartest options you’ll want to understand early on is the Free Loadout. This is an alternate gear path that helps you jump into missions without risking your crafted, hard-earned inventory. Below is a clear, easy-to-read guide on how to get and use free loadouts, plus when they’re worth it and when they aren’t.
A Free Loadout is a no-cost gear kit you can deploy with instead of using your custom loadout in Arc Raiders. It gives you a randomized set of weapons, basic equipment, and consumables—all without dipping into your stash or crafting resources. The catch: the gear is lower tier, you cannot use your own items in that run, and you lack certain protections that come with a custom kit.
Because it’s “free”, you can use it whenever you like (no cooldown) and if you manage to extract successfully, you keep whatever you carried out. But if you die, you lose the loadout, and you didn’t risk your premium gear.
How to Get a Free Loadout – Step-by-Step
Here’s how you actually choose a free loadout in the game:
- From the main menu, press Play to enter the raid preparation screen.
- Select your map for the expedition.
- On the loadout screen you’ll see two options: Custom Loadout (your own gear) and Free Loadout. Select the Free Loadout tab.
- Once you choose Free Loadout, click Ready Up and matchmaking will begin. At the start of the mission you’ll have a randomized kit.
- After successful extraction, all items you carried from that run will join your stash permanently. If you’re eliminated, you lose it all.
What’s Inside a Free Loadout?
Because the kit is randomized, there’s variation from run to run. Generally, you can expect the following:
- One weapon (basic/common rarity) and ammo for it.
- One or two throwables (like grenades).
- Two medkits or similar healing items.
- A light shield (common/uncommon).
- One Free Loadout Augment that offers less inventory space than the custom or paid augment.
- No safe pocket, meaning there’s no slot to guarantee keeping items if you die.
This makes free loadouts great for risk-free exploration, but not ideal for high-tier encounters.
When Should You Use a Free Loadout?
There are specific occasions when a Free Loadout is the smarter pick:
- You’ve just suffered a wipe or lost your gear and want to jump back in without risking what’s left.
- You’re new to the game and still learning maps, mechanics, or extraction points.
- You want to do a low-risk “scavenger” or quest run where you’re not planning heavy PvP or high-stakes objectives.
- Your stash is empty or you’re trying to rebuild before spending resources on a custom loadout.
The Free Loadout helps you keep playing even if your main inventory is depleted. It’s designed to reduce downtime and give you a second chance to gather loot without worrying about losses.
When It’s Better Not to Use a Free Loadout
While Free Loadouts have their advantages, there are times when using your custom gear is a better move:
- You’ve built strong weapons, high-tier augments, or special gear that gives you a significant combat advantage.
- The mission requires bringing in specific items from your stash—Free Loadouts don’t allow that.
- You want to use safe-pocket slots, which protect key items even if you die.
- You’re going after rare loot or challenging high-level enemies and need the best possible equipment.
If you’re aiming for endgame content or want to maximize your rewards per run, stick with your custom loadout.
