That said, be cautious. Extraction points in swamp areas are often prime ambush locations, and the Central Swamp Lift is no exception. Before initiating extraction, take a moment to scan your surroundings, check sightlines, and listen for ARC Raiders Coins enemy movement. Keeping your weapon ready could mean the difference between a successful extraction and losing your newly acquired key.

If everything goes smoothly, extract and return to Speranza to turn in the quest.

Quest Rewards and What Comes Next

Upon completing A Toxic Trail and reporting back, you'll unlock the next quest in the storyline: The Stench of Corruption. This follow-up continues the investigation into the poisoned water supply and is required if you want to earn the Warden outfit, one of the standout cosmetic rewards tied to this questline.

While A Toxic Trail is relatively short, it plays an important role in advancing the narrative and setting up future objectives. It also rewards attentive exploration, encouraging players to revisit earlier locations and re-examine clues with fresh context.

Final Tips for Completing A Toxic Trail

Extraction isn't required, but highly recommended if you want to keep the Spaceport Warehouse Key.

You don't need to interact with the barrel-just standing in the contaminated water progresses the quest.

The truck is nearby, so avoid unnecessary combat or risky detours.

Always check the Central Swamp Lift for campers before extracting ARCR Items.

A Toxic Trail may not be the longest quest in Arc Raiders, but it delivers meaningful story progression and a useful reward if you play it smart. Stay alert, follow the clues, and you'll be one step closer to uncovering the truth behind the water contamination.

If you want to climb the Arc Raiders leaderboard or simply secure strong weekly rewards, mastering the trial system is essential. Trials are among the most competitive activities in the game-high pressure, heavily optimized, and demanding precise routing and teamwork. This guide breaks down the core rules, the best maps, spawn systems, and high-level strategies used by top players to consistently secure elite scores.

Why Trials Matter

Trials are rotating, time-limited challenges that award points based on performance. These points determine your weekly bracket placement and reward you with cosmetics, blueprints, and progression boosters. While reaching the upper leaderboard brackets is tough, understanding the mechanics dramatically improves efficiency-even for casual players. Knowing which trials are worth running, which ARCR Items to bring, and how enemy timers work can completely change your weekly results.

The Three Golden Rules of Trial Success

1. Prioritize 2× Multiplier Trials

Certain trial types-such as Night Raids, Electromagnetic Storm, and Hidden Bunker-offer powerful 2× point multipliers. These should always be your first choice, as they significantly outperform daily modifiers like Prospecting Probes or Lush Blooms. Even when extra mobs appear in those daily trials, you rarely have time to farm them efficiently. Multipliers are king.

2. Go All-In Every Run

High-tier trials require heavy investment. Top scores consistently use:

Wolf packs

High-tier guns

Lure and blaze grenades

Mines and barricades

Multiple stims

Half-measures rarely succeed-commit fully or try again later.

3. Learn Enemy Spawn Patterns

Arc Raiders' enemy spawns follow predictable, fixed rules. For example, Leapers in Damn Battlegrounds always rotate between four set spawn points. Killing one starts a respawn timer, and optimal runs manipulate this timing to secure multiple waves in a single raid.

Understanding spawn logic is the foundation of high-level play.

Top Trial Maps (and When to Use Them)

Damn Battlegrounds

An excellent all-round map, perfect for:

Ground enemies

Leapers

Field Depot objectives

Farming multiple spawn types

This map's layout makes it easy to chain spawns and maintain high pacing.

Spaceport

Ideal for:

Hidden Bunker

Electromagnetic Storm

Prospecting Probes (thanks to rooftops and verticality)

Fast movement tools like zip lines shine here.

Buried City

Better suited for solo activities such as:

Damage Snitches

Fireballs and Pops

Be cautious: PvP activity is heavy.

Spawn Behavior and Timer Mechanics

Ground Enemies (Leapers, Rocketeers, Bombarders)

Leapers rotate between four predictable areas on Damn Battlegrounds.

Rocketeers and Bastions often require splitting your squad to handle parallel spawns.

Boss enemies like ARCR Coins the Queen offer more health, less disruptive abilities, and easier damage windows than the Matriarch-making her the preferred target.