Arc Raiders doesn't give you time to "warm up." One bad peek and you're back on the floor waiting for help. So before I even think about shooting, I treat recon like my real weapon—quiet checks, quick angles, and a plan for the next 10 seconds, not the next 10 kills. If you're gearing up or stocking essentials like ARC Raiders Coins, it still won't save a sloppy push; information is what keeps your run alive in the first place.

Read The Map Like A Clue Board

People talk about "high ground" like it's some old meme, but in this game it's straight-up rent-free vision. Climb anything you can. Roof edges, broken stairwells, that half-collapsed walkway you usually ignore. From up there, you're not just spotting a target—you're watching patterns. Who's rotating left, who's baiting, where the machines tend to funnel. And don't stare down your scope forever. Pan your camera, check your flanks, then move. The best recon spots are the ones you can leave fast.

Use Scans Early, Not Heroically Late

A lot of squads die with their scans still off cooldown. It's wild. Pop your recon tools before the first risky corner, not after you're already committed. If your kit can ping movement or light up threats, treat it like checking a doorway with a flashlight: quick, practical, repeatable. You're not looking for a "perfect" scan. You're looking for enough certainty to choose: rotate, hold, or bail. And when the scan hits? Don't instantly swing just because you've got a dot. Wait half a beat. See if it's a lone patrol or the front edge of something bigger.

Move Like You're Being Watched

Recon isn't camping. If you post up too long, someone's going to line up a shot or flank you while you're admiring the view. Keep changing your angle. Dash to a new window, drop a level, take the long way around, then peek from somewhere you didn't use last time. Simple rule: if you've checked one lane, don't re-peek it the same way twice. You'll also start hearing the map differently—footsteps on metal, a zipline, that mechanical churn around a corner. Those sounds are free info if you're not sprinting nonstop.

Squad Calls That Actually Win Fights

All the intel in the world is pointless if it stays in your head. Call what matters: direction, distance, and intent. "Two on the balcony, one dropping," beats "enemy here" every time. Mark quickly, then say what you want to do—hold, wrap, disengage. If your team's short on resources, it's worth planning ahead too; sites like RSVSR can help players pick up game currency and items, but in the raid itself your best purchase is still coordination, because clean comms turn messy encounters into controllable ones.