🚨 THREE STARS IN JUST TWO MATCHES?! The ARC Raiders Trials Hack Everyone’s OBSESSED With! 🚨

Raiders, are you SICK of grinding Trials for hours only to miss that Epic blueprint? Imagine this: you drop into Dam Battlegrounds, dodge a rival squad, snag husks and plants like a pro, and BOOM—three stars on THREE trials in ONE run! 😱 Then, one more Spaceport raid, and you’re swimming in loot, laughing at the leaderboard! Sounds too good to be true? It’s NOT. The Cold Snap update has players going WILD with this secret strategy—but one mistake could cost you EVERYTHING. 👀 Click to uncover the routes, loadouts, and drama that’ll make you a Trials legend!

In ARC Raiders, Embark Studios’ hit extraction shooter, the Weekly Trials are a golden ticket to Epic-tier loot, blueprints, and exclusive cosmetics. Unlocked at player level 15, these five weekly challenges pit players against randomized objectives—damaging enemies, looting husks, or harvesting plants—to earn points and climb leaderboards. Achieving a three-star rating (4,000 points per challenge) guarantees high-value rewards, but the grind can be daunting, especially after an Expedition wipe leaves players gearless. With the Cold Snap update in December 2025 boosting loot opportunities, a new strategy has emerged to three-star all trials in just two matches. Here’s how to master Week 9’s trials (December 22–29, 2025) efficiently, using budget loadouts and optimized routes.

Understanding the Trials System

The Trials system is ARC Raiders’ competitive backbone, rewarding players for completing five weekly challenges, from killing Ticks to breaching Frozen Raider Containers. Each challenge tracks points earned in a single raid, with only the best score counting. To hit three stars, players need 4,000 points per trial, but major map conditions—Night Raids, Electromagnetic Storms, Hidden Bunker, and Cold Snap—double points, making 2,000 sufficient. Rewards include Uncommon (1,000 points), Rare (2,500 points), and Epic (4,000 points) crates, with seasonal cosmetics for high leaderboard ranks. Extraction is critical, as dying voids progress unless loot is secured in safe pockets.

Week 9’s trials, live from December 22 to 29, 2025, include Search Husks, Damage Leapers, Harvest Plants, Search Frozen Raider Containers, and Destroy Ticks. Community guides and interactive maps have pinpointed strategies to complete these in two matches, leveraging the Cold Snap event’s boosted spawns and double-point modifiers.

Match 1: Dam Battlegrounds (Night Raid/Cold Snap)

The first match targets three trials—Search Husks, Harvest Plants, and Search Frozen Raider Containers—on Dam Battlegrounds during a Night Raid or Cold Snap event. This map’s clustered spawns and accessible extraction points make it ideal for efficient runs.

Search Husks: First Wave husks (Wasp, Rocketeer, Baron) are scattered across Dam Battlegrounds, with Old Battleground and Red Lake POIs offering 15–20 husks. Each husk yields 200–800 points in Night Raids, so looting 5–7 (prioritizing Barons) hits three stars. Start at Old Battleground, sweep northeast to Red Lake, and use an interactive map (e.g., arcraidersmaps.app) to locate husks. A free loadout with Looting Mk.2 ensures husks are secured in safe pockets.
Harvest Plants: Great Mullein and Agave plants are abundant in the Hydroponic Dome Complex and eastern swamp. Collecting 15 plants in Night Raids (300 points each) secures three stars. Begin at the Dome, grabbing 8–10 plants, then move to the swamp for the rest. A free loadout minimizes risk, as plants are uncontested.
Search Frozen Raider Containers: Exclusive to Cold Snap, these snow-covered Raider caches spawn in the western forest, marked by a ticking sound. Each cache yields 1,000 points in Night Raids, so four caches hit three stars. Patrol the forest’s outskirts, breaching caches with a pickaxe, and avoid PvP by staying low.

Route and Loadout: Drop at Hydroponic Dome, harvest plants, then move to Old Battleground for husks. Swing west to the forest for caches, extracting via the Sunroof hatch (southeast of Pale Apartments) with a Raider Hatch Key for safety. Use a budget loadout: Stitcher (PvP), Anvil (ARC damage), two Blaze Grenades, and Snap Hook for mobility. Equip Looting Mk.2 for two safe pockets. Time the run for 10–15 minutes to avoid rival squads.

Match 2: Spaceport or Stella Montis (Night Raid)

The second match tackles Damage Leapers and Destroy Ticks, splitting efforts between Spaceport (Leapers) and Stella Montis (Ticks) or focusing on one map if spawns align. Night Raids are essential for double points.

Damage Leapers: Leapers, agile minibosses, are weak to fire and armor-piercing weapons. Spaceport’s Water Treatment Elevator area spawns 2–3 Leapers, each yielding ~2,000 points in Night Raids. Two Blaze Grenades and an Anvil targeting the eye or joints can kill one Leaper, securing three stars. Alternatively, Dam Battlegrounds’ Testing Annex is viable. Move quickly to avoid PvP, and extract via a hatch.
Destroy Ticks: Ticks are weak, unarmored enemies swarming Stella Montis’ Seed Vault and Research areas. Killing 7–9 Ticks (400–500 points each in Night Raids) hits three stars. Use a pickaxe or Stitcher for ammo efficiency, clearing rooms methodically. If combining with Leapers, Spaceport’s perimeter may spawn Ticks, but Stella Montis is faster.

Route and Loadout: For Spaceport, drop near Water Treatment, engage Leapers, and check perimeter Ticks before extracting. For Stella Montis, rush Seed Vault, clear Ticks, and extract via a nearby hatch. The same budget loadout (Stitcher, Anvil, Blaze Grenades, Snap Hook, Looting Mk.2) works, with grenades reserved for Leapers. Squads can split tasks, sharing points for faster clears.

Why Two Matches Work

This two-match strategy leverages Dam Battlegrounds’ density for three trials and Spaceport/Stella Montis’ reliable spawns for the rest. Night Raids or Cold Snap conditions halve point requirements, and safe pockets ensure progress even in failed extractions. Squad play accelerates clears, as points are shared, but solo players can succeed by using Merchant Squad outfits to deter PvP and hatch keys for quick exits. Interactive maps reduce RNG, pinpointing husks, plants, and caches.

Challenges and Mitigations

Despite the streamlined approach, challenges remain. PvP is a risk in Spaceport’s open areas, so players should avoid high-traffic POIs like Launch Tower. RNG can affect husk or cache spawns, but Dam Battlegrounds’ density minimizes this. Post-Expedition players may lack gear, making free loadouts and safe pockets critical. Recent patches nerfed some spawn rates, but Cold Snap’s boosted loot offsets this. Community tips suggest waiting until Tuesday or Wednesday to avoid “leaderboard monsters” and secure easier brackets.

Loadout and Team Tips

A budget loadout keeps costs low: Stitcher for PvP encounters, Anvil for Leaper damage, Blaze Grenades for fire-based kills, and Snap Hook for mobility. Looting Mk.2’s safe pockets are a lifesaver for securing husks or plants. Squads should coordinate roles—one player looting, another engaging enemies—to maximize points. Solo players can signal friendliness with Merchant Squad outfits, reducing PvP risks. Interactive maps (e.g., arcraidersmaps.app) are essential for planning routes.

Community Buzz and Cold Snap Impact

The Cold Snap update has electrified the ARC Raiders community, with players reporting “explosive” loot drops and easier trials due to doubled points. Social media posts highlight Dam Battlegrounds’ forest caches and Stella Montis’ Tick swarms as “brain-dead easy” for three stars. The update’s snow-covered aesthetic and ticking caches add immersion, but some players warn of increased PvP during Cold Snap events. Embark Studios’ roadmap promises more content in 2026, keeping trials fresh.

Conclusion

Achieving three stars on all Week 9 Trials in ARC Raiders doesn’t require endless grinding. By targeting Dam Battlegrounds for husks, plants, and caches, then hitting Spaceport or Stella Montis for Leapers and Ticks, players can complete all challenges in two matches. Night Raids, budget loadouts, and interactive maps make this feasible for solo or squad players, even post-Expedition. As ARC Raiders continues to dominate with its Cold Snap update, mastering trials is a surefire way to stockpile Epic loot and climb ranks. With these strategies, raiders can turn a daunting grind into a quick, rewarding sprint.