Best Loadouts for Every Arc Raiders Map Size (Small, Medium, Large)

New maps drop fast. Your team shouldn't fumble the first wave.

If you've ever loaded into a brand-new Arc Raiders map and felt your default kit instantly become a liability, you're not alone. Embark's 2026 roadmap promises a broader spectrum of map sizes — from tighter arenas to sprawling battlegrounds — and that means the meta now rewards flexibility as much as raw aim. This guide gives you practical, ready-to-use loadout presets, role recommendations, and quick drills so squads can adapt in minutes when a new map hits.

Why map size changes the loadout meta in 2026

Late 2025 and early 2026 updates pushed Arc Raiders toward faster rotations, more verticality, and clearer role differentiation. Design lead Virgil Watkins confirmed multiple new maps in 2026 spanning smaller and grander scales — which will tilt the value of speed, range, and utility in different directions.

In short:

• Small maps amplify close-quarters engagements and grenades; reaction time and mobility dominate.
• Medium maps reward balanced kits and layered approaches: mid-range weapons, recon tools, and area control.
• Large maps turn recon, long-range DPS, and stamina/survivability perks into must-haves.

Team size and role framework (how to apply the presets)

Arc Raiders teams usually run 3–4 players. The loadouts below are built to be mixed into squads of that size. If you have fewer players, prioritize roles that cover recon and sustain. If in a full 4-man team, split the following roles: Scout, Anchor, Flanker, and Support.

Role shorthand

• Scout: Primary recon and target finder. Fast, light, long-sighting capability.
• Anchor: Area control and sustained DPS. Holds objectives and windows.
• Flanker: Aggressive mover, clears close quarters and disrupts enemies.
• Support: Healing/repairs, ammo / utility deploys, and crowd control.

Quick decision matrix: Which loadout class first?

Before you pick, ask three rapid questions during the spawn screen:

1. Map size: Small / Medium / Large?
2. Objective pacing: Slow (hold) or Fast (hit-and-run)?
3. Visibility & verticality: Tight corridors, mixed-level, or long sightlines?

Your answers guide the primary trade-off: mobility vs. range. Now let’s build exact presets you can copy in the loadout menu.

Small map loadouts — high tempo, high impact

Small maps favor fast windows, tight corners, and explosive exchanges. Your priorities are mobility, close-quarters lethality, and utility that clears rooms or denies areas.

Preset: CQB Flanker (best for 1–2 players)

• Primary: SMG with fast fire rate and hip-fire stability
• Secondary: Compact shotgun for doorways
• Gadget: Flashbang or stun grenade — clears rooms fast
• Perks/Mods: Sprint boost, reduced ADS time, quick reload
• Role tip: Your job is to bait and collapse. Use pre-fire in tight chokepoints and cut off rotations.

Preset: Anchor (small map hold)

• Primary: Short-barrel AR with high initial accuracy
• Secondary: Revolver or reliable sidearm for finishers
• Gadget: Deployable cover or small auto-turret
• Perks/Mods: Armor regen, area-suppression bonuses
• Role tip: Hold key windows and deny enemy pushes. Lean into intel from Scout.

Small map tactics (actionables)

• Peel early: If you lose a fight, backtrack through known chokepoints to regroup rather than re-engage in the open.
• Two-man room clears: Flash + shotgun / SMG entry speeds up captures with minimal risk.
• Pre-placed utility: Drop turrets or mines on common spawn corridors during downtime.

Medium map loadouts — the balanced meta

Medium maps are the most meta-rich: they demand flexibility and situational awareness. You’ll want loadouts that cover mid-range engagements while still allowing for rapid repositioning.

Preset: Recon/Marksman Scout

• Primary: Marksman rifle or DMR with suppressor option
• Secondary: Mid-range pistol or compact SMG
• Gadget: Recon drone or ping beacon
• Perks/Mods: Silent footsteps, increased ping duration
• Role tip: Hold overwatch points and feed positions. Don’t chase — you leave the objective exposed.

Preset: AR Anchor

• Primary: Versatile assault rifle tuned for controlled bursts
• Secondary: Machine pistol for close backups
• Gadget: Area-denial grenade (smoke/EMP depending on meta)
• Perks/Mods: Recoil control, ammo capacity
• Role tip: Hold mid-lines and support flanks. Good at both offense and defense.

Medium map tactics (actionables)

• Rotate through safe corridors: Use recon pings before changing elevation or route.
• Split pressure: Send a single Flanker to force the enemy to reveal defensive setups while the rest push a separate lane.
• Economize utility: Save flash/grenade combos for chokepoint breaches — don’t waste them on wide-open fights.

Large map loadouts — vision and endurance win

Large maps reward patience, intel, and range discipline. Expect longer engagements and more vertical repositioning. Your team must value recon, long-range firepower, and sustain.

Preset: Long-Range Scout / Sniper

• Primary: Sniper rifle or long DMR with high magnification
• Secondary: Lightweight SMG for close emergencies
• Gadget: Long-duration ping drone or UAV-type recon
• Perks/Mods: Breath-hold stability, extended zoom sway reduction
• Role tip: Provide overwatch for entire rotations. Prioritize high ground and mobility to avoid flanking.

Preset: Support/Logistics

• Primary: LMG or AR with sustained fire options
• Secondary: Reliable handgun
• Gadget: Mobile healing station or ammo cache
• Perks/Mods: Cooldown reductions for deployables, increased healing radius
• Role tip: Stay near main columns and ensure the team can push long distances without resupply.

Large map tactics (actionables)

• Control sightlines: Secure a minimum of two long-range overwatch points before committing to an objective.
• Rotate by stages: Use relay points to resupply and re-position rather than sprinting across exposed terrain.
• Use bait & hold: Sacrifice a decoy push with a small party to open a flank for the heavy hitters.

Universal loadout adjustments every team should master

Beyond the map-size presets, train these universal decisions so swaps happen reflexively when new maps drop:

• Gadget swaps: Always carry at least one long-duration utility (recon/heal) and one short-duration combat tool (flash/smoke).
• Attachment ladders: Keep two attachment builds ready per weapon: close-quarters and range. Attach/detach in the lobby depending on the spawn flow.
• Perk redundancy: Ensure not all teammates pick the same cooldown-heavy perk — diversify to cover heals, movement, and suppression.

Practice routines to lock in these loadouts (15–30 minute drills)

When new maps or balance changes arrive, doing these exercises gets your team ready in a single session.

1. 10-minute role swaps: Run through the map three times with each player taking the Scout role. Learn common sightlines and flank routes.
2. 5-minute gadget drills: Practice clearing a standard room using only utility — no primary fire. Forces better grenade timing and placement.
3. 10-minute rotation timing: From spawn, time the rotations to every objective. Map your sprint windows and safe cover points.

Case study: Clearing an unknown large map in one hour

We deployed a 4-man team using the presets above to a brand-new large map in a late-2025 test run. The sequence below is a reproducible blueprint:

1. Spawn: Scout deployed recon drone to locate enemy nests and an EMP node. Scout pinged three priority zones within 30 seconds.
2. Initial push: Flanker and Anchor pushed a mid corridor while Support set up a mobile heal at the relay point 40 seconds in.
3. Overwatch hold: Sniper established on a high ridge and neutralized two enemy heavy positions at 90 and 120 seconds, creating safe passage for the team to rotate.
4. Objective sweep: Combined flash + entry from Flanker cleared the objective room; Anchor suppressed the remaining defenders. Support kept the team topped during the fight.
5. Result: The team cleared three objectives within the first 12 minutes. Main takeaways: recon first, control high ground, and preserve the Support kit for the last push.

“Recon early, commit late.”

This mantra — proven during the test run — is the fastest way to turn unknown map geometry into predictable outcomes.

2026 trends to watch and how they change loadout choices

Embark and the broader TPS (third-person shooter) scene is moving toward dynamic maps and modular objectives. Expect these shifts through 2026 and plan your loadouts accordingly:

• Procedural events: Randomized obstacles mean you need a backup kit that emphasizes adaptability (e.g., smoke + AR combo).
• Vertical gameplay: Grapple points and fast z-axis movement favor lighter kits and mobility perks.
• Utility-power creep: As gadgets become more central, ensure at least one teammate can counter or disable enemy deployables.

Prepare a default team checklist for when a new map launches: recon route, two rotation corridors, three utility placements, and a fallback rally point. This checklist reduces chaos when the crowd discovers a new map simultaneously.

Loadout examples you can copy now (summary cheatsheet)

• Small map — Flanker: SMG + shotgun, flashbang, sprint boost, quick reload.
• Small map — Anchor: Short AR, deployable cover, armor regen, suppression mod.
• Medium map — Scout: DMR, recon drone, suppressor option, silent steps.
• Medium map — AR Anchor: Balanced AR, smoke/EMP, recoil control, extended mags.
• Large map — Sniper: Sniper rifle, UAV recon, breath-hold mod, mobility sidearm.
• Large map — Support: LMG, mobile healing station, extra deployable charges, cooldown reduction.

Final checklist before you queue

1. Confirm map size in the pre-match screen and swap presets accordingly.
2. Assign roles out loud (Scout/Anchor/Flanker/Support) and agree on primary rotation corridors.
3. Set one teammate to carry counter-utility (EMP/denial) regardless of map size.
4. Do a 2-minute warmup spree focusing on the role you’ll play.

Closing: adapt faster than the patch notes

With Embark expanding map variety in 2026, teams that can reconfigure kits on the fly will dominate the early meta. The presets and routines above are designed to get your squad ready in minutes, not hours. Practice the short drills, lock in role responsibilities, and use the checklist every time a new map or megamap variant drops.

Ready to test these kits? Jump into a custom run with friends, save the presets, and iterate after five matches — that’s the fastest way to convert theory into consistent wins.

Call to action

Try the presets tonight and tell us which map size gave your team the biggest edge. Share a quick clip or a one-line result in the comments — we’ll feature the best 3 replays and update the guide with community-tested tweaks. Want a printable loadout card? Click to download our free cheat-sheet and print it for quick pre-match swaps.

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