Picking Up The Pieces is the first quest after the tutorial in ARC Raiders and teaches you to read the map and loot. Shani, the first trader you meet in Speranza, gives it to you.
Quest details at a glance
- Quest giver: Shani, the first trader you meet in Speranza.
- Objectives: visit any area on the map with a loot category icon, then loot three containers.
- Required level: 1.
- Recommended map: Dam Battlegrounds.
- Rewards: a Rattler III assault rifle and medium ammo (80 rounds in quest databases).
- Next quest unlocked: Trash Into Treasure.
Step-by-step walkthrough
1. Pick a loot area
You can complete the quest on any map, but Dam Battlegrounds is likely your first map and has several accessible loot zones. Examples include the Power Generation Complex, the Hydroponic Dome Complex, Water Treatment, the Control Tower, Research and Administration, and the Testing Annex. Spaceport and Buried City also have loot icon areas if you reach them.
2. Load in with the free loadout
Use the free default loadout if you can. If the run goes wrong you do not lose valuable gear, and you can retry right away. Open your map and mark one of the loot areas as your destination.
3. Loot three containers
When you reach the area, open any three containers. Common types are supply crates, lockers, weapon crates, mechanical crates and desks. Loot quality does not matter and the containers do not have to be in the same building. The objective completes after the third one, and you can check progress on the map at any time.
4. Extract
The objective is complete after the third container, but your progress only saves if you reach an extraction point alive. Extraction points have their own map icon, and one is usually nearby.
5. Return to Shani
After extraction you return to Speranza automatically. Open the quest menu and talk to Shani to claim your reward. Turning the quest in unlocks Trash Into Treasure.
How to read the loot map
Loot zones on the map are color-coded by risk and reward. White zones are low threat with basic loot, yellow zones are medium threat with better loot, and red zones are high threat with the most valuable items. The outlined zones can change from round to round, and the map legend explains which facilities can be looted and what each icon means. For this quest, a white zone is the safest choice, because you only need any three containers.
Why lockers are the best choice
Each container type makes a different sound when you open it, which helps you find them and also tells other players you are nearby. Lockers open quietly, are spread out widely and draw less attention from enemies and other players, and white-marked areas usually have plenty of them. If you want the safest run, look for lockers first.
Extracting safely
Extraction points are often contested. Other raiders may be heading to the same exit, so stay in cover, watch your surroundings and wait a moment before starting the extraction if anything looks suspicious. Do not rush out into the open. A failed extraction costs the items you gathered, and in this quest it also means you have to redo the objective.
Early game tips from the first quest
- Use the map often to check your position, mark areas and find extraction points.
- Avoid unnecessary fights. Fights cost time and ammunition and raise the risk of failing.
- Keep moving and stay quiet, since other players and ARC enemies patrol the area.
- Learn the areas you explore, including building layouts, escape routes and typical container spots. This knowledge pays off in later quests.
- Upgrade your gear once you are comfortable, not before.
What to expect from the rewards
The Rattler III is a cheap assault rifle that offers moderate armor penetration against ARC enemies, and it is a dependable weapon for early quests. The ammunition is meant to be used with it. The rewards are modest, but they are useful for getting started, especially if you have been running with the free loadout.
Which quests come next?
The next quest in Shani’s line is Trash Into Treasure from Tian Wen’s line, and Apollo’s Clearer Skies asks you to destroy three ARC enemies and collect ARC Alloy. Other early Shani quests include A Bad Feeling, where you loot an ARC Probe or ARC Courier, and Off The Radar, where you repair an antenna at a Field Depot.
Common mistakes on this quest
- Entering a high-risk red zone for no reason.
- Fighting players for loot instead of taking the three nearest containers.
- Forgetting to extract after the objective completes.
- Running with an expensive loadout on a first quest.
- Forgetting to return to Shani to claim the reward.
The maps you can use for this quest
Dam Battlegrounds is the recommended map and usually the first one available. It has at least six loot zones that suit this quest: the Power Generation Complex, the Hydroponic Dome Complex, Water Treatment, the Control Tower, Research and Administration, and the Testing Annex. If you have unlocked more maps, Spaceport and Buried City also have loot icon areas. Later quests from Celeste send you to Blue Gate and to Control Tower A6, so it is worth learning the layout of each map as you go.
How a raid works for a first-time player
ARC Raiders is an extraction shooter from Embark Studios. You leave the hub city of Speranza, enter a raid on a map, collect what you can and try to extract alive. If you die, you lose what you carried into the raid, which is why the free loadout is the right choice for a first quest. ARC enemies and other players share the map, so every raid has risk. Because Picking Up The Pieces only asks for three containers, you can treat the raid as practice: learn the sounds, the map icons and the feel of extraction, and keep fights to a minimum. For a longer introduction to early raids, see the ARC Raiders beginner guide on this site.
Why Shani is the right place to begin
Shani’s quest line is built as a gentle introduction. Her early quests ask you to open containers, loot an ARC Probe or Courier, repair an antenna and fix a valve. None of them need a large combat build, and each teaches a part of the loop that you will repeat in every later raid. Starting here means you learn the loop before the quests become harder.
Quick recap
- Shani gives Picking Up The Pieces at level 1.
- You visit a loot area and open three containers.
- You must extract alive for progress to save.
- You receive a Rattler III and medium ammo.
- Trash Into Treasure unlocks next.
Key terms
- Speranza: the hub city where traders and quests live.
- Loot category icon: a map marker showing an area with lootable containers.
- Free loadout: a default kit that risks no valuable gear.
- Extraction point: a map exit where you can leave the raid.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Who gives Picking Up The Pieces?
Shani.
What level do you need?
Level 1.
Which quests follow it?
Early follow-ups include Clearer Skies and Trash Into Treasure.
Do the three containers have to be in the same building?
No. Any three containers count.
Which container type is quietest?
Lockers open quietly and draw less attention.
Can I fail the quest?
You can fail the run by dying before extraction, but you can retry right away.