Old Town is one of the trickiest spots to pin down in ARC Raiders because it never appears as a labeled marker on the map. When a Trials objective tells you to deal damage to ARCs in Old Town, you can end up circling Buried City with no idea which streets actually count. The district is real, fixed, and easy to reach once you know the one landmark that defines its border.
Quick answer: Old Town is the southeastern section of Buried City. Drop into Buried City, head toward the bridge that crosses the southern part of the map, and everything south of that bridge is Old Town.
Old Town location on the Buried City map
Old Town is a large district in the southeast corner of Buried City. It stretches from just south of the bridge near Grandioso Apartments across to the eastern edge of Red Tower. Because the game does not print the name on the map, the bridge is the reliable reference point for splitting the two halves of the southern map.
The bridge cuts across the southern part of Buried City. Everything north of it is West Village, and everything south of it is Old Town. Once you can spot that bridge, you can orient yourself instantly without relying on a marker.
The district also has a distinct look that sets it apart from the rest of Buried City. Many of its buildings are half-swallowed by sand dunes, giving the whole area a worn, abandoned feel rather than the cleaner, more modern appearance of the New District.
How to confirm you are in Old Town
Crossing into any new zone in Buried City triggers a location name on the left side of your screen. Watch for that pop-up after you move south past the bridge. Seeing the Old Town name appear is your confirmation that you are in the correct area before you start dealing damage for a trial.
Note: If you start firing on ARCs before that name shows up, your hits may land while you are still technically in West Village, which will not count toward an Old Town objective.
Finding ARC enemies in Old Town for Trials damage
Once you are inside the district, you need targets that survive long enough to register meaningful damage. Old Town is well-stocked with hostile ARC machines, so finding something to shoot is rarely the problem.
| Enemy | Why it works for the trial |
|---|---|
| Bombardiers | Common in Old Town and durable enough to absorb several hits, making them the best targets for damage progress. |
| Spotters | Called in by Bombardiers. Lower health and fewer hits, but they add extra progress when they appear. |
The straightforward routine is to push toward a Bombardier, deal steady damage, and pick off any Spotters it summons. Heavier ARC variants can also appear depending on conditions in the zone, so engage with gear you are comfortable losing if a fight turns risky.
Extracting from Old Town to lock in progress
Damage alone does not finish a trial. You must survive and extract for the progress to be saved, so plan your exit before the timer gets tight. If you go down before extracting, the run does not count.
If you carry a Raider Hatch Key, bring it into Old Town. The Old Town Hatch sits on the western edge of the zone and gives you a fast extraction when time runs short. It is easy to lose track of the clock mid-fight, so having that quick exit ready can rescue an otherwise good run.
Head southeast in Buried City, keep the bridge in view as your guide, and confirm the Old Town name on screen before you open fire. Deal your damage, then extract cleanly to bank the trial progress.
