ARC Raiders: How to Three-Star the Receive Damage from Pops Trial

The Receive Damage from Pops trial in ARC Raiders Season 5 flips the usual goal on its head. Instead of dealing damage, you score by taking it. Pops are the small, self-detonating machines that rush in and explode, and this week the game pays you for every point of health they chip away. The catch is surviving long enough to bank a high number.

Quick answer: Head to Buried City, let Pops explode next to you at close range, and soak 267 points of health damage across the run to earn three stars. Each point of damage to your health is worth 15 trial points.

Trial window and scoring

This challenge is live from July 27 through August 3, 2026, so you have until the Monday reset to lock in your best score. Trials unlock once your character reaches Level 15. Your top score for the challenge is saved after you extract, so a single strong run is enough to cover all three stars.

Detail	Value
Reward per health damage	15 points per 1 point
Damage needed for three stars	267 points of health damage
Best map	Buried City
Active window	July 27 – August 3, 2026

Loadout that keeps you alive

Because you are intentionally standing in explosions, your survivability items matter more than your gun. A heavier shield absorbs most of each blast, and fast healing lets you reset for the next Pop. Bring a reliable primary only to clear extra Pops if a group swarms you.

Anvil or Bettina as your primary weapon
Four stacks of ammo
Medium or Heavy Shield
Surge Shield Rechargers
Herbal Bandages or Vita Spray

ARC Raiders Season 5 Receive Damage from Pops trial loadout — Embark Studios

Tip: Add the Looting Mk. 3 (survivor) augment alongside the Medium shield. If a Pop downs you, it gives you a chance to crawl to the nearest exfil metro station instead of losing the run outright.

Where to farm Pops on Buried City

Buried City is the cleanest place to run this trial because Pops cluster around its interior points of interest. The Hospital, Research, and Galleria POIs all reliably house them, and their tight corridors let you isolate one Pop at a time instead of getting overwhelmed by a pack.

Step-by-step: farming damage safely

Drop into Buried City and move to the Hospital, Research, or Galleria POI. These interiors hold the most Pops and give you walls to control how many reach you at once.

Find a single Pop and pull it toward a corner. Separating one from the group keeps the incoming damage predictable so your shield and heals can keep pace.

Equip your Vita Spray and let the Pop detonate right next to you. Your heavy shield should soak the hit while your health takes enough damage to score, keeping you alive through the blast.

Apply the Surge Shield Recharger after the Vita Spray to restore your shield, then repeat the cycle with the next Pop until you clear 267 points of health damage.

Confirming your three stars

Your progress updates in the Logbook as you take damage, and the trial locks in once you extract with at least 4,005 points, which is 267 health damage at 15 points each. Extraction is mandatory, so make the metro station your priority the moment you hit the threshold.

The most common way to fail is greed. Pops can finish you quickly if you are running a light shield or step into a blast before you have healed back up. Reset your shield and top off your health between each Pop, and if things go wrong, the survivor augment buys you the seconds needed to crawl out with your score intact.