The Assessor Matrix is an epic-rarity crafting material introduced with the Flashpoint update for ARC Raiders. It drops exclusively from Assessor containers during the Close Scrutiny map condition, and right now its primary purpose is completing the later stages of the High-Gain Antenna community project. If you've been wondering why everyone in your lobby is sprinting toward those red beams in the sky, this is the reason.
Quick answer: Queue into any exterior map when the Close Scrutiny condition is active, locate an Assessor by following its red light beams, breach one of its three containers once the platform rotates to it, and loot the Assessor Matrix. Stash it in your Safe Pocket immediately.
Close Scrutiny map condition and how it works
Close Scrutiny is an endgame-oriented map condition that can appear on every exterior map in the game — Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and others — but never on Stella Montis. It only rotates in during certain times of day, so you'll need to check the destination screen before deploying.
While Close Scrutiny is active, several modifiers change the feel of the raid significantly. Overall ground loot is reduced, but ARC-specific loot is increased, meaning you'll find more robot parts and Arc materials scattered around. Vaporizers and Surveyors spawn in much higher numbers than normal, making the entire map more dangerous. Most importantly, Assessors begin landing periodically a few minutes into the match and continue dropping throughout the raid.
| Close Scrutiny Effect | Impact |
|---|---|
| Assessors spawn periodically | Unique loot containers land across the map |
| No active locked doors | All doors on the map are open by default |
| Decreased overall loot | Fewer standard ground pickups |
| Increased Arc loot | More robot parts and Arc materials everywhere |
Because of the sheer volume of hostile ARC units — including multiple Vaporizers, Rocketeers, and Surveyors — Close Scrutiny is firmly aimed at well-geared players. Solo runs are possible but significantly harder than group play.
Finding and looting Assessors
Assessors are large, three-legged landing platforms that descend from the sky during Close Scrutiny. When one touches down, it projects tall red beams of light that are visible from across the map. Assessors also receive a marker on your map, so tracking them down is straightforward even if you miss the visual cue.
Multiple Assessors can be active on a single map at the same time. Players have reported as many as three landing simultaneously on Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, and Spaceport. New ones continue to arrive as earlier ones are looted, so there's no need to rush to the very first one if the area is too hot.
Each Assessor has three conical containers arranged around its structure. Only one container is breachable at any given moment — a rotating platform cycles between the three legs, and you can only interact with the container the platform is currently serving. Wait for the platform to reach the container you want, then initiate the breach. The breach point must show a blue indicator before you can interact with it; if it isn't blue, the container isn't ready yet.
Recommended loadout for Assessor runs
Surviving an Assessor breach comes down to speed and stealth more than raw firepower, though you'll want both. The window between starting a breach and getting swarmed is narrow, so every item slot matters.
| Item | Role |
|---|---|
| Photoelectric Cloak | Temporarily hides you from ARC after breaching, letting you loot and escape |
| Smoke Grenades | Blocks ARC line of sight while you interact with a container |
| Adrenaline Shots | Lets you reach Assessors faster and outrun enemies on the way out |
| Medium Shields | Absorbs incoming damage from Vaporizer beams and rockets |
| Healing items (plenty) | You will take hits — bring more than you think you need |
| Hullcracker, Dolabra, or Wolfpacks | High-damage weapons effective against ARC units if you need to fight |
A good approach: pop your Photoelectric Cloak as you approach the Assessor, throw smoke on the container you're about to breach, complete the breach, grab the loot, and immediately stash any Assessor Matrix into your Safe Pocket. Then disengage. You don't need to kill the ARC reinforcements — just survive long enough to pocket the goods and get clear.
If you're running with a squad, have one or two teammates draw ARC aggro while the others handle the breach. Barricades and zip lines can also help create escape routes or block enemy paths.
What the Assessor Matrix is used for
The Assessor Matrix is an epic-quality resource, and its confirmed use is completing the High-Gain Antenna player project. This community project has three stages, and the Assessor Matrix is required for both the second and third stages. Without it, you cannot progress past stage one.
Despite some early confusion, the Assessor Matrix is not needed to craft the Dolabra energy shotgun. The Dolabra requires its own blueprint (which also drops from Assessor containers) and separate crafting materials. The Assessor Matrix can also be broken down into parts or sold if you have a surplus, though holding onto extras for future project stages is the smarter play.
Other Assessor loot
The Assessor Matrix isn't the only reason to risk a breach. Assessor containers can also drop the Dolabra blueprint — a new energy shotgun added in the Flashpoint update — along with various Arc materials. Given the increased Arc loot modifier active during Close Scrutiny, even the ambient loot around the map is worth picking up on your way to and from Assessors.
Close Scrutiny raids are chaotic by design, and extracting with an Assessor Matrix often means crawling to the hatch under heavy fire. Bring friends, bring healing, and stash the matrix in your Safe Pocket the instant it hits your inventory. The High-Gain Antenna project won't finish itself.