If you’re stuck on early Arc Raiders objectives that mention Fireball Burners, the loop is straightforward: find a Fireball, loot its Burner, then use that item to finish off any ARC enemy. Here’s where Fireballs tend to spawn, how to bring them down quickly, and the exact steps to complete What Goes Around and similar quests without wasting runs.

What Fireballs and Fireball Burners are

Fireballs are compact, spherical ARC units built for close-quarters harassment. They roll fast, output fire damage, and tend to ambush in tight indoor spaces. They’re easy to mix up with Pops (the smaller electric variant), so watch the effect: flames mean Fireball, sparks mean Pop.

Fireball Burners are the throwable items you can loot from destroyed Fireballs. They’re categorized as recyclable, not standard grenades, but you can still throw one to create a small, short-lived patch of fire. That behavior is key for quest steps that ask you to destroy an ARC with a Fireball Burner.

Map area Reliable spots and notes
Dam Battlegrounds Indoor facilities such as Water Treatment, Research & Administration, and Control Tower. Expect tight corridors, stairwells, and small rooms.
Buried City (north) Complex interiors like Galleria and Hospital. Enemies are tougher here, but Fireballs show up in enclosed hallways and rooms.
General pattern “Inside” is the rule: office blocks, maintenance corridors, basements, and utility passages. Scan corners and doorways; Fireballs often charge from just out of view.

Fireballs appear across both early- and mid-difficulty areas, but spawn reliability goes up in multi-room interior POIs with long hallways. If you’re not seeing any outdoors, move inside and sweep floor by floor.

How to kill Fireballs quickly (for safe looting)

  • Wait for the attack wind-up. Just before a Fireball strikes, its shell opens and exposes its core.
  • Dump burst damage during that window. Weapons like Ferro or Anvil can delete a Fireball in a single opening cycle if you’re ready.
  • Keep distance in tight spaces. Backpedal down a hall to force a straight approach and avoid getting pinned on corners.

Once it’s down, loot the remains. If you don’t get a Burner every time, keep clearing nearby rooms—Fireballs rarely spawn alone in larger buildings.

Fireball Burner basics

Property Detail
Type Throwable (recyclable, uncommon)
Dropped by Fireball ARC units
Stack size 3
Weight 0.5 kg
Damage and effect Burn field that deals ~5 damage per second, ~10s duration, ~2m radius
Recycling Can be recycled; yields ARC Alloy among other materials

In your inventory, Burners look like a standard recyclable material rather than a grenade. Don’t ignore them—move at least one into a quick-use slot before you leave the building where you got the drop.

Finish What Goes Around (and similar quests)

What Goes Around is simple once you have a Burner: destroy any ARC enemy using a Fireball Burner. “Any” is literal—you don’t need to kill a Fireball with it. The most reliable targets are low-health units you can control and isolate.

  • Equip a Fireball Burner to a quick item slot.
  • Find a low-HP ARC like a Pop or Tick.
  • Chip to near death, then throw the Burner to finish the kill inside the burn field.

Make sure the Burner’s damage actually secures the final blow. If a teammate or stray bullet lands the last hit, the quest won’t tick. After the kill registers, report back to Apollo to claim the reward bundle.

Other quests that benefit from Fireball hunting

Early quests like Fight Fire With Fire and The Right Tool also hinge on finding Fireballs or looting their Burners. If you’re sweeping Dam Battlegrounds, run the same indoor route and clear each building thoroughly—one efficient loop will usually feed multiple objectives.

Troubleshooting common snags

  • No Fireballs spawning: Shift to larger indoor POIs or move to the north side of Buried City. Prioritize multi-floor interiors.
  • Burner not dropping: Loot rates vary. Clear adjacent buildings; Fireballs often appear in clusters.
  • Quest not progressing: Ensure the Burner deals the killing damage. Isolate one Pop or Tick, soften it, then finish inside the fire patch.

Once you’ve banked a few Burners, keep one slotted for opportunistic quest progress. The item’s niche damage profile makes it poor for general combat, but invaluable for “use X to kill Y” steps and for cleaning up low-tier ARCs without spending better ordnance. Rewards from What Goes Around—including the Junior outfit and a set of throwables—make the detour worth your time.