Fireballs are one of ARC Raiders’ most recognizable ground enemies — and the source of a key quest item: the Fireball Burner. If you’re stuck on objectives that mention Fireballs or ask you to “destroy any ARC enemy using a Fireball Burner,” use this walkthrough to understand how Fireballs behave, where the Burner comes from, and how to make sure your kills actually count.

Fireballs in ARC Raiders: behavior and threat

Fireballs are larger rolling bots that close the distance fast. Once they reach you, they unfold and emit a cone of flame. Their threat profile is straightforward: they force you to move, punish you at short range, and can flush you out of cover for other ARC units to capitalize.

Fireball at a glance Details
Movement and attack Rolls toward Raiders, opens up in close, and spews fire.
Role on the field Area denial up close; drives you out of cover and into crossfire.
Typical drops ARC Alloys (1–2), ARC Powercell (sometimes), Fireball Burner (1–2).
Tip: ARC PowerCells drop from ARC enemies and can recharge shields, so clearing a Fireball safely can double as a quick sustain play before you rotate.

What the Fireball Burner is and how to get one

The Fireball Burner is a consumable item that drops from defeated Fireballs. You’ll often see one (or two) on the ground near a destroyed Fireball. Pick it up and you can use it to apply burning damage to ARC units — and satisfy quests that require a Fireball Burner kill.

Because Burners are tied to Fireball drops, the cleanest loop for Burner-related tasks is:

  • Locate and eliminate a Fireball from a safe distance.
  • Loot the Fireball Burner it drops.
  • Carry it directly to your intended target for the quest kill.

Quests that mention Fireballs or the Fireball Burner

Current objectives show up in a few flavors:

  • Destroy a Fireball — a basic elimination task, sometimes bundled with other targets like turrets.
  • Destroy any ARC enemy using a Fireball Burner — requires the final blow to come from a Burner.
  • Destroy a Fireball with a Fireball Burner — stricter: the target must be a Fireball, and the killing blow must be the Burner.

Read the wording closely. Some tasks only care that you use a Burner; others demand the target be a Fireball specifically.

Make the Fireball Burner kill register

If your kill isn’t ticking the box, it’s usually about how the kill is credited. Keep these checks in mind:

  • Use a dropped Burner item, not incidental fire damage from the Fireball itself. Pick up the Burner from a defeated Fireball and deploy it on your target.
  • Secure the final blow with the Burner. It can help to soften the target first with weapons, then finish with the Burner, so the burn damage causes the death.
  • Match the objective text. For “any ARC enemy,” Pops, Ticks, or another Fireball are valid and easier candidates. For “destroy a Fireball with a Fireball Burner,” ensure the target is a Fireball.
  • Avoid mixing damage at the death moment. If a teammate or stray bullet finishes the target during the burn, the credit may not apply.
Note: ARC units can be armored or unarmored. Armored enemies require heavy ammunition for normal takedowns, so they’re poor choices for Burner-only finishes. Prioritize unarmored or low-health targets for reliable credit.

Easiest ARC targets to finish with a Fireball Burner

ARC unit Armor note Why it’s a good Burner target
Pop (small roller) Unarmored Low health; easy to chip then finish with a Burner.
Tick (spider-like) Unarmored Fragile and often solo; simple to secure the final blow.
Fireball (roller that spews fire) Unarmored Qualifies for the stricter “kill a Fireball with a Burner” objective.
Wasp (quad-rotor drone) Unarmored Low health, but aerial positioning can make Burner application inconsistent; ground targets are more reliable.
Hornet (stun drone) Partially armored Not ideal: armor complicates non-heavy finishers.

Safe approach to farming a Burner and completing the kill

  • Pull a Fireball into open space to avoid getting cornered by its flame cone. Use cover to break line of approach.
  • Destroy the Fireball at range, then loot its Fireball Burner.
  • Find an isolated Pop, Tick, or another Fireball. Chip it down, then deploy the Burner so the burn effect lands the kill.
Tip: If a nearby ARC Probe starts blaring a siren, expect Wasps and a Hornet to arrive. Either breach and loot the Probe quickly or reposition before attempting your Burner kill to avoid third-party pressure.

“ARC Couriers,” clarified

If you’ve heard players mention “ARC Couriers,” they likely mean the ARC Probe — a non-damaging machine that drops in, beeps loudly, and attracts or calls in flying ARC units if left unattended. Probes can be breached for materials on their base panels, but their main function is to pull you into fights you might not want while you’re setting up task-focused kills.

ARC Raiders context

ARC Raiders is a third-person PvPvE extraction game. Raids run on a timer, you scavenge and fight both machines and other players, and extraction is where you bank progress; dying means losing what you picked up during that run. The game is slated to launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.

The takeaway: treat Fireballs as both a close-range hazard and a resource. Clear one to grab a Fireball Burner, pick a soft ARC target, and let the burn secure the last point of damage. When the objective text is picky, match it literally — and keep other damage sources out of the final blow.