The Flow Controller is an Exodus item in ARC Raiders that becomes mandatory once you start working through the Stella Montis questline, especially the Snap and Salvage quest that also asks for a Magnetron. Both items sit in the same rarity tier: they only appear as loose loot, they are not guaranteed in any single container, and they can be taken by other raiders during the raid.
ARC Raiders Flow Controller location basics
There is no fixed, guaranteed spawn point for the Flow Controller in ARC Raiders. It is not tied to a single locker, drawer, or room. Instead, it appears as a rare loot roll from certain high-value indoor areas on the Stella Montis map.
The key points:
| Item | Type | Primary map | Spawn behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flow Controller | Exodus material | Stella Montis | Random container loot (no fixed spawn) |
| Magnetron | Exodus material | Stella Montis | Random container loot (no fixed spawn) |
Because spawns are random and can be looted by others, the most reliable approach is to focus on areas that pack a lot of searchable containers into a relatively small space.
Best Flow Controller location: Medical Research (Stella Montis)
The standout spot for Flow Controller farming is the Medical Research point of interest in the south‑west sector of Stella Montis. This POI is large, indoors, and dense with lootable objects, making it a strong candidate whenever you load into the map.
| Area | Map | Why it is strong for Flow Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Research POI | Stella Montis | Large indoor complex with many drawers, lockers, and containers; multiple Flow Controllers have been found here. |
When you reach Medical Research, the goal is simple: clear the area, then systematically open everything that can be looted. Flow Controllers have appeared in multiple different containers inside this POI, not in a single “special” cabinet, so skipping corners or side rooms cuts into your chances.
Expect this location to be contested. Many players treat Medical Research as their default route when they need Exodus materials, which means it can already be stripped by the time you arrive.
Other places to look for Flow Controller
While Medical Research is the best-known hotspot, Flow Controllers are not exclusive to it. They can drop from containers in other indoor zones on Stella Montis that share a similar profile: high traffic, lots of storage, and mid‑to‑high value loot tables.
Two areas matter in particular once you pick up Snap and Salvage from Tian Wen on Stella Montis:
| Area | Layer | Containers to prioritize |
|---|---|---|
| Business Center | Layer 1 | Lockers, desks, drawers inside offices and side rooms |
| Assembly | Layer 1 | Industrial lockers, tool cabinets, and any breachable storage |
These two zones are highlighted for the Snap and Salvage Magnetron/Flow Controller objective. They share the same random-spawn behavior: no individual locker guarantees a Flow Controller, but every extra container you open is another roll at the loot table.
Tip: make a fast loop that hits Medical Research first, then rotates through Business Center and Assembly if you still have time and capacity. That way, every Stella Montis run gives you multiple high-yield chances at the item.
Magnetron location and how it overlaps with Flow Controller
For Snap and Salvage you also need a Magnetron, and its behavior mirrors the Flow Controller with one important difference: Magnetron appears to be rarer in practice.
| Item | Reported reliable area | Example container |
|---|---|---|
| Magnetron | Lobby / Security Desk area in Stella Montis | Office drawer near the Security Desk |
Magnetron can drop from drawers close to the Security Desk in the main lobby of Stella Montis, which you visit anyway when you break into the Security Checkpoint room to collect the quest papers. From there, it shares the same general pool as Flow Controller in Business Center and Assembly, and can also show up in other containers around the map.
Both items also have a chance to appear in red lockers inside the Rocket Assembly building on the Spaceport map. That route is useful if you are already running Spaceport for other reasons and want an extra chance at finishing the quest.
How to complete the Snap and Salvage quest objectives
Snap and Salvage is the third quest for Tian Wen in Stella Montis and ties together several very specific locations before sending you on the hunt for Magnetron and Flow Controller. The quest progresses in a fixed order.
| Objective step | Location | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Photograph a Rover in the Sandbox | Robotic Sandbox A or B, Stella Montis (layer 2) | Clear nearby enemies, approach the Rover sitting on sand, interact to trigger a photo animation. |
| 2. Find papers at the Security Checkpoint | Lobby Security Checkpoint room, Stella Montis (layer 1) | Breach the locked door marked near “Security Restricted Access”, then interact with the pile of papers on the green desk. |
| 3. Obtain a Magnetron | Stella Montis or Spaceport | Search drawers and lockers, especially near the Lobby Security Desk, Business Center, Assembly, or Spaceport rocket red lockers. |
| 4. Obtain a Flow Controller | Stella Montis or Spaceport | Farm Medical Research, then sweep Business Center and Assembly or Spaceport rocket lockers. |
| 5. Extract and deliver both items | Tian Wen, Stella Montis hub | Secure the items in a safe pocket if possible, extract, then hand them over to complete the quest. |
Two details often get missed:
- For the Rover photo, you must fully clear or evade nearby ARC machines first. If a Shredder is patrolling, sneaking past it saves resources and time.
- The Security Checkpoint door will sometimes already be open if another raider breached it earlier in the raid. In that case, you can walk straight in and grab the papers without using a breach.
Completing Snap and Salvage rewards a Burletta III weapon, a Silencer II attachment, an Extended Light Mag attachment, and a bundle of 100 Light Ammo. For most early‑to‑mid game builds, that is a meaningful upgrade, which is why the bottleneck on Flow Controller and Magnetron feels so sharp.
Keeping your Flow Controller safe until extraction
Once a Flow Controller drops, the real risk is losing it before you get out. Death wipes regular inventory items, and someone else can pick them up.
To reduce that risk:
- Put at least one of the two quest items (Flow Controller or Magnetron) into a safe pocket as soon as you find it, so one drop does not reset all progress.
- After securing both items, prioritize extraction over further looting. The time-on-map tradeoff is rarely worth risking another player ambush.
With that loop—targeting Medical Research first, then sweeping Business Center and Assembly while securing finds in safe pockets—Flow Controllers stop feeling mythical and become another rare drop that you can realistically farm over a few focused Stella Montis runs.
