Upgrading the Workshop in Arc Raiders is how you turn field loot into permanent power. You run Topside to collect materials and blueprints, extract to keep them, then return to the Raider’s home in Speranza to spend those resources. Inside the Workshop tab, you’ll find seven stations, each with its own upgrade track that caps at level 3. Raising a station’s level adds new recipes and, in some cases, entire item categories.

You can view the exact material requirements for each upgrade directly in the Workshop menu before you commit. Some level‑3 requirements and outputs are still not fully listed in-game; what’s below reflects the confirmed costs and unlocks.

Arc Raiders Workshop upgrades (how it works)

  • Run Topside missions and extract to bank materials and blueprints.
  • Back at Speranza, open the Workshop tab to build or upgrade stations.
  • Upgrades consume specific materials and raise a station’s level (max 3), revealing more crafts.
  • Some materials can be purchased from Traders; refining stations can also convert basics into higher-grade components.

Base Workbench (weapons and ammo)

You start with a free basic bench that covers early essentials. It crafts entry-level weapons, core ammo types, and a few baseline consumables.

Level Requirements Unlocks at this level
1 Included from the start Ferro, Hairpin, Kettle, Stitcher; Heavy/Light/Medium/Shotgun Ammo; Shield Recharger, Bandage, Light Impact Grenade

Gunsmith (weapon crafting and parts)

Level Requirements Unlocks at this level
1 20× Metal Parts, 30× Rubber Parts Weapon crafting basics (station access)
2 3× Rusted Tools, 5× Mechanical Components, 8× Wasp Driver Expanded weapon recipes (station tier 2)
3 — Not fully documented

Gear Bench (shields and suit loadouts)

Level Requirements Unlocks at this level
1 25× Plastic Parts, 30× Fabric Light Shield, Medium Shield; Combat Mk.1, Looting Mk.1, Tactical Mk.1
2 3× Power Cable, 5× Electrical Components, 5× Hornet Driver Heavy Shield; Combat Mk.2, Looting Mk.2, Tactical Mk.2
3 — Looting Mk.3 (Cautious); other tier‑3 crafts not fully listed

Medical Lab (healing items and med supplies)

Level Requirements Unlocks at this level
1 50× Fabric, 6× ARC Alloy Medical lab access
2 2× Cracked Bioscanner, 5× Durable Cloth, 8× Tick Pod Advanced med crafts
3 — Not fully documented (Vita Spray appears as a high-tier craft)

Explosives Station (grenades and throwables)

Level Requirements Unlocks at this level
1 50× Chemicals, 6× ARC Alloy Gas Grenade, Light Impact Grenade
2 3× Synthesized Fuel, 5× Crude Explosives, 5× Pop Trigger Blaze Grenade
3 3× Laboratory Reagents, 5× Explosive Compound, 3× Rocketeer Driver Additional tier‑3 explosives (not fully listed)

Utility Station (gadgets and field tools)

Level Requirements Unlocks at this level
1 50× Plastic Parts, 6× ARC Alloy Barricade Kit, Binoculars, Door Blocker, Remote Raider Flare, Smoke Grenade
2 2× Damaged Heat Sink, 5× Electrical Components, 6× Snitch Scanner Lure Grenade, Zipline
3 — Photoelectric Cloak, Snap Hook, Tagging Grenade

Refiner (material conversion)

Level Requirements Unlocks at this level
1 60× Metal Parts, 5× ARC Powercell Electrical Components, Crude Explosives, Mechanical Components
2 3× Toaster, 5× ARC Motion Core, 8× Fireball Burner Advanced Electrical Components, Advanced Mechanical Components, Antiseptic, ARC Circuitry, ARC Motion Core, Heavy/Light/Medium Gun Parts
3 — Not fully documented

Where to find what you need

Most upgrade materials come from Topside runs and extractions. Some specialty items may need to be purchased from Traders. As you level stations, the Refiner becomes a key stop: it turns common salvage into the components required by the higher tiers elsewhere, cutting down on grind for rare parts.

If you’re just starting, build out the stations you use every raid and keep an eye on what the next level unlocks. Hitting level 2 on core benches opens better shields, stronger throwables, and a wider set of weapon and component crafts. Level 3 caps each path and adds a handful of late-game recipes once their costs become visible in your Workshop menus.