Map conditions in ARC Raiders are timed gameplay modifiers that change how a raid plays out for everyone on a given map. Each of the five maps runs its own independent rotation, and events swap roughly on the hour in UTC. If you want to time a Matriarch kill, catch the Hidden Bunker window on Spaceport, or avoid a Hurricane on Buried City, the fastest way is to check a live tracker rather than memorize the cycle.
Quick answer: Open the official map conditions tracker at arcraiders.com/map-conditions to see what's active on each map right now and what's queued for the next several hours, all in your local time.
Where to check ARC Raiders event times
Embark Studios added an official tracker to the ARC Raiders website in April 2026, and it covers both the currently active conditions and the queue of upcoming ones. You can filter by map or by event type, which is useful if you're hunting a specific reward like Launch Tower Loot or trying to dodge Close Scrutiny.
Community trackers predate the official one and remain popular because they surface additional context like trial overlaps and notification options. The two most commonly used are MetaForge and ArcTracker. Both pull from observed rotations, so after a patch changes the schedule, they may take up to a day to resync.
The five maps and how rotations work
ARC Raiders currently has five maps, each running its own independent event cycle. A single hour-long slot can have different conditions active across all five at the same time, which is why planning by map matters more than planning by clock.
| Map | Notes on rotation |
|---|---|
| Dam Battlegrounds | Frequently rotates Prospecting Probes, Matriarch, Hurricane, and Electromagnetic Storm. |
| Spaceport | Only map with Hidden Bunker and Launch Tower Loot windows. |
| Buried City | Hosts Bird City on a repeating six-hour cadence, plus Close Scrutiny and Hurricane slots. |
| The Blue Gate | Only map with Locked Gate. Also cycles Harvester, Hurricane, and Prospecting Probes. |
| Stella Montis | Night Raid appears here on a regular four-hour pattern. |
Major events (map-wide hazards)
Major events are high-stakes conditions that reshape the entire map. They typically reduce Return Points, disable Raider Hatches, and raise loot value to compensate for the added difficulty.
| Event | What it does |
|---|---|
| Night Raid | Darkness falls, ARC activity increases, loot value climbs. Flashlights help but draw attention. |
| Electromagnetic Storm | Lightning strikes can damage Raiders. Can be used to soft-zone enemies or bait ARC units. |
| Hurricane | Heavy rain and wind reduce visibility and muffle audio, masking movement. |
| Cold Snap | Temperature drops and exposure must be managed while moving through the map. |
| Close Scrutiny | ARC threat level is elevated map-wide. More observer drones and Snitches, triggering faster reinforcements. |
| Hidden Bunker (Spaceport) | Outskirts Bunker is hacked open. Activate rooftop antennas, pull data, expect heavy PvP at choke points. |
| Locked Gate (The Blue Gate) | Emergency shutdown engaged. Collect 4 key cards to override and claim high-tier rewards. |
Minor events (targeted opportunities)
Minor events are localized objectives that don't change the whole map but offer specific loot or farming routes. They're usually safer than major events but still draw attention from other Raiders and ARC patrols.
| Event | What to do |
|---|---|
| Prospecting Probes | ARC tech crash sites drop in waves. Good source of Motion Cores and Circuitry for Workshop upgrades. |
| Harvester | Massive ARC structure guarded by a Queen. Survive purge-cycle fire hazards inside for high-tier loot and Legendary blueprints. |
| Matriarch | Roaming elite heavy ARC boss. Needs heavy ammo, explosives, and a coordinated squad. |
| Bird City | Extreme-density ARC spawn event. Easy to get surrounded if you push in carelessly. |
| Launch Tower Loot (Spaceport) | Find Fuel Cells, power generators, ride ziplines up, clear drones, and claim top-tier weapon crates. |
| Lush Blooms | Calm weather. Dense food basket spawns with lemons, olives, agave, and mushrooms. |
| Uncovered Caches | Weather-unearthed Raider containers on a timer. Loot fast or they explode and draw attention. |
| Husk Graveyard | Scattered dead ARC machines. Breaching husks for materials makes noise. |
How to read a rotation
Event windows line up on the hour in UTC and typically last one hour. On the official tracker, the "Active now" row shows what's running this hour across all maps, while "Coming up" lists the next several slots with countdowns. Clicking through a card gives you a short description of the condition itself.
If you're chasing a specific reward, sort by event rather than by map. For example, Locked Gate on The Blue Gate appears on a 12-hour cadence, and Hidden Bunker on Spaceport follows the same pattern. Planning around those windows is the difference between a dry raid and one that pays out blueprints.
Why trackers sometimes show wrong events
Embark occasionally adjusts the event schedule with patches, and third-party trackers rebuild their rotations from observation. When a patch lands, community tools like MetaForge and ArcTracker can display stale data for up to 24 hours until they re-observe the new cycle. The official tracker on arcraiders.com reflects the current schedule directly and is the safest reference immediately after an update.
Trials that overlap with events
Some weekly trials grant double points during specific map conditions, and a handful can only be completed while a given event is active. Disarm Mines requires Locked Gate on The Blue Gate, getting hit by lightning requires Electromagnetic Storm, and damaging Vaporizers is tied to Close Scrutiny. Timing your trial runs to the active window is the fastest way to clear them.
The rotations are stable enough that you can plan a session around them, but the safest move is to load the tracker right before you queue, confirm the map you want has the condition you want, and go. If a patch just dropped, stick with the official page until community tools finish resyncing.