The Straight Record quest in Arc Raiders asks you to shut down an old EMP trap in the Dam Battlegrounds by flipping three nearby power switches. The first switch sits just above the trap and has to be turned off before the others will respond.
Quest context: why the first switch matters
Celeste sends you to Dam Battlegrounds because an EMP trap she once deployed against ARC could now hit other Raiders. The quest objectives move in this order:
| Step | Objective name | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reach Victory Ridge | Enter the Victory Ridge area on the north side of Dam Battlegrounds. |
| 2 | Find the old EMP trap | Locate and inspect the tall wired pole that represents the trap. |
| 3 | Disable first power switch | Climb to the first yellow power box and interact with it. |
| 4 | Disable second power switch | Turn off the switch on the nearby ruins. |
| 5 | Disable third power switch | Turn off the final switch down the hill. |
| 6 | Shut down the EMP trap | Return to the trap and power it down at the base. |
The three switches are wired in sequence. The first switch must be shut off before the second becomes interactable, and so on.
Find Victory Ridge and the EMP trap
Straight Record takes place in the Dam Battlegrounds map. Victory Ridge is the broad northern band of the map, covering sub‑areas like West Broken Bridge and Ruby Residence. The name “Victory Ridge” only appears when the map is fully zoomed out, so it’s easy to miss if you’re looking while zoomed in.
For this quest you’re aiming for the stretch of terrain just north of the Hydroponic Dome Complex and just south of the road that curves along the ridge. In practical terms:
- Open Dam Battlegrounds and pan to the top of the map.
- Locate the Hydroponic Dome Complex in the swampy area below the ridge.
- Move your marker to the slope directly north of the complex, near the road and the West Broken Bridge side of Victory Ridge.
On that slope, you’ll find the EMP trap itself: a tall metal pole wrapped in cables, with a circular device at the top, sitting on bare dirt. Walk up to the base and interact with it to complete “Find the old EMP trap” and reveal the switch objectives.
Locate the first power switch above the trap
Once you’ve inspected the trap, look around from that position before you start wandering. All three switches sit within sight of the pole if you know where to look, and the first one is the closest.
| Reference point | Direction from EMP trap | Terrain feature | Visual cue |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMP trap (your feet) | North / slightly northeast | Small rocky hill or ridge above the slope | Yellow, flashing power box on top |
Stand next to the EMP trap and face roughly north or a little to the northeast. You should see a low, rocky rise just beyond the trap’s slope. On top of that hill, a yellow box with lights is mounted to a small frame. This is the first power switch.
There’s no puzzle here; the challenge is simply spotting it quickly in the clutter of rocks and scrap. If you’re unsure you’re facing the right way, pivot in place and watch for the yellow glow—this box is designed to be visible from the trap.
Reach and disable the first switch
From the EMP trap, close the distance to the rocky mound:
- Walk straight up the slope toward the yellow box you saw from the trap.
- Climb the small hill—standard mantle and jump moves are enough; there’s no special route.
- Approach the yellow electrical box until the interaction prompt appears.
When you’re in range, hold the interact button to flip the switch. You’ll see the box power down, and your objective will advance to the second switch. There is no need to loot or inspect anything else on the hill; the only functional element here is the switch itself.
How the first switch connects to the rest of the quest
Turning off the first switch does more than tick a box in the objective list. It also:
- Enables interaction with the second switch on the ruined building to the east.
- Confirms you’re in the correct cluster of ruins along Victory Ridge; if you can see all three yellow boxes from near the trap, you’re in the right place.
- Moves you into the safest part of the loop—everything else is within a short sprint from this hill.
From here, you can pivot your view back toward the EMP trap to line up the second switch on the nearby ruins, then work your way around the triangle of switches before returning to the trap to shut it down.
Once all three switches are off and the EMP is disabled back at the pole, you don’t need to extract for the quest to count. Even if you’re taken out afterward, the objectives remain complete, and you can claim the reward—Medium Gun Parts and Advanced Mechanical Components—when you speak to Celeste in Speranza.
