The Straight Record quest in Arc Raiders sends you into the Dam Battlegrounds to clean up an old EMP trap that’s interfering with Raiders. The objective list sounds simple – reach Victory Ridge, find the trap, and deal with three power switches – but the location labels and terrain make it easy to wander in the wrong direction.
Here’s how the quest actually plays out, and where everything is clustered so you can clear it in one sweep.
Where Victory Ridge is on Dam Battlegrounds
Victory Ridge is a large zone that covers the entire northern edge of the Dam Battlegrounds map. It includes recognizable sub‑locations such as West Broken Bridge and Ruby Residence, but the “Victory Ridge” label only appears when the map is fully zoomed out.
For Straight Record, you don’t need to search all of Victory Ridge. The quest area sits in the northern part of the map, around the junction of the main roads above the Hydroponic Dome Complex and between:
- West Broken Bridge (to the north‑east)
- Ruby Residence (to the south‑west)
- Hydroponic Dome Complex (directly to the south, in the swamp)
Reaching any part of Victory Ridge will tick off the first objective, but the rest of the quest is focused around the stretch of road directly north of the Hydroponic Dome Complex.
Old EMP trap location at Victory Ridge
The old EMP trap is set up on a slope just south of the road that runs east–west above the Hydroponic Dome Complex. It sits roughly between West Broken Bridge and Ruby Residence, slightly closer to West Broken Bridge.
| Reference point | Direction to EMP trap | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Hydroponic Dome Complex | Head north, up out of the swamp, toward the road | Trap is a short distance north of the domes and just below the road |
| West Broken Bridge | Move south‑west, staying near the ridge edge | Trap sits south‑west of this landmark, on the right‑hand side of the road if you walk from the bridge |
| Ruby Residence | Travel north‑east up into the ridge | Trap is near where the two main roads converge north of the domes |
Visually, the EMP trap is:
- A metal pole or antenna wrapped in cables
- With a circular unit mounted at the top
- Standing in a shallow, eroded dip in the terrain beside the road embankment
Walk up to the base and interact to “investigate” it. That finishes the “Find the old EMP trap” step and unlocks the three power switch objectives.
Power switch layout around the EMP trap
All three switches sit within a short walk of the EMP trap and share the same visual design: yellow electrical boxes that stand out clearly against the grey rock and ruined concrete. They must be disabled in order; the next switch only becomes active after the previous one is shut off.
| Switch | Relative position from EMP trap | Elevation | Key landmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| First switch | North / north‑east | On a small rocky mound above the trap | Visible directly from the trap when you look uphill |
| Second switch | East to east‑south‑east | On the upper floor of a ruined building | Rubble and a red building across the road; climb a generator to reach it |
| Third switch | South toward Hydroponic Dome Complex | Downhill near the trail | Pole with a sagging power line leading to a box beside a tree |
First power switch location (north of the trap)
From the EMP trap, face uphill toward the ridge. The first power switch is on a low rocky hill directly to the north or slightly north‑east, and the white front of the box is visible from the trap if you look in that direction.
To reach it:
- Climb the nearby rocky mound that rises above the trap
- Walk up to the flashing yellow box on top
- Hold the interact button to disable the first switch
Once the animation finishes, the first objective updates, and the second switch becomes active.
Second power switch location (ruined building to the east)
The second switch is mounted on a ruined structure across the road from the trap. When you stand at the EMP pole and look to the east or east‑south‑east, you’ll see a cluster of broken buildings and rubble, including a red building surrounded by concrete debris.
The switch itself sits on the first floor/rooftop level of this ruined house, not at ground level. Getting to it requires a short climb:
- Move from the EMP trap toward the ruined buildings across the road
- Find the generator or large metal unit positioned beside the white building
- Climb onto the generator, then up onto the broken structure
- Cross the gap or rubble and head into the upper‑floor area where the yellow box is mounted
- Interact with the switch to turn it off
Disabling this box completes the second switch objective and unlocks the third.
Third power switch location (downhill to the south)
The final switch is slightly farther away but still close enough that you can run to it in a few seconds. It lies downhill to the south of the EMP trap, toward the Hydroponic Dome Complex.
A suspended cable gives you a clear path:
- From the trap, start heading south, dropping down off the ridge
- Look for a tall pole with an electrical line or cable sloping down from it
- Follow this cable along the ground; it leads directly to the last yellow box
- The switch is beside a tree, near the path that runs back toward the domes
Interact with the box to shut off the third and final power switch.
Shutting down the EMP trap and finishing Straight Record
With all three switches disabled, the old EMP trap is safe to power down completely. The final step mirrors the first interaction:
- Return to the EMP pole in the small depression beside the road
- Interact with the base again to shut down the trap
This completes all on‑map objectives for Straight Record. The quest does not require a successful extraction in the same raid instance; progress persists even if you are downed after finishing the interactions. When you return to Speranza and report back to Celeste, you receive:
- 5× Medium Gun Parts
- 3× Advanced Mechanical Components
Because there’s no extraction requirement and the objective cluster is compact, Straight Record works well as a low‑risk run with a free or budget loadout. Reach Victory Ridge, follow the road above Hydroponic Dome Complex, and treat the EMP pole as the center point: one switch up the hill, one in the ruins across the road, and one down the slope along the loose power line.
