There’s a simple way to walk out of Arc Raiders’ tutorial with more than the game intends. The scripted ambush in the abandoned pizza restaurant strips your inventory during a cutscene—unless you put your items on the ground first. Do that, and you can pick everything back up when you regain control.
Where the ambush happens (and why items are lost)
Inside the tutorial’s abandoned pizza restaurant, you’re prompted to pry open a door. Interacting with it triggers a cutscene: two NPC raiders appear, down you, and loot your character. Anything carried on your person is gone when you wake up—except items you placed on the floor beforehand and anything stored in your Safe Pocket.
Quick steps: keep your starting pistol and all tutorial loot
- Before you interact with the pizza restaurant door, open your inventory.
- Manually drop every item onto the ground, including the weapon you have equipped.
- Drop the contents of your backpack and everything in your Quick Use slots.
- Leave items in your Safe Pocket; those are preserved on death.
- Trigger the door to start the ambush cutscene.
- When you regain control, pick up the pile you left on the floor and finish the tutorial.
What to drop vs. what you can keep
| Inventory area | Drop it? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Equipped weapon (starter pistol “Burletta”) | Yes | Must be dropped or it’s taken in the cutscene. |
| Backpack contents | Yes | Place all salvage and materials on the ground first. |
| Quick Use slots | Yes | Stims, tools, throwables—drop them to keep them. |
| Safe Pocket | No | Safe Pocket items persist through death; no need to drop. |
Why this is worth doing
The starting Burletta pistol outperforms the generic sidearm you’re handed shortly after the tutorial, so retaining it is useful in your first runs. Keeping the early salvage also saves time and lets you craft or sell sooner.
Inventory management during the tutorial
If you scour all nearby loot spots, you’ll end up with more than you can carry. Break certain salvage into scrap to consolidate stacks and free space. Drop the consolidated stacks before the door so they’re still there after the ambush.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Forgetting the pistol: the equipped weapon won’t survive unless you drop it.
- Overlooking Quick Use: items in quick slots are also looted unless placed on the floor.
- Misusing the Safe Pocket: you don’t need to drop Safe Pocket items; they’re already protected.
This takes only a few seconds before the door interaction and gives you a small but noticeable head start as you step into your first real sorties.
