Synthesized Fuel is a rare topside material in ARC Raiders tied to the Exodus loot category. It sits at the center of several important early- and mid-game upgrades, especially the Explosives Station in your Workshop, which needs three units of Synthesized Fuel along with Crude Explosives and Pop Trigger.
Because it also doubles as a throwable explosive and recycles into useful crafting parts, it is easy to burn through your stock by accident. There are three reliable avenues to keep your supply topped up: targeted scavenging, trading with Celeste, and recycling specific items.
Key stats and uses for Synthesized Fuel
| Property | Value / Effect |
|---|---|
| Item type | Topside Material (Rare, Exodus-tagged) |
| Primary use | Crafting utility items and explosives, Workshop Explosives Station upgrades |
| Workshop upgrade | 3× Synthesized Fuel + 5× Crude Explosives + 5× Pop Trigger (Explosives Station 1 → 2) |
| Weight | 0.5 |
| Stack size | 5 |
| Sell price | 700 credits |
| On recycle | 1× Oil, 1× Plastic Parts |
| On salvage | 1× Oil |
| Thrown effect | 80 damage in a 7.5 m radius when shot |
Because of the relatively high sell value and low weight, Synthesized Fuel is a strong candidate for stash storage rather than quick cash, at least until your Explosives Station upgrades are finished.
Method 1: Buy Synthesized Fuel from Celeste
The most consistent way to get Synthesized Fuel is to trade for it with Celeste in Speranza’s Traders Market. This option unlocks once you reach level 12.
Cost and stock rules
| Vendor | Requirement | Unit cost | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celeste | Player level 12+ | 14 Assorted Seeds per Synthesized Fuel | 3–5 units per refresh (limited, then restocks) |
Step 1: Level your character to at least 12, then head to Speranza and enter the Traders Market area.
Step 2: Talk to Celeste and open her trade inventory. Look for Synthesized Fuel in her resource stock.
Step 3: Spend Assorted Seeds to buy up to her current limit of Synthesized Fuel, then wait for her daily refresh if you need more.
Celeste’s stock is finite between refreshes, so this method is best for topping up what you need for imminent upgrades rather than filling an entire stash in one go.
How to get Assorted Seeds for Celeste
Assorted Seeds function as Celeste’s main trade currency for materials such as Synthesized Fuel. You build a seed reserve by playing normally and by targeting a few specific activities:
- Loot nature-heavy areas (Hydroponics at Dam, Seed Vault on newer maps).
- Run plant-rich zones in Spaceport if you prefer to avoid heavy PvP zones elsewhere.
- Recycle items that yield seeds while still keeping enough materials for medicines and other essentials.
Early on, it is worth treating Assorted Seeds as a medium-term investment. Banking seeds before you hit level 12 means you can immediately buy the three to five Synthesized Fuel you will likely need for your first Explosives Station upgrade tier.
Method 2: Farm Synthesized Fuel at Spaceport (Rocket Assembly)
Synthesized Fuel is tagged as an Exodus resource, which means its best natural spawn rates appear in locations marked with the Exodus icon. Across all maps, one spot stands out: Rocket Assembly on the Spaceport map.
Finding Rocket Assembly in Spaceport
Rocket Assembly sits on the eastern side of Spaceport, close to the map edge. On the in-game map it is labeled directly, and you will see the Exodus icon over that area.
Step 1: Queue into a Spaceport raid and orient yourself toward the Rocket Assembly zone in the east, adjusting your route based on your spawn location.
Step 2: As you approach Rocket Assembly, scan for large industrial structures tied to rocket construction and long cargo vehicles lined up around them.
What to loot once you arrive
Synthesized Fuel appears most frequently in and around heavy transport vehicles and industrial containers in Rocket Assembly. The pattern to look for is:
- Long transport vehicles with breachable hatches on one or both sides.
- Industrial containers close to assembly platforms and rocket hardware.
- Generators and utility units scattered throughout the facility.
- Loot spawns on catwalks or elevated platforms reachable via ladders or ziplines.
Step 3: Move systematically from one transport vehicle to another, breaching every hatch you can find and looting the interiors. Prioritize vehicles near rocket hardware for the best odds of finding Synthesized Fuel.
Step 4: Clear nearby containers and generators, then sweep any catwalks or upper platforms before extracting.
Similar transport vehicles exist on other maps such as Dam Battlegrounds, but the actual chance of pulling Synthesized Fuel from those seems much lower than in Spaceport’s Rocket Assembly.
Note: Spaceport is one of the busier regions in the game thanks to its overall loot density. Expect other raiders. If you are there purely for fuel, consider running lighter loadouts so a failed extraction does not cost you high-value items.
Method 3: Recycle items that contain Synthesized Fuel
Several items break down into Synthesized Fuel when recycled at Speranza. This is a good way to finish off an upgrade requirement when you are one or two units short, or when you are sitting on redundant gear.
Rocket Thruster recycling
Rocket Thrusters are especially valuable finds around Rocket Assembly and other industrial areas. When recycled, they yield:
| Item | Recycle output |
|---|---|
| Rocket Thruster | 2× Synthesized Fuel, 6× Metal Parts |
Step 1: During raids (particularly in Rocket Assembly), keep an eye on tables, rafters, and other environmental surfaces for Rocket Thrusters.
Step 2: Extract with the Rocket Thruster and bring it back to Speranza. Do not salvage it in-raid; it must reach your stash to be recycled properly.
Step 3: Use the recycling menu at your Workshop to break it down and claim the Synthesized Fuel and Metal Parts.
Wolfpack grenades and other explosives
Wolfpack grenades can also be recycled into Synthesized Fuel. This is a guaranteed method but comes with a tradeoff: Wolfpacks are powerful grenades in their own right.
Step 1: Check your stash for spare Wolfpack grenades you do not plan to use in combat.
Step 2: Recycle only the excess units, keeping at least a small stock for raids if you rely on them.
Recycling should sit behind Celeste purchases and Spaceport farming in your priority list. Use it as a pressure valve when you are blocked on a quest or upgrade that needs a very small amount of fuel.
Using Synthesized Fuel in combat
Synthesized Fuel canisters are not only crafting inputs; they also act as improvised explosives.
- Each canister deals 80 damage in a 7.5 m radius when shot after being thrown.
- This is enough to finish off weakened enemies or force groups out of cover.
Step 1: When engaged, throw a Synthesized Fuel canister into a cluster of enemies or into a chokepoint they must cross.
Step 2: Either shoot the canister mid-air for a quick detonation or let it land and then fire when enemies close in.
Step 3: Use terrain—doorways, stairwells, and corners—to trap enemies close to the blast radius.
Because these canisters are so valuable for Workshop upgrades, most players treat them as emergency tools. Keeping a single unit in your raid inventory as a “panic button” is often a good compromise while you stockpile the rest for crafting.
Inventory and stash strategy for Synthesized Fuel
With limited stash space, it is easy to accidentally sell or recycle items that later become bottlenecks. Synthesized Fuel is one of those bottlenecks early on.
- Keep fuel if you have not yet upgraded your Explosives Station fully or you are close to level 12 and want immediate access to Celeste’s stock.
- Sell fuel only when your explosive-related upgrades are complete, your stash is crowded, and you need credits fast.
During raids, the 0.5 weight and small stack size make it reasonable to pick up almost every Synthesized Fuel you see. The opportunity cost is low compared to high-weight junk and the long-term payoff for upgrades is high.
Combining all three methods—Spaceport scavenging, Celeste trading with a seed reserve, and opportunistic recycling of Rocket Thrusters and spare Wolfpacks—gives you a stable pipeline of Synthesized Fuel. That pipeline is what keeps your explosives progression moving instead of stalling on a handful of missing canisters.
