Keys in ARC Raiders are special loot items used to open locked rooms that cannot be accessed normally. They often lead to rooms with higher loot quality, rare materials, and sometimes blueprints. Keys are consumed when used, and if you die while carrying them, they can drop — so consider using a Safe Pocket or Safekeeper augment for protection.
1. How to Get Keys
Buried City Town Hall Key
Keys most commonly spawn inside residential buildings, administrative offices, and commercial POIs, with containers such as drawers, cabinets, lockers, backpacks, and crates offering the best chances. Keys don’t always spawn in the same spots, but you can increase your chances by:
- Looting Residential & Admin areas — Especially buildings like Ruby Residence and Research & Administration on Dam Battlegrounds, and Grandioso Apartments and Santa Maria Houses on Buried City.
- Searching every container — Drawers, desks, lockers, backpacks, and shelves often drop keys.
- Running high‑looting zones — Commercial buildings, hospitals, and high‑density POIs tend to have better loot, and more keys spawn there.
- Night Raids or high loot events — Dynamic events such as night or storms increase key and loot frequency.
1.1 Tips for Securing Keys and Key Rooms
Key in Safe Pocket
- Use Safe Pocket/Safekeeper Augment: Protect valuable keys from being dropped on death.
- Prioritize High‑Loot Rooms: Use High-tier keys first, like Epic or Rare keys, to unlock better loot and weapons.
- Use Mines to Secure Key Rooms: Drop Jolt Mines or Explosive Mines at room entrances before looting. Hold tight angles with your squad and watch corners—any team that pushes will trigger the traps, giving you free damage and a clean advantage while you grab the loot.
- Do Night Raids: Loot quality and key spawn rates tend to be boosted at night. Use Epic keys in night raid to get Epic and Rare weapons.
2. All Keys and Key Room Locations
Below is a list of all rarities of keys, where they are most likely to spawn, and where to use them to unlock locked doors or rooms on each map.
2.1 Dam Battlegrounds Keys
Dam Battlegrounds Map
Here are all the key locations and key rooms in the Dam Battlegrounds Map:
| Key | Where to Find | Where to Use/Room |
|---|---|---|
| Dam Surveillance Key | Random containers in Ruby Residence, Research & Administration | Water Treatment Control — interior locked room with loot. |
| Dam Control Tower Key | Loot random containers in admin/res buildings | Control Tower Top Room — high‑value loot room at the top of the tower. |
| Dam Staff Room Key | Random containers in buildings (especially Research & Admin) | Staff Room on Reinforced Reception ground floor — often good loot. |
| Dam Testing Annex Key | Random drops in admin buildings & containers | Testing Annex area 2 Doors (need 2 keys) — unlocks larger loot room. |
2.2 Spaceport Keys
Spaceport Map
Here are all the key locations and key rooms in the Spaceport Map:
| Key | Where to Find | Where to Use/Room |
|---|---|---|
| Spaceport Ground Control Key | Residential containers (Ruby Residence, admin buildings) | Ground Control Tower A6 room on the Spaceport map. |
| Spaceport Container Storage Key | Residential interiors & cabinets | Container Storage Locked Room — climb stairs to upper walkway. |
| Spaceport Trench Tower Key | Residential buildings like Ruby Residence | North & South Trench Towers — unlock multiple rooms. |
| Spaceport Outskirts Bunker Key | Random container drops in residential POIs | Bunker entrance near the departure building southwest of Spaceport. |
| Spaceport Warehouse Key | High‑container areas & residential interiors | Shipping Warehouse locked room (northwest Spaceport). |
2.3 Buried City Keys
Buried City Map
Here are all the key locations and key rooms in the Buried City Map:
| Key | Where to Find | Where to Use/Room |
|---|---|---|
| Buried City Town Hall Key | Random containers in residential areas (Grandioso Apartments) | Town Hall building — large loot area. |
| Buried City Hospital Key | High floors of residences and admin buildings | Hospital locked rooms — medical supplies & loot. |
| Buried City Residential Master Key | Random containers (drawers, shelves) | Grandioso Apartments Main Room — good loot. |
| Buried City JKV Employee Access Card | Residential container drops | Space Travel Building, 4th floor — unlocks special room. |
2.4 Blue Gate Keys
Blue Gate Map
Here are all the key locations and key rooms in the Blue Gate Map:
| Key | Where to Find | Where to Use/Room |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Gate Communication Tower Key | Residential/commercial containers | Pilgrims Peak Tower basement metal door. |
| Blue Gate Confiscation Room Key | Containers near Ruby Residence & admin POI | Confiscation Room in Reinforced Reception tunnels. |
| Blue Gate Cellar Key | Random containers in Spaceport/Olive Grove area | Locked cellar near South Olive Grove. |
| Blue Gate Village Key | Container loot in residential areas | Village area locked building. |
| Patrol Car Key | Containers in residential POIs, quest reward | Traffic Tunnel patrol cars (Headhouse) — opens patrol car trunks. |
2.5 Stella Montis Keys
Stella Montis Map
Here are all the key locations and key rooms in the Stella Montis Map:
| Key | Where to Find | Where to Use/Room |
|---|---|---|
| Stella Montis Security Checkpoint Key | Loot from interior containers in residences & Blue Gate Village | Security Checkpoint internal door on Stella Montis. |
| Stella Montis Archives Key | Lockers, cabinets, bags in high‑looting POIs | Archives Room in tunnels — often high value. |
| Stella Montis Assembly Admin Key | Interiors of Medical Research & Assembly | Assembly Admin area — useful corridor room. |
| Stella Montis Medical Storage Key | Containers in residential POIs | Medical Storage locked door. |
