You use the Free Loadout in ARC Raiders from the pre-raid screen: hit Play, pick a map, then swap from your custom kit tab to the Free Loadout tab and Ready Up to deploy with random gear at zero stash risk.

What the free loadout is

  • Free loadouts are randomized basic kits made from low-tier, second-hand gear, including a weapon, ammo, light shield, meds, and some utility items.
  • They always include the Free Loadout Augment, which gives 14 inventory slots, 4 quick-use slots, 2 weapon slots, light-shield only, and removes your safe pocket, with a low max carry weight.
  • You can take free loadouts as often as you want , with no cooldowns or hidden costs, and you lose nothing from your stash if you die while using one.

How to use free loadouts (step by step)

  • From the main menu, press Play , then select any map you want to run topside.
  • On the loadout screen, you’ll see your usual custom loadout; at the top, switch to the tab labeled Free Loadout.
  • When you select Free Loadout, any custom gear you added is automatically returned to your stash, so you are only risking the free kit.
  • The screen will look almost empty because the specific items are not rolled in until you spawn in raid, which confuses a lot of new players.
  • Hit Ready Up to start matchmaking and you’ll spawn with a random weapon, ammo, shield, meds, and some gadgets once you load into the match.

When you should use free loadout

  • Early game / learning phase : Use free loadouts while learning maps, AI behavior, extraction routes, and mission types so you never risk crafted or rare gear.
  • Broke or rebuilding : After a bad streak of deaths, spam free-loadout runs to refill your stash with anything you can safely extract.
  • Low‑risk tasks : For simple missions, contracts, or dailies where you just need to complete objectives, the cheaper gear is usually enough.
  • Practice PvP/PvPvE : Use them to fight other players and the Arc without worrying about losing your best build, which encourages more aggressive plays.

Tips to get the most value

  • Play loot-focused : with limited starting ammo and basic weapons, focus on killing AI that drops ammo and better guns, then upgrade your kit mid-raid.
  • Prioritize safe extractions : every successful free-loadout run adds its gear to your stash permanently, turning “junk” kits into long-term progression.
  • Trade the Free Loadout Augment : once you extract with it, you can trade that augment for better Mk.I or green augments at the clinic/NPC vendors, so even the augment itself is value.
  • Accept the limitations : light shield only, low weight limit, and no safe pocket mean you should avoid overextending and plan shorter, safer routes.

Forum/“latest news” flavor

  • Recent guides and community posts describe free loadouts as one of the most player-friendly systems in extraction shooters right now, letting newcomers jump in without the usual gear wall.
  • Content creators in late 2025 have been pushing “zero‑risk farming” and “free kit money runs,” showing how to chain multiple free-loadout extractions to snowball a strong stash fast.

TL;DR: To use free loadouts in ARC Raiders, switch to the Free Loadout tab after hitting Play and choosing a map, then Ready Up to drop with random, low- risk gear that can still grow your stash and unlock better augments if you manage to extract.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.