ARC Raiders' Latest Exploit Breaks the 4-Player Controlled Access Zone Puzzle

ARC Raiders‘ new exploit allows players to bypass the puzzle in the recently added Controlled Access Zone and grab high-value loot with minimal effort. Located in the Dam Battlegrounds, this zone is ARC Raiders‘ latest high-value loot area. And the puzzle inside it is designed to require four players to complete.

Since ARC Raiders squads are limited to three players, the puzzle clearly aims to promote cooperation between strangers. Embark Studios has previously mentioned plans to add more PvE-focused content to ARC Raiders, and this puzzle appears to be part of that effort. The issue is that some content creators have already found exploits that let solo players avoid the puzzle and claim the valuable loot meant for cooperative play.

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You Can Complete the Controlled Access Zone Puzzle Alone

A YouTube video by user Epitomy demonstrates a new exploit that lets players complete the Controlled Access Zone puzzle solo. Added in ARC Raiders‘ Shrouded Sky update, the puzzle normally requires four players to press buttons simultaneously to unlock a door. The exploit, however, allows a single player to sidestep this section and open the gate using just a Barricade.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

The way this new ARC Raiders exploit works is simple: the player places a Barricade directly in front of the locked puzzle door and immediately rolls forward before it fully deploys. This pushes the character into the room, similar to how previous rolling exploits functioned. Once inside, however, the player still has to complete the next step of the puzzle, which involves inserting materials such as wires or metal parts into a device to unlock the final phase.

As Epitomy explains in the video, this part of the puzzle requires randomized items. Players who break the first locked door will either have to rely on luck and hope the required materials are easily accessible or bring commonly needed items such as wires and motors to ensure they can complete this step. In the video, Epitomy tries to break the puzzle a second time because, during the first attempt, they are prompted to place items in the device that they don’t have.

ARC Raiders May Soon Resort to Flamethrowers

The last time players exploited a door-breaking glitch in ARC Raiders, Embark Studios responded by placing flamethrowers inside high-security rooms. These devices targeted anyone who entered without a key, exploiting or cheating their way in. While this caused some issues, like occasionally hitting innocent players outside the rooms, it was largely seen as an effective solution at the time. Now, Embark Studios may need to implement a similar deterrent for the new Controlled Access Zone, as more players are likely to use the recent glitch to grab high-value loot without completing the puzzle.

Embark Studios has already warned that players who exploit glitches may face permanent bans. ARC Raiders fans are therefore advised to avoid using the Controlled Access Zone glitch to steer clear of any enforcement actions.

The Controlled Access Zone exploit is part of a broader issue that has been a hot topic in the community over the past few weeks. It reached a peak when a duplication glitch essentially broke ARC Raiders for several days, leaving the developer with no choice but to take enforcement action and ban some players who abused it. While Embark Studios has pledged to reduce these problems and preserve the game’s balance through frequent patches, the appearance of another exploit tied to a newly introduced puzzle suggests that keeping that promise may not be easy. In the coming days, it will be interesting to see how Embark Studios responds to the Controlled Access Zone glitch and whether it takes action against those currently exploiting it.