Augments in ARC Raiders are a system that brings a great deal of variety to the game. Each player can choose different Augments based on their preferred playstyle. With Riven Tides update, even more Augments have been introduced.
Whether you prefer a larger inventory capacity, a larger safe pocket, or more carrying capacity, you can find what you need among these Augments.
Furthermore, there are some Augments with particularly powerful additional functions, such as Tactical MK.3 (Smoke), which automatically releases a smoke grenade when the shield breaks, and Tactical Mk. 3 (Revival), which provides an unlimited number of Integrated Defibrillator uses.
However, in the current ARC Raiders game, for most players, only a few specific Augments stand out due to their significant advantages. For many players, which Augment is their first choice has almost become a consensus, or rather, a standard answer, within the player community.
In recent announcements from the developers, they have noticed this situation and stated that Augments system is not generating the player response they originally envisioned.
They are already undertaking a comprehensive, systematic overhaul of all Augments, meaning the current balance of Augments will soon be disrupted.
Five Key Features of Augments
For players, five key aspects will significantly influence their choice of Augments.
These are Backpack Slots, Safe Pocket Slots, Weight Limit, Shield Compatibility, and most importantly, Additional Slots—whether they exist and what special abilities they possess.
For example, Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive) stands out for its excellent Shield Compatibility, meeting the needs of most medium shields and also supporting other shields. Its two Safe Pocket Slots can protect important items collected in ARC Raiders.
And most importantly, when you're suddenly attacked, or your shield is about to break during sustained combat, or you take damage, it automatically releases a smoke grenade, giving you a chance to escape or reposition. This is the main reason many players choose it.
We can easily see that for players, the reason for choosing Augments depends in part on which Augments they possess, or rather, what ARC Raiders blueprint they can collect in the game. After all, this randomness isn't as simple and clear as the specific numerical values mentioned earlier.
In the current game, a very obvious problem has arisen for the development team: for players who have unlocked all Augments, there's usually a very fixed answer to which to choose—the strongest Augment. Unless there's a different purpose in a particular game, there's almost a standard answer.
Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) as the Best Choice
This is Augment we mentioned earlier, which has become the standard answer for almost all players.
It allows you to recover 75% of your maximum health when downed and stationary. It also has compatibility with medium shields and the ability to access the most Safe Pocket Slots (three in total). It performs best in almost all key features.
It can often save your life in combat, and even if you unfortunately die, it also maximizes the protection of items in your Safe Pocket Slots. Therefore, it seems almost inevitable that every player who has unlocked ARC Raiders Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) blueprint will choose it as their primary Augment for the long term.
Two Paths to Balance Adjustments
This is clearly something the developers didn't want, as it differs from their original vision. So, we now have two possible paths.
Strengthening Other Augments
Strengthening other Augments is unavoidable, and it best aligns with ARC Raiders developers' desire for each Augment to play a role in the game, providing players with diverse choices.
However, it seems difficult to strengthen other Augments to the same level as Survivor Augments, which would leave all Augments only differentiated by their unique abilities.
Furthermore, even if the unique abilities of other Augments are strengthened, it's difficult to maintain a balanced level of these different abilities, and it could potentially create another Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor).
Modifying Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor)
Another approach is to reduce the strength of Survivor Augments. This is a very reasonable change. Since the release of ARC Raiders, many items and weapons have undergone adjustments, which can effectively prevent players from being forced to choose a single item to maintain the same strength as others.
Currently, several modification options seem feasible.
Firstly, weakening its features, reducing the number of Safe Pocket Slots, and limiting the types of shields it is compatible with are all desirable changes, which can significantly reduce the probability of players choosing it.
However, it is well known that ARC Raiders players do not want to see their items weakened. After all, many ARC Raiders blueprints are not easy to obtain, and due to their high degree of randomness, the effort players put in can be very significant.
Therefore, weakening Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) without causing player backlash requires very thorough and careful consideration.
Another change would be altering how Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) is obtained, such as making it a reward for certain quests, allowing everyone to acquire it through a clear cost and method, without significantly impacting players who already own it.
Alternatively, a similar change could be increasing its crafting difficulty. In the current version of ARC Raiders Riven Tides, you only need Advanced Electrical Component and Processor to craft it.
The developers could replace these with rarer materials to increase the crafting difficulty, again without causing player backlash.
Finally, how ARC Raiders developers will change the current state of Augments remains to be seen; perhaps they will come up with a better solution. Regardless, this change is urgent, as it has already significantly impacted the current game experience.