Arc Raiders PvP Guide: Essential Skills You Need to Master to Win More Fights

Looking to improve your performance in Arc Raiders PvP? Whether you're getting caught off guard in close-quarters fights or struggling to handle third-person angle battles, this guide will help you climb quickly. Based on practical solo and squad gameplay experience, this Arc Raiders PvP guide breaks down the best movement tech, positioning habits, loadout choices, and combat awareness tips that players should master in 2025.

If you're new to Arc Raiders or working on stronger character builds, these strategies will help—and they pair perfectly with Arc Raiders items and coins for players looking for a faster progression path.

Why Third-Person View Is Your Biggest Advantage

Third-person vision is one of the strongest mechanics in Arc Raiders PvP. If you learn how to manipulate camera angles, you’ll consistently get the first-shot advantage.

Use Shoulder Swap Frequently

Switching between your left and right shoulder (default key: X) is essential for smart positioning. It lets you peek without exposing your full body, clear tight angles safely, and force enemies into unfavorable sightlines. This technique becomes especially valuable when using weapons with strict fire-rate timing, such as the Anvil, where every millisecond and angle advantage matters.

Peek → Shoot → Reset → Peek

The basic rhythm for third-person duels:

1. Shoulder peek

2. Fire one or two shots

3. Pull back and wait for recoil / fire timer

4. Peek again

Mastering this rhythm helps you win far more mid-range and close-range encounters.

Movement Tech Every Arc Raiders Player Should Learn

Mobility is essential in high-level PvP. These techniques allow you to dodge bullets, break line-of-sight, and open fights with an advantage.

1. Weapon Swap → Roll → Instant Shot

Bind “Next Weapon” to an accessible key.
Combo: Swap → Dive Roll → Shoot as soon as you land. This eliminates landing delay and lets you fire faster than most players expect.

2. Ledge Roll Tech
Rolling as you approach a ledge reduces your landing recovery frames. This lets you regain sprint more quickly, ready your weapon sooner, and stay harder to track while moving. It’s a simple tech that adds fluidity and speed to your traversal, especially during aggressive pushes or escape routes.

3. Sprint Roll (Any Direction)

Holding sprint allows you to dive-roll in any direction—even backwards.Great for disengaging or repositioning during close fights.

4. Toro Slide Combo

One of the strongest aggressive techniques for close-quarters combat. Perform a Slide → Shoot → Roll → Shoot again on landing sequence to maintain pressure, break enemy tracking, and maximize burst damage in 1v1 engagements. Mastering this combo gives you a fast, unpredictable entry that’s hard for opponents to counter.

 

How to Third-Party Effectively

Third-partying is a core part of Arc Raiders PvP. When you hear gunfire nearby: Push immediately. Don’t allow enemies to heal or reset. If you know someone is only 1–2 shots away from dying, eliminate them before they recover. Even hitting an exposed arm is enough—damage is damage.

Understanding Your Weapons and How to Play Them

Each weapon in Arc Raiders has its own rhythm. Using the wrong movement pattern for a weapon will get you killed, even if your accuracy is good.

Anvil – Best Peek Control Gun

Works best with third-person corner play:

● Peek for one shot

● Let the fire timer reset

● Shoulder swap between shots

Torrent – The Most Forgiving All-Rounder

Strong even at Level 1:

● Excellent mid-range

● Slow reload is the only weakness

Toro / Volcano – Close-Range Dominators

If played aggressively:

● Best used with sliding and rolling combos

● Perfect for solo players

Kettle / Stitcher Level 4

Cheap to craft and reliable even against high-tier players.

Renegade

High risk / high reward.
Best for confident aimers.

Why Free Loadouts Slow Your Progress

Many players rely on free loadouts, but this often leads to passive gameplay: corner camping, waiting for third-party cleanup, and little real improvement in movement or positioning.

Instead, consider crafting a few affordable weapons each day—three Toros, three Burletas, and three Anvils. These give you enough reliable loadouts to play aggressively, take real fights, and actually improve.

Utility Items That Win Fights

Arc Raiders gives players powerful tactical tools. Using them correctly dramatically increases win rates.

Smoke Grenades + Defibs (Best Duo/Trio Combo)

Smoke can:

● Cover revives

● Provide safe healing

● Block sniper lines

● Help reposition

Duration: ~20 seconds—extremely strong.

Frag Grenades (Force Movement Tool)

When enemies hold tight angles:

● Throw a grenade

● Force them out

● Push with confidence

Jolt Mines

Great for:

● Holding flanks

● Guarding doorways

● Acting as a sound alarm

Perfect for solo players defending loot rooms.

Sound Cues: The Most Important Skill in Arc Raiders

Footsteps, healing sounds, shield charging, door movement—everything reveals enemy positions. Skilled Arc Raiders players rely on sound even more than vision.

Learn to track footsteps, identify healing timing, recognize reload sounds, and push aggressively when enemies are distracted. Once you master sound cues, you’ll be predicting enemy locations before you even see them.

Best Augments and Shields for PvP

Recommended Augments

Shield Choices

Heavy Shield: Best for defensive or tanky loadouts

Medium Shield: Great for aggressive Toro players

Loadout Recommendations

Solo: Carry one primary weapon only. Healing and repositioning matter more than carrying two guns.

Trios: Recommended two-weapon setups:

● Mid-range: Torrent / Osprey / Pharaoh

● Close-range: Toro / Volcano / Renegade

This balances damage across different engagement distances.

Friendly? Don’t Trust It.

Many players say “friendly” just to get close and backstab you. In Arc Raiders PvP: Never lower your guard, Never show your back, Always keep your crosshair ready. Assume any player can betray you unless proven otherwise.

Where to PvP in Arc Raiders

Player behavior changes depending on the zone:

Choose regions based on your goal—PvP practice or safer farming.

Conclusion

To improve quickly, focus on these core fundamentals:

✔ Master third-person corner play
✔ Learn movement tech like roll-shoot combos
✔ Listen to sound cues at all times
✔ Understand each weapon’s rhythm
✔ Bring the right utility for your playstyle
✔ Avoid overly passive free-loadout play

With consistent practice, these techniques will drastically increase your survival rate and let you take control of fights instead of reacting to them.

Portions of this guide were inspired by PvP strategies showcased by Jiibii on YouTube. His content offers excellent breakdowns for players who want to improve in Arc Raiders.