Stuck on the “A Bad Feeling” quest in ARC Raiders? You’re not alone. Many players struggle to find Arc Probes and Couriers, which are essential for completing this early quest and getting valuable crafting materials. These mysterious ARC structures contain loot that can help you upgrade your gear and progress in the game. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly what Arc Probes and Couriers look like, where to find them on the Dam Battlegrounds map, and how to complete the quest efficiently.
Key Takeaways
- Arc Probes look like tall white pillars with purple lights, while Couriers resemble crashed UFOs
- Both emit black smoke when crashed, making them easy to spot from a distance
- Arc Probes beep every 5 seconds, helping you locate them by sound
- Best spawn locations include areas around Water Treatment Control and Research & Administration building
- Completing the “A Bad Feeling” quest rewards you with Metal Parts, Steel Springs, and Duct Tape
- Probes offer better loot but are riskier, while Couriers are safer but give fewer rewards
What Are Arc Probes and Couriers?
Arc Probes and Couriers are special structures deployed by the mysterious ARC faction in ARC Raiders. They’re part of the game’s core ARC Raiders game mechanics and serve as valuable loot sources for players. Understanding these structures is crucial for anyone following an ARC Raiders beginner guide.
Arc Probes are tall, glowing white pillars standing about 2-3 meters high. They have a distinctive purple light at the top that makes them visible even from afar. Some Probes are still active and standing, while others have crashed and are lying on their side. Both types contain valuable ARC Raiders crafting materials inside.
Arc Couriers look different – they resemble crashed UFOs or rounded transport pods. They’re typically found in a crashed state, emitting black smoke. Unlike Probes, Couriers don’t make any sound, so you’ll need to rely purely on visual cues to find them.
Both structures are essential to the ARC Raiders extraction game experience, as they provide materials needed for crafting and upgrading your equipment. They’re also key objectives in several quests, making them important targets during your raids.
Where to Find Arc Probes in ARC Raiders?
Finding Arc Probes is easier once you know where to look. These are the most reliable ARC Raiders spawn points for Probes on the Dam Battlegrounds map:
- In the forest to the West of the Water Treatment Control
- To the south of the Research & Administration building (you can often find two probes close together here)
- Right outside the Power Generation Complex
- In the center of the Hydroponic Dome Complex, close to the Field Depot
When searching for Probes, listen for their distinctive beeping sound. Active Probes emit a faint beep every 5 seconds, which gets louder as you approach. This audio cue is incredibly helpful for locating them, especially in areas with lots of visual clutter.
Crashed Probes are easier to spot visually because they produce a thick column of black smoke. This smoke can be seen from quite a distance, making crashed Probes some of the best ARC Raiders loot locations to target.
Pro Tip: If you hear a Probe beeping but can’t see it, look up! Active Probes drop from the sky during matches, so you might spot one descending or hear it before it lands.
Where to Find Arc Couriers in ARC Raiders?
Arc Couriers are generally easier to find than Probes because they’re always in a crashed state. Here are the most reliable locations to find them:
- Near the Victory Ridge spawn point
- Near the west wall of the Electrical Substation
- Near the intersection road of the Electrical Substation and Water Treatment Control
- To the south of the Research and Administration building, near the slope
- In the forest just south-west of Testing Annex
Unlike Probes, Couriers don’t make any noise, so you’ll need to rely entirely on visual cues. Look for the characteristic black smoke rising from their crash sites. The smoke is usually thinner than what comes from crashed Probes, but it’s still visible from a good distance.
Couriers are generally safer to approach than Probes because they don’t emit noise that could alert nearby enemies or other players. This makes them excellent targets for solo players or those trying to avoid combat while gathering resources.
Remember that these ARC Raiders spawn points are the most common locations, but both Probes and Couriers can sometimes appear in other areas too. The game’s procedural elements mean you might occasionally find them in unexpected places.
How to Complete the A Bad Feeling Quest?
The “A Bad Feeling” quest is one of the first quests you’ll receive from ARC Raiders Celeste, a key NPC in the game. Completing this quest is straightforward once you know what to do:
- Accept the quest from Celeste at the beginning of your raid
- Find either an Arc Probe or Courier using the locations mentioned above
- Approach the structure and interact with it to search/breach it
- Collect any loot inside the structure
- Extract successfully from the raid to complete the quest
The quest is designed to introduce you to the concept of looting ARC structures, which is a core part of the ARC Raiders extraction game loop. It’s a relatively simple quest, but it teaches you valuable skills for finding and harvesting resources throughout the game.
Upon completion, you’ll receive:
- 10 Metal Parts
- 5 Steel Springs
- 5 Duct Tape
These ARC Raiders crafting materials are essential for early-game upgrades and crafting, making this quest well worth completing early in your ARC Raiders journey.
Pro Tips for Finding Arc Probes and Couriers?
Whether you’re a new player or experienced in the ARC Raiders extraction game, these tips will help you find Probes and Couriers more efficiently:
Use Your Ears: Arc Probes beep every 5 seconds. This sound is your best friend when hunting for them, especially in dense areas where visual spotting is difficult. Turn up your game audio or use headphones to hear the beeps more clearly.
Smoke Signals: Both crashed Probes and Couriers emit black smoke. Make it a habit to scan the horizon regularly for smoke columns while moving through the map. This is one of the most reliable ARC Raiders loot locations strategies.
Timing Matters: Probes tend to drop more frequently during the middle of a match. If you’re having trouble finding them early on, wait a bit and then search again.
Team Coordination: If playing with a team, spread out to cover more ground. Communicate when you find smoke or hear beeping to help your team locate structures faster.
Risk vs. Reward: Probes offer better loot but are riskier due to the noise they make. Couriers are safer but give fewer rewards. Choose based on your current situation and how much risk you’re willing to take.
Map Knowledge: Learn the ARC Raiders Dam Battlegrounds map layout. Knowing where key landmarks like the Water Treatment Control and Research & Administration building are located will help you navigate to spawn points more quickly.
Check High-Traffic Areas Last: Areas near spawn points and popular extraction zones are often contested. If you want to avoid fights, check the more remote locations first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do Arc Probes and Couriers look like?
Arc Probes appear as tall, glowing white pillars standing about 2-3 meters high with a distinctive purple light at the top. They can be either standing upright or crashed on their side. Arc Couriers look like crashed UFOs or rounded transport pods, typically emitting black smoke. Both structures have a metallic, futuristic appearance that fits the game’s sci-fi setting. The easiest way to spot them from a distance is by looking for the black smoke they emit when crashed.
Where are the best spawn points for Arc Probes?
The most reliable spawn points for Arc Probes on the Dam Battlegrounds map include the forest west of Water Treatment Control, south of the Research & Administration building, outside the Power Generation Complex, and near the Hydroponic Dome Complex close to the Field Depot. These locations have been consistently reported by players as having high spawn rates. However, remember that Probe spawns can be somewhat random, so you might occasionally find them in other areas too.
Do Arc Probes and Couriers attack you?
No, neither Arc Probes nor Couriers will actively attack you. They are passive structures that contain loot rather than enemies. However, the noise made by Arc Probes when you breach them can attract nearby ARC enemies or other players, leading to combat situations. Couriers are quieter and less likely to attract attention, making them safer to loot. It’s the potential attention from other threats that makes looting these structures risky, not the structures themselves.
What crafting materials can you get from them?
From Arc Probes and Couriers, you can obtain various ARC Raiders crafting materials including ARC Circuitry, ARC Motion Cores, ARC Powercells, Metal Parts, Steel Springs, and Duct Tape. Probes generally offer higher-tier ARC components and more valuable loot overall, while Couriers provide fewer but still useful materials. These crafting materials are essential for upgrading your gear, crafting new equipment, and completing various quests throughout the game.
Can you find Arc Probes and Couriers on other maps besides Dam Battlegrounds?
Currently, Arc Probes and Couriers can be found on multiple maps including Dam Battlegrounds, Spaceport, and Buried City. However, their specific spawn locations vary between maps. The locations mentioned in this guide are specifically for the Dam Battlegrounds map, which is where most players encounter these structures early in the game. As more maps are added or existing ones updated, new spawn points may become available. Always check your map and listen for audio cues regardless of which map you’re playing on.
Conclusion
Now that you know exactly where to find Arc Probes and Couriers in ARC Raiders, you’re ready to complete the “A Bad Feeling” quest and start gathering valuable crafting materials. Remember to use both visual and audio cues to locate these structures efficiently, and don’t forget to check out our other ARC Raiders guides for more tips on mastering this exciting extraction game. Happy raiding!

