This guide explains how to start and complete the quest “Hot on the Trail.” Given the limited information available on how to find the quest’s objectives, completing it on your own can be challenging. Our guide includes all the necessary clues and images showing the exact locations of the targets.
One of the main objectives when exploring the world of ARC Raiders is finding valuable resources and items. While the game is built around finding loot and attempting to successfully escape with the loot, each map of the extraction shooter contains several optional objectives or story quests from Shani, Apollo, Lance, Tian Wen, and Celeste.
One such story quest is called “With A Trace,” in which you’ll travel to the Blue Gate and find certain objects. The quest has a story, fragments of which you’ll piece together as you progress.
How to start the “Hot on the Trail” mission
To receive the “Hot on the Trail” quest , you’ll need to fulfill a number of requirements. First, you need to unlock the “Blue Gate” location and be able to begin the mission. This will only be possible after you’ve completed 18 raids on any in-game map. It doesn’t matter whether they result in a successful evacuation or you die during the raid. The second requirement is to complete the “Only Splinters” quest.
The quest will become available immediately after you complete the mission “Only Splinters.” Visit Shani’s security office, agree to complete the task, and then head to the Surface.
Find traces of those who disabled the machines
“Hot on the Trail” is another four-part quest that tasks you with exploring several areas on the Blue Gate map. These areas are located close to each other , but there’s a lot of debris scattered around, making it difficult to find the desired object.
Your first goal is to head to the wasteland and find an ARC vehicle to explore. There’s just one small problem: the wasteland is huge. If you head straight to the wasteland marked on your map, you’ll see an object in the center of the clearing next to the remains of the Baron. The small sphere on the side is what you need.
Once you’ve completed everything necessary, you’ll receive a new objective (almost immediately after interacting with the object). Head south to the Painted Ruins. This is a much more dangerous area, requiring two objectives. First, you need to get close enough to the Jumper, who usually patrols this area. If you provoke him, run away, especially if you lack the appropriate equipment.
The target is located right in a place called “Ornamented Ruins,” but it’s a bit more difficult to reach. You’ll see a yellow flag under a satellite dish, and a small golden console underneath it is what you’re looking for. There’s plenty of decent loot in this area, so grab it if you can. Right next to the quest terminal is a supply station, just in case you need ammo or equipment.
After interacting with the necessary equipment and collecting the desired loot, I recommend quickly making your way to the nearest available extraction point. There are plenty of ARC vehicles roaming around, including elite robots . Yes, you might want to use the free equipment to avoid risking anything truly valuable, especially considering how aggressive other raiders are on maps like Blue Gate and Stella Montis.
As with any quest, you’ll receive rewards, but only after returning to Speranza. You don’t need to bring anything, so you can open the menu and select “Surrender.” Once you return to Speranza, regardless of which route you take, you’ll need to speak with Shani to turn in the quest and receive the following rewards:
- Booster “Prey II”
- Medium shield
While this isn’t the most valuable loot in ARC Raiders, it’s still great for your upcoming raids. You won’t have to spend resources and money on good boosters and a shield. Moreover, crafting them requires a well-equipped workshop.
