Arc Raiders Guide: How to Complete A Rising Tide Quest
Mar-28-2026 PST
This guide breaks the quest down in a clean, practical way-focusing on how you would actually experience it as a player. The goal is to help you complete it efficiently, avoid unnecessary frustration, and understand what the game expects from you at each step.
Understanding the Structure of "A Rising Tide"
Before diving into the step-by-step process, it's important to recognize how this quest is structured. Unlike simpler objectives that stay confined to a single location, "A Rising Tide" is split into two distinct phases across two different maps.
The first half takes place in Buried City, where you're tasked with locating a specific apartment and retrieving a digital logbook. The second half shifts to Dam Battlegrounds, where the quest becomes more about navigation inside a restricted zone and locating environmental clues.
The game doesn't explicitly emphasize this shift, which is why some players try to continue searching in the wrong place. Once you collect the logbook, you must extract and redeploy to continue progression.
Entering Buried City and Locating the Apartment
When you deploy into Buried City, your objective points you toward an area south of Piazza Roma. At first glance, this seems straightforward-just another building to search. But this is where the quest begins to diverge from standard expectations.
The apartment you're looking for is barricaded and not accessible through normal entry points. If you try to enter from street level, you'll quickly hit a dead end. This is intentional. The game is subtly testing whether you've learned to think vertically rather than horizontally.
To reach the apartment, you need to approach it from above. Look for a nearby rooftop that has a zipline leading toward the building. This zipline is your key to accessing the otherwise sealed location.
Once you're on the zipline, timing becomes important. You need to jump off mid-ride and land on a small platform or opening that leads into the apartment. Jumping too early or too late will cause you to miss the entry point entirely, forcing you to loop back and try again.
This moment is one of the first real skill checks in the quest-not in combat, but in traversal. It's also a preview of how ARC Raiders expects players to interact with its environment in later missions.
Exploring the Barricaded Apartment
After successfully entering the apartment, the tension drops significantly. There are no major threats inside, and the objective becomes straightforward. You simply need to locate and interact with a digital logbook or terminal within the room.
The apartment itself tells a subtle story. Signs of hurried evacuation, barricaded windows, and scattered equipment hint at the foreman's role and the broader situation unfolding in the game's world. While it's not required for progression, taking a moment to absorb these details adds context to the quest.
Once you interact with the logbook, the objective updates. At this point, many players hesitate, wondering if they missed something else in the area. The answer is no. Your task in Buried City is complete.
The correct move now is to extract safely. Staying longer only increases your risk of running into enemies or other players, and there's nothing else tied to the quest in this location.
Transitioning to Dam Battlegrounds
The second phase of "A Rising Tide" takes place in Dam Battlegrounds, which is a more dangerous and complex map. Compared to Buried City, this area has higher player traffic, more open sightlines, and increased potential for conflict.
Your first objective here is to reach the Power Generation Complex located in the northern part of the map. This step is deceptively simple. You don't need to complete a puzzle or interact with anything specific-just entering the area is enough to trigger progression.
However, getting there safely is another matter. The terrain is less forgiving, and the likelihood of encountering other players is significantly higher. Moving carefully, using cover, and avoiding unnecessary fights will make a big difference.
Finding the Controlled Access Zone Entrance
After reaching the Power Generation Complex, your attention shifts to the Controlled Access Zone, often abbreviated as CAZ. This is where the quest becomes confusing for many players.
The CAZ is a high-tier area with multiple entry points, some of which involve puzzles or locked doors. If you approach it blindly, you might end up wasting time trying to open doors that aren't relevant to your objective.
The most efficient way to enter is through a ladder located outside near the dam structure. This entry point bypasses many of the complications and places you closer to where you need to go.
Dropping into the CAZ through this route not only saves time but also reduces your exposure to danger. It's the intended path for completing the quest without unnecessary detours.
Navigating the Controlled Access Zone
Once inside the CAZ, the environment changes dramatically. The area is more enclosed, with industrial structures, walkways, and multiple vertical layers. It can feel like a maze if you don't have a clear sense of direction.
Your goal is to locate a central structure within the zone and make your way upward. Vertical movement is key here. Stairs, ladders, and elevated walkways will guide you toward the upper levels.
As you move through the area, it's important to stay focused on the objective. There may be loot, side paths, and locked sections that seem interesting, but most of them are not relevant to completing the quest.
The design of the CAZ encourages exploration, but for this mission, efficiency is more important than curiosity.
Locating the Whiteboard and Completing the Quest
At the top of the central structure, you'll find an office-like room. Inside, there is a whiteboard covered in notes related to reconstruction efforts and the broader narrative of the game.
Interacting with this whiteboard completes the final objective of "A Rising Tide." There's no additional step, no hidden requirement, and no need to solve any puzzles.
This simplicity often surprises players who expect something more complicated after navigating the CAZ. In reality, the challenge lies in reaching the location, not in what you do once you're there.
After interacting with the whiteboard, your best move is to extract as soon as possible. The CAZ can be a high-risk area, and lingering increases the chance of losing your progress.
Practical Gameplay Tips
Approaching "A Rising Tide" with the right mindset makes a huge difference. You don't need to treat it like a high-stakes raid. Instead, focus on mobility, awareness, and efficiency.
Using a lightweight loadout allows you to move faster and recover more easily if something goes wrong. You can craft them with cheap ARC Raiders BluePrints. Since the quest doesn't require heavy combat, survivability and positioning matter more than raw firepower.
Avoiding unnecessary engagements is also crucial, especially in Dam Battlegrounds. The longer you stay exposed, the higher the chance of running into trouble.
Finally, pay attention to environmental cues. The game often guides you subtly through level design rather than explicit instructions. Learning to read these cues will help not just in this quest, but throughout the rest of ARC Raiders.
Final Thoughts
"A Rising Tide" is a perfect example of a quest that feels frustrating at first but becomes straightforward once you understand its logic. It's not about combat difficulty or mechanical complexity-it's about clarity and approach.
If you focus on the intended routes, avoid unnecessary distractions, and prioritize movement over confrontation, you can complete the entire quest smoothly and efficiently.
More importantly, mastering this quest equips you with skills that carry over into the rest of ARC Raiders. It teaches you how to think like the game expects you to think-and that's ultimately what makes the difference between struggling and succeeding.