Best Keycards in Arc Raiders
Complete Guide

Last Update: 29/11/2025

Introduction – How Keycards Work in Arc Raiders

The key and keycard system in Arc Raiders is one of the most important mechanics for securing high-tier loot. Keys are consumable, single-use items that allow you to open locked doors, access sealed areas, or extract through special exits. In most cases, you must extract with the key in your inventory first and use it in your future runs.  Keys expire after every use, meaning you cannot reuse the same key for multiple doors or farm the same locked room repeatedly in one session. This system keeps loot progression balanced while making keycards extremely valuable—because what hides behind these locked doors is often the best loot in the entire game, including weapon crates, rare consumables, and drops with a real chance at Legendary-tier weapons.

Arc Raiders contains many different keys, serving various purposes. Some exist purely to unlock easier extraction routes, helping squads leave dangerous sectors safely. Others provide access to enemy stashes, secret rooms, or faction-restricted bunkers filled with high-value rewards. The full key list is quite extensive, and this article does not attempt to cover every key in the game.

For players who want a complete key breakdown, we highly recommend the extremely detailed community guide created by redditor pRoDeeD. You can view his full key map here: PDF Keycards Cheat Sheet V2. If you find that guide valuable, please consider supporting the author through his Ko-Fi page. He regularly posts additional resources, maps, and Arc Raiders insights that are genuinely helpful for both new and experienced players.

Top 3 Keycards in Arc Raiders

In this article, we focus only on the most rewarding keycards—the ones that consistently offer the best loot per run, including Legendary weapon drops, high-tier crates, and rare consumables. Arc Raiders features well over a dozen keys, but only a few of them truly stand out as top-tier farming targets. Based on community discussions, Reddit meta threads, and player testing, we have selected three keycards with some of the best loot potential. These are the ones we will break down in detail later in this guide.

Before that, it’s important to understand how all keycards are obtained. Unlike other loot systems where each key has a fixed drop source, Arc Raiders keycards appear to share a common, random loot pool. Players report finding all key types from various containers—toolboxes, lockers, crates—especially in high-rarity zones. While drops are not guaranteed, certain locations have become known for producing keycards more frequently simply because they contain dense clusters of searchable containers.

Some of the most notable spots players mention include:

• Ruby Residence in Dam Battlegrounds
• Grandioso Apartments in Buried City
• Residential complexes in Canyon Springs
• The multi-room residential blocks in Old Town
• High-tier loot buildings around Spaceport District

These areas don’t always appear in your run, and even when they do, other players may reach them first—meaning many of the searchable containers may already be looted. Because they are so popular, you can almost always expect PvP encounters near these high-value residential zones as players race for the same keycard drops.

With that out of the way, let’s move on to the three best keycards and explore their locations, farming routes, and the exact rewards you can expect from each.

Spaceport Container Storage Key

Loot Quality

★★★

Difficulty

★★☆

The Spaceport Container Storage Key is widely regarded as the strongest loot key in Arc Raiders. The door consistently spawns several high-value containers and weapon crates, giving it one of the best chances for purple and even Legendary-tier rewards. The Spaceport district is extremely contested, so expect regular PvP encounters on the way in and out. Despite the danger, the run is considered worth it due to extremely high loot density and predictable room layouts.
To reach the location, just enter the building as indicated on the screenshot, take the zipline, and the door will be on the right.

Buried City Town Hall Key

Loot Quality

★★☆

Difficulty

★★★

The Town Hall Key unlocks one of the most dangerous high-loot rooms in Arc Raiders. The entrance to the locked area is located right in the middle of the building’s northern side, making it easy to find but also very easy for other players to watch or camp. Buried City is a well-known PvP hotspot with long sightlines and elevated firing positions, so you should expect competition on your way in.

Once you enter, you will immediately encounter several flying ARC drones. Take them down quickly so they don’t reveal your position or interrupt your looting. The lower floor contains vents, small caches, and various containers that are worth checking—it only takes a moment and can net you extra rare items. After clearing the bottom, head upstairs to the main reward area, where the higher-tier crates are located. Because this building is such a popular target, it’s common for other players to move in quietly and wait for you to start looting, so stay alert and don’t linger too long.

Dam Control Center Tower Key

Loot Quality

★★☆

Difficulty

★☆☆

The Dam Control Center Tower Key is considered one of the safest high-value keycards. While its loot usually does not reach the Spaceport level, it is very consistent, featuring reliable crates and a fair chance for rare or exotic items. The Dam area generally has lower PvP activity, making this key ideal for players who want steady progression without taking huge risks.
Just head to the location as indicated on the screenshot, enter the Control Tower through the "Administration" Door, turn left, and head over to the door at the end of the corridor. Take another left, and you will see a zipline that takes you directly to the Control Center. Some cameras and turrets are on the way, so stay alert.

Final Thoughts

Arc Raiders is still evolving, and the value of specific keycards or loot routes may shift as new patches, balance changes, or content updates arrive. We will continue to update this guide whenever new information becomes available, ensuring it remains accurate and useful for all players chasing high-value loot. If you're interested in more Arc Raiders guides, farming tips, or meta updates, feel free to check back regularly—we’re expanding our coverage of the game with every major update. For players who want to speed up their progression, all of the most valuable loot, including items related to the keycards mentioned in this guide, can be purchased securely on our marketplace: Arc Raiders Marketplace Good luck out there, and stay alert—the best loot often attracts the most competition.

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Embark Studios or their corresponding owners.