The "What We Left Behind" quest in ARC Raiders is a story-flavoured surface run that asks you to recover something the colony lost and bring it home. Like most ARC Raiders objectives, it follows the game's core loop: take the job from a vendor in Speranza, drop onto the overworld, locate and grab the item, then survive long enough to extract. This guide breaks the whole thing down into five clear steps so you can finish it cleanly, even if rival Raiders and ARC machines are crawling all over the map.
ARC Raiders is an extraction shooter from Embark Studios, set on a hostile surface that survivors of the underground hub of Speranza raid for loot and supplies. Quests like this one push you out into the danger and reward you when you make it back. Before you start, it helps to know exactly what you're walking into.
What you need before you start
- An active quest slot. Pick up "What We Left Behind" from the vendor who offers it in Speranza and make sure it's tracked in your quest log.
- Loot you can risk. This is still an extraction run, so anything you carry in can be lost if you go down and fail to extract.
- Basic survival kit. Bring healing items and a weapon with enough ammo to fend off a machine or a rival Raider if you're spotted.
- The right map. The quest briefing tells you which surface location to deploy to, so read it before you queue up.
How to complete the What We Left Behind quest
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Step 1: Pick up the quest in Speranza
Head to the vendor in Speranza who offers "What We Left Behind" and talk to them to accept it. The briefing frames the job as recovering something lost on the surface and returning it to the colony. Read the text carefully, because it usually names the map and points you toward the general area you'll need to search once you're topside.
Accept the quest from the vendor and read the briefing for your destination. -
Step 2: Deploy to the surface map named in the briefing
Open the raid select screen and choose the surface location the quest points you to. ARC Raiders rotates you across maps such as Dam Battlegrounds, Spaceport, Buried City and Blue Gate, so make sure you queue into the one your objective is tied to. Pack only loot you're comfortable losing, bring healing and ammo, then hit Deploy to drop in.
Match your deployment to the map called out in the quest log. -
Step 3: Follow the marker to the objective area
Once you're on the surface, open your map and check your quest marker. Plan a route from your drop point to the objective that keeps you out of open ground where possible. Watch for patrolling ARC machines on the way — picking a fight you don't need to win is the fastest way to fail the run. Move in cover, listen for footsteps and rotor noise, and only engage if you have to.
Use the marker to navigate and route around machine patrols. -
Step 4: Find and collect the quest item
At the marked location, search the structure or area for the quest item. It will usually be a highlighted container or device, often with a faint glow and an on-screen interact prompt when you get close. Hold the interact button (the prompt key on PC) to pick it up. The moment you grab it, your quest log updates to confirm the objective is done — but you're not finished yet.
Interact with the highlighted item to recover it and update the quest. -
Step 5: Extract safely, then turn the quest in
The item only counts once you make it out. Head to an extraction point, reach the marked spot and hold to extract before the timer runs down. Stay alert — extraction points draw both machines and other Raiders looking for an easy kill. After you escape, return to the vendor in Speranza and hand the quest in to claim your rewards, typically experience, reputation and a vendor payout.
Extract with the item, then hand the quest in back at the colony.
Tips for a clean run
- Go in light. Because you can lose your gear, take a modest loadout on the first attempt and treat the quest as the priority, not the loot you find along the way.
- Scout the extraction early. Note where the extraction points are as you move so you already have an escape route the moment you grab the item.
- Avoid, don't fight. Machines and players are both threats. Sneaking past a patrol almost always beats a noisy gunfight that pins your location.
- Bring a teammate. If you play with a squad, one Raider can grab the item while the other watches angles toward the extraction.
Troubleshooting
The quest didn't complete after I grabbed the item
You almost certainly still need to extract. Recovering the item updates the objective, but the quest only finishes once you escape the raid and return to the vendor. If you died on the way out, you'll need to run it again.
I can't find the item at the marker
Look up, down and inside nearby structures — quest items are often tucked into rooms, containers or wreckage rather than sitting in the open. Get close enough for the interact prompt to appear, and re-check the briefing text for hints about the exact spot.
I deployed but there's no marker
Confirm the quest is actively tracked in your log and that you queued into the correct map. Re-selecting the quest as your tracked objective usually restores the on-map marker.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get the What We Left Behind quest in ARC Raiders?
You accept it from a vendor in Speranza, the underground hub. Talk to the quest giver, read the briefing and confirm it's tracked before you deploy.
Do I have to extract to finish What We Left Behind?
Yes. Picking up the item completes that objective, but the quest only counts as finished once you successfully extract and turn it in at the colony.
Can I do this quest solo?
You can. Solo runs are very doable if you stay quiet and avoid unnecessary fights, though a squad makes covering the extraction far easier.
What rewards does the quest give?
Completing it grants quest progression rewards such as experience, reputation and a vendor payout. Exact rewards can change with game updates, so check the in-game quest details.
Final thoughts
"What We Left Behind" is a great example of how ARC Raiders turns a simple fetch task into a tense surface run: accept the job in Speranza, deploy to the right map, follow the marker, recover the item and — most importantly — extract before anything stops you. Play it patient, scout your escape early, and you'll have it wrapped up in a single trip. For the latest details and patch notes, check the official ARC Raiders website.
