Most players searching this quest are stuck at one of two points ,either they can’t find the cache at all, or they find it and then have no idea what “follow the clues” actually means.
Both problems have simple solutions. This guide covers the exact cache location, the full evidence trail explained step by step, and everything else you need to complete Marked for Death in a single raid , without losing any gear.
What Is Marked for Death in ARC Raiders
Marked for Death is an investigation quest given by Tian Wen in Speranza. Someone has been stealing from her supply cache in the Buried City, and she’s set up a tracing dye trap to catch them. Your job is to check whether the trap went off and follow the evidence.
It’s not a combat quest. There’s nothing to collect and nothing to extract. Every objective is completed through interaction alone, which means death doesn’t cost you progress, and a free loadout is always the right call here.
The quest sits between Broken Monument (which must be completed first) and Market Correction (which unlocks after). If Tian Wen isn’t offering you this quest yet, finish Broken Monument first.
Before You Deploy: Loadout Decision
Because Marked for Death requires no item extraction, there’s no reason to risk real gear.
- Free loadout is fully viable ,no penalty, no loss
- If you die after interacting with the final clue, the quest is still complete
- If you die after the cache but before the clue, you re-enter and Objective 3 is immediately available
The only reason to bring a geared loadout is if you plan to loot nearby POIs ,the Gas Station, Library, or Collapsed Supermarket , after finishing the quest objectives.
If that’s your plan, a Raider Hatch Key is worth packing, since certain locked extractions and shortcuts require ARC Raiders keys to access safer exits after finishing nearby objectives. There’s a Raider Hatch near the Collapsed Supermarket that gives you a quieter extraction option than the Northern Station.
| Situation | Recommended Loadout |
| Quest only | Free loadout |
| Quest + nearby looting | Full gear + Raider Hatch Key |
| Quest + Buried City run | Full gear, plan extraction in advance |
Helpful gear and resources for safer Buried City quest runs:
Where to Find Su Durante Warehouses in Buried City
The Su Durante Warehouses are in the northwestern corner of the Buried City map , top-left on your screen. Use these landmarks to pin it down:
- Left of the Gas Station
- North of the Library
- Marked as a POI on your map
Because this location is on the outskirts, it sees far fewer Arcs and players than the central zones. The quest objectives themselves take under 90 seconds once you’re on site.
Important: There are two warehouse POIs on the Buried City outskirts. Multiple players have wasted full raids going to the wrong one. You specifically need Su Durante Warehouses , not the other warehouse location. Check your map label before committing to a path.
Getting There From a Far Spawn
If you drop on the opposite side of the map, you’ll need to cross through more central zones to reach the outskirts. When doing this:
- Move between cover points ,don’t run open ground
- Watch for ARC scanner sweeps overhead before crossing open areas
- Avoid the Collapsed Supermarket area if you’re not geared for player contact
How to Find Tian Wen’s Cache
When you arrive at Su Durante Warehouses, look for the large green corrugated iron building , it’s the biggest structure in the POI.
Don’t go inside. The cache is never inside the warehouse.
Hug the left exterior wall and follow it around to the north/west side of the building. You’re looking for a standard breach-and-search crate marked in yellow , the same type you’ve seen throughout ARC Raiders. The yellow marking is what separates it from the general clutter along the wall.
Interact with the crate. Objective 2 completes, and Objective 3 unlocks immediately.
How to Follow the Clues (Full Evidence Trail)
This is where every other guide either gets vague or just shows a screenshot. Here’s what’s actually happening and exactly where to go.
Why There’s No Waypoint , And Why That’s Intentional
After interacting with the cache, nothing appears on your map. No marker. No indicator. Many players assume the quest has bugged at this point.
It hasn’t. ARC Raiders uses environmental investigation design for this objective type. The clues are physical objects in the world, not UI elements. Tian Wen told you this herself in her entry dialogue:
“I’ve rigged the trap with tracing color ,whoever triggered it should’ve left plenty of marks behind.”
The red ribbon, the footprints, the metal shard , these are the marks. The trap worked. You’re following a traced thief, not a game marker. That’s also why the quest is called Marked for Death , the thief was literally marked by the dye.
The Evidence Trail Step by Step
Step 1 :Turn 180 degrees from the cache. Face away from the building, toward the tree line.
Step 2 : Look for the red ribbon. It’s the first visible indicator near the cache area. This is the tracing color Tian Wen mentioned, the most immediately visible sign the trap went off.
Step 3 :Follow the footprints in the sand. They lead northwest from the cache toward the thicket. The prints are faint, if you’re struggling to spot them, use the red ribbon as your starting anchor and walk toward the bush line.
Step 4 :Pass through the hole in the fence. There’s a gap in the fence between the cache and the bushes. This acts as a natural directional funnel,walking through it.
Step 5 : Find the metal shard. About 20 feet into the thicket, inside the bushes, a small metal fragment is sticking out of the sand. It’s easy to miss if you’re scanning too fast.
Step 6 : Interact with it. Quest complete.
What the Completion Dialogue Tells You
When you return to Tian Wen, she says: “I suppose they won’t be stealing from me again.” The thief followed the traced trail and didn’t survive. Then she adds: “Keep this between us ,my drop-offs aren’t exactly sanctioned by Celeste.”
This single line reveals that Tian Wen is operating outside Speranza’s official structure , a thread that continues into her later quests.
Marked for Death Rewards
| Reward | Effect | Coin Value |
| Shotgun Choke II | Reduces base dispersion by 20% | 2,000 Coins |
| Angled Grip II | Reduces horizontal recoil by 30% | 2,000 Coins |
The Angled Grip II is the more broadly useful of the two.Attachments like these become significantly more effective when paired with optimized ARC Raiders weapons, especially during later Tian Wen quest chains.
It’s compatible with a wide range of weapons and is one of the most versatile Tier II attachments available at this point in Tian Wen’s quest chain. If you’re not running a shotgun build, the Choke II can be sold or saved , but don’t recycle it until you’ve confirmed you won’t need it.
Completing this quest also unlocks Market Correction, the next quest in Tian Wen’s chain.
Upgrade your progression after completing Tian Wen’s quest chain:
How to Extract After the Quest
Two extraction options are available near the Su Durante Warehouses:
- Northern Station (by the Library) , Keyless, southeast of the POI, moderate player traffic
- Raider Hatch near Collapsed Supermarket ,Quieter extraction, but requires a Raider Hatch Key
If you run a free loadout, the Northern Station is fine, there’s nothing to lose even if you encounter another player. If you looted the area after completing objectives, the Raider Hatch gives you a lower-exposure exit.
Died after completing the final interaction? Don’t re-enter the raid. Go straight back to Tian Wen at Speranza , the quest is already marked complete.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
| Misconception | Reality |
|---|---|
| Cache is inside the warehouse | Always outside, on the north/west exterior wall |
| “Follow the clues” triggers a waypoint | No marker ever appears , intentional design, not a bug |
| The clues lead far away | Metal shard is roughly 20 feet from the cache |
| Need to extract to complete the quest | All objectives complete on interaction |
| Dying resets quest progress | Objectives persist through death |
| Any warehouse works | Only Su Durante Warehouses , not the other outskirts warehouse |
| The quest is bugged | It’s working correctly , the clue system is environmental by design |
FAQ’s
Do you need to extract to complete Marked for Death in ARC Raiders?
No. All three objectives are completed through in-raid interactions. Nothing needs to be brought back to Speranza.
Where exactly is Tian Wen’s cache in the Buried City?
It’s outside the large green corrugated iron building at Su Durante Warehouses, against the north/west exterior wall ,a yellow-marked breach-and-search crate.
Why are there no clues or markers after searching the cache?
This is intentional. ARC Raiders uses environmental investigation design , the clues are physical objects in the world. Look for the red ribbon, then the footprints, then the fence gap, then the metal shard.
Is the Marked for Death quest bugged?
No. The absence of a UI waypoint is deliberate. The evidence trail ,ribbon, footprints, fence hole, metal shard , is the entire clue system.
What are the rewards for Marked for Death?
1x Shotgun Choke II (reduces base dispersion by 20%) and 1x Angled Grip II (reduces horizontal recoil by 30%).
What quest comes before Marked for Death?
Broken Monument. It must be completed before Tian Wen will offer this quest.
What quest unlocks after Marked for Death?
Market Correction, the next quest in Tian Wen’s chain.
Can you fail Marked for Death by dying?
No. Completed objectives persist through death. If you finished the final interaction before dying, return to Tian Wen directly ,no need to re-enter the raid.
Final Thoughts
Marked for Death is one of those quests that feels confusing right up until the moment it clicks. The cache is outside, not inside. The clues are physical evidence, not map markers. And the whole system makes sense the moment you remember what Tian Wen actually told you before you dropped in ,she rigged a trap with tracing dye, and the thief walked straight through it.
Run it on a free loadout, follow the evidence trail from the cache, and you’re done in under two minutes. Then head back to Speranza, collect your Angled Grip II, and check in with Tian Wen for Market Correction , there’s more to her story than she’s letting on.
