Switching squad size without changing your raid plan can cost you good loot after the matchmaking changes. For the best ARC Raiders solo duo trio strategy, choose your queue around the objective instead of using the same route and risk level for every raid. Solo, Duo, and Trio now have separate playstyle tracking, while Update 1.38 made matchmaking work harder to find squads that better fit your squad size and playstyle.
Pick your squad size around the objective, keep the route compact, and extract once the run is worth protecting. Under the current 1.39 test, defensive PvP does not affect your playstyle estimate, but starting fights still can.
What Changed With Matchmaking
Three updates matter for loot runs.
Update 1.36 separated Solo, Duo, and Trio playstyle histories. A peaceful Solo session should no longer be shaped by aggressive Trio sessions.
Update 1.38 started a matchmaking optimization test. Embark said searches may take a little longer because the system is working harder to find squads that fit your squad size and playstyle more consistently.
Update 1.39 added another live test. If another squad damages, downs, or knocks out one of your squadmates first, your squad counts as defending. Defensive PvP does not currently affect the playstyle estimate. Starting a fight, including joining an existing fight as a third party, still counts.
Matchmaking is not a formula you can reliably manipulate. Embark describes playstyle as a continuous scale. Its official matchmaking system notes also confirm that loadout value does not determine lobby difficulty and equal squad sizes are prioritized where possible, not guaranteed.
Solo vs Duo vs Trio for Loot
Each squad size changes how much control you have over the loot, how much recovery support is available, and how much attention your team creates while moving through the map. Use the comparison below to choose the queue that best fits the objective rather than assuming one squad size is always safer or more profitable.
| Queue | Risk | Queue Time | Loot Control | Best Use |
| Solo | Highest personal risk because there is no teammate recovery | Variable | Full control | Quests, materials, route learning |
| Duo | Balanced risk with one teammate for cover or revive | Variable | Shared by two | Mixed loot and combat |
| Trio | Best team control but more noise and loot competition | Variable | Shared by three | Heavy ARC and contested objectives |
Embark has not published fixed queue times by squad size. Population, region, latency, and map conditions can all affect the available pool.
Solo Strategy: Keep the Run Small
Solo works best when the target is specific. Enter with one objective, one primary loot area, and one extraction route.
Dam Battlegrounds is a practical map for learning because it was designed as the first place to learn the rhythm of the Rust Belt. Buried City is a useful alternative once you are comfortable with tighter urban routes.
Follow this order:
- Bring a replaceable kit that can still survive one defensive fight.
- Move directly toward the item, quest, or loot category you need.
- Put the rarest item in your Safe Pocket early.
- Avoid loud ARC fights unless they serve the objective.
- Start extraction once the run has paid for itself.
The ARC Raiders solo extraction guide goes deeper on positioning, inventory control, and late raid decisions.
If you need help with raids, materials, blueprints, keys, or progression items, explore ARC Raiders raid and item services while keeping the same rule: protect the objective before chasing extra value.
Duo Strategy: Split Jobs, Not the Team
Duo is the best middle ground when you want support without slowing every loot stop.
Assign roles before the raid. One player checks angles and movement. The other handles containers, keys, or the objective. Swap when inventory space or healing changes.
Buried City suits compact Duo rotations. Spaceport is a strong alternative for tech or industrial loot.
If you meet three Raiders, avoid a straight open damage trade. Break sightlines, isolate one angle, and decide whether the loot already in your bags is worth the fight.
The ARC Raiders Duo matchmaking guide explains the squad size priority without treating Duo matching as guaranteed.
Trio Strategy: Control the Objective
Trio makes more sense when the loot comes from a loud objective, a large ARC target, or an area that needs sustained control.
Give each player a job:
- One watches the approach.
- One handles the objective or high value containers.
- One covers ARC pressure and prepares the exit.
Spaceport, Blue Gate, Stella Montis, and Riven Tides can all suit coordinated squads. Choose the map for the objective, not the party size alone.
The main Trio risk is overconfidence. Three players create more noise, split loot three ways, and attract attention during long fights. Leave once the objective is complete.
Extraction Discipline by Squad Size
For Solo, leave when you secure the main objective or a rare item you cannot easily replace.
For Duo, set a value threshold before the raid. Once the target item is secured and both players have enough value, rotate out together.
For Trio, regroup before moving to extraction. Do not let the player carrying the best loot move ahead while the other two keep looting.
Keep a backup exit in mind. If the normal elevator or station becomes contested, change direction early. Raider Hatches can provide another option when you have the required access.
Step-by-Step Plan After Matchmaking 1.38
The matchmaking changes can improve who you are more likely to encounter, but they do not replace a disciplined raid plan. Use the steps below to decide your objective, route, fight tolerance, and extraction timing before extra loot or PvP pulls the squad away from the original goal.
- Choose the exact item, quest, or loot category before queueing.
- Pick the map that gives the shortest practical route to it.
- Decide which fights are worth starting before the raid.
- Secure the main loot before adding optional stops.
- Recheck healing, shields, ammunition, and bag value after major encounters.
- Start the extraction rotation before other teams are forced toward the same exits.
- If another squad attacks first, defend the run without assuming that defensive PvP changes your current playstyle estimate.
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Conclusion
The best ARC Raiders solo duo trio strategy after Matchmaking 1.38 is not choosing one squad size for every raid. Solo gives you maximum loot control, Duo gives you the best balance of support and mobility, and Trio gives you the strongest control for loud objectives.
Choose the queue around the job, keep the route short, and decide when to leave before the bags are full. Matchmaking can improve the odds of a suitable lobby, but extraction discipline is what actually gets the loot back to your stash.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Update 1.38 create separate Solo, Duo, and Trio matchmaking?
No. Separate playstyle tracking arrived in Update 1.36. Update 1.38 then tested stronger matchmaking optimization for squad size and playstyle.
Does Solo have better loot than Duo or Trio?
Embark has not published a rule that gives better normal loot simply because you queue Solo, Duo, or Trio. The bigger difference is how much control you have over the loot you find.
Does an expensive loadout put you in harder lobbies?
No. Embark says loadout value does not drive matchmaking difficulty.
Can you guarantee a friendly Solo lobby?
No. Similar playstyles are more likely to meet, but there are no guaranteed PvE only lobbies.
Are queues longer after Update 1.38?
They can be. Embark warned that the optimization may take slightly longer while searching for a better match.
