The Industrial Espionage quest in ARC Raiders is one of those missions that looks easy, but quietly punishes players who rush it or don’t understand how the mechanics work behind the scenes.

On paper, it’s just:

• Take a weapon
• Go to a cache
• Plant a bug

In reality, players regularly:

• Lose their Burletta without realizing why
• Interact with the wrong container
• Miss the cache radius by a few steps
• Assume extraction is mandatory and waste gear
• Think the quest is bugged when it’s not

This guide exists so you don’t repeat the same mistakes.

We’ll cover:

• How the quest unlocks
• What the game actually checks internally
  
• Exact positioning using landmarks
• Every edge case (death, lost weapons, mods, extraction)
• And how to finish it once and correctly

If you’re working through multiple missions or planning your overall progression, there are also dedicated Arc Raiders progression options available outside this guide.

What Is the Industrial Espionage Quest?

Industrial Espionage is a mid-to-late quest from Tian Wen that shifts focus away from combat and extraction, and instead introduces intel-based objectives.

Unlike earlier missions where you:

• Retrieve items
• Extract with loot
• Or clear enemy areas

This quest asks you to:

• Leave something behind
• Manipulate a rival weapon cache
• And gather information without drawing attention

Narratively, Tian Wen wants insight into rival weapon movements. Mechanically, the game tests whether you can:

• Follow environmental clues
• Read objective prompts carefully
• Avoid unnecessary risk

The quest takes place in Buried City, specifically the Outskirts near the Gas Station, and revolves entirely around one correct cache interaction.

How to Unlock the Industrial Espionage Quest

This is one of the least explained parts of the quest, which is why many players search for it.

Here’s how unlocking actually works in practice:

• The quest is given by Tian Wen
• It appears after completing several earlier Tian Wen missions
• There is no officially confirmed hard level requirement
• Community reports place it around level 20–25
• The key factor is questline progression, not XP level

Why some players don’t see it

If you haven’t advanced far enough in Tian Wen’s quest chain:

• The quest will not appear
• No amount of redeploying will fix it
• It is not a bug

What to do if it’s missing

• Keep completing Tian Wen quests in order
• Return to Speranza and fully exhaust her dialogue
• Restart your session if dialogue flags feel delayed

If it’s locked, it’s because the game wants you to understand caches first before manipulating them.

Industrial Espionage Objectives Explained (How the Game Tracks Progress)

The quest has three internal objectives, and all three must register correctly.

Objective 1: Locate Tian Wen’s weapon cache

This confirms:

• You are in the correct area
• You are interacting with the correct cache type

Objective 2: Deliver the Burletta

This is where most failures happen.
The game checks:

• Weapon type
• Inventory state
• Interaction radius

Objective 3: Plant the bug (listening device)

This confirms:

• The weapon was placed correctly
• The cache interaction completed fully

If any one of these fails to register, the quest will not complete.

Required Items: What You Must Bring (And Why)

The Burletta Requirement Explained

You must bring a Burletta into Buried City.

Important details:

• The quest usually grants a Burletta I
• Any Burletta works (I or higher)
• The weapon must be present in your inventory

The quest does not care about:

• Weapon rarity
• Weapon condition
• Weapon level

It only checks weapon type.

Critical Warning About Modified Burlettas

This is a major hidden trap.

If you bring:

• A modified Burletta
• Multiple Burlettas
• One equipped and one in inventory

The quest may:

• Consume the equipped weapon
• Delete attached mods permanently
• Ignore the spare weapon in inventory

This happens because the interaction prioritizes equipped weapons in some cases.

✅ Best practice (strongly recommended):

• Bring one unmodified Burletta
• Keep it unequipped
• Do not attach mods

What If You Lost, Sold, or Recycled the Burletta?

This is the #1 reason players think the quest is broken.

If the Burletta is gone:

• The cache will not show an interaction prompt
• The quest cannot progress

How to fix it properly

You have two valid options:

1. Buy another Burletta from Tian Wen
2. Crafting a replacement Burletta requires a Gunsmith Level 2 workbench, which means upgrading your crafting stations becomes essential at this stage of progression.

Once a Burletta is back in your inventory:

• The interaction prompt will reappear
• The quest will behave normally

Until then, nothing will trigger.

Best Loadout & Survival Strategy (Why This Quest Is Low Risk)

This quest is unique because extraction is not required.

That changes how you should play it.

Recommended approach

• Use a free or low-risk loadout
• Avoid fights unless unavoidable
• Treat this as a stealth mission, not a combat run

Important mechanics to understand

• If you die after completing the objective, it still counts
• You can return to Speranza immediately
• Extraction is optional, not mandatory

Because of this, Industrial Espionage is one of the safest solo quests in ARC Raiders if done correctly.

Where the Quest Takes Place (Map Context)

Region: Buried City
Area: Outskirts
Primary Landmark: Gas Station POI

The Gas Station sits in the northern section of Buried City and is a common navigation point.

Nearby high-risk zones

• Hospital
• Library

These areas frequently contain:

• ARC patrols
• Aggressive enemy spawns
• Other raiders looking for fights

If your goal is quest completion:

• Skirt these zones
• Take longer but safer paths

Exact Weapon Cache Location (Environmental Breakdown)

This is the hardest part for most players.

The cache is not marked clearly on the map. You must rely on visual landmarks.

How to find it precisely

• Enter the Gas Station
• Look for the green overhang
• Move to the western side
• Locate a square container
• It sits next to a large metal machine partially buried in sand
• Step fully inside the interaction radius

If positioned correctly, you’ll see:
“1/1 Burletta”

If you don’t:

• You’re at the wrong container
• Or missing the weapon

How to Complete the Quest (Full Walkthrough)

Follow this sequence carefully:

1. Deploy into Buried City with a Burletta
2. Move toward the Gas Station POI using safe routes
3. Avoid Hospital and Library if possible
4. Locate the correct weapon cache container
5. Confirm the 1/1 Burletta prompt appears
6. Place the Burletta into the cache
7. Plant the listening device (bug)
8. Wait for the quest completion notification

Once this triggers, the quest is fully complete.

Do You Need to Extract After Completing It?

No, and this is important.

You can:

• Stay and loot
• Leave the area
• Die to enemies
• Or extract if you want

Completion is registered immediately.

If you choose to extract

• Northern Station is a common exit
• It is located south of the Gas Station
• Extraction is optional, not required

Rewards for Industrial Espionage (Why It Matters)

Reward	Category	Why It’s Important
Burletta Blueprint	Blueprint	Unlocks crafting
Mechanical Components ×3	Refined Material	Weapon upgrades
Simple Gun Parts ×3	Topside Material	Crafting economy

The Burletta Blueprint is the real prize, enabling future builds and progression.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (Expanded)

These mistakes account for almost all failures:

• Bringing a modified Burletta
• Carrying multiple Burlettas
• Standing slightly outside the cache radius
• Interacting with the wrong container
• Assuming extraction is mandatory
• Deploying without checking inventory

Avoiding these guarantees a smooth run.

Troubleshooting: Quest Not Completing (Deep Dive)

If the quest doesn’t complete:

• Reconfirm the container location
• Verify the Burletta is in inventory
• Step fully into the interaction radius
• Ensure the bug planting animation completes
• Redeploy with a clean loadout if needed

Almost every issue is caused by weapon state or positioning, not bugs.

Tip: If you’re short on time or don’t want to repeat failed runs, some players choose external quest progression help to move forward without frustration.

Industrial Espionage FAQ (Detailed)

Can I use Burletta I or any Burletta?
Any Burletta works, as long as it’s unmodified.

Can I craft instead of buying one?
Yes, with a Gunsmith Level 2 workbench.

Is the quest solo-friendly?
Yes. Stealth makes it easier solo.

Can I loot after completion?
Yes. Completion is instant.

Can other players block completion?
No. They can kill you, but not block the trigger.

Final Tips for a Smooth, Stress-Free Run

• Bring one unmodded Burletta only
• Use landmarks instead of the map alone
• Avoid unnecessary combat
• Don’t worry about extraction
• If something feels off, redeploy clean