Current weapon balance in ARC Raiders has led to an environment where common weapons like the Stitcher and kettle often outperform or at least rival high-end gear when factoring in cost, accessibility, and risk. This dynamic shapes both in-game loadout decisions and out-of-game optimization habits, with some players complementing their grind with external resources from places like the U4GM official site to stay competitive. Until significant tuning changes arrive, the meta will likely continue favoring low-cost, high-efficiency weapons.

The problem with common weapon power

• The Stitcher and similar common guns deliver excellent damage, reliability, and ease of use at a fraction of the cost of premium weapons like the Bobcat.

• As a result, the economic incentive heavily favors running cheap loadouts, since they provide comparable performance with dramatically lower downside on death.

Impact on high-end gear

• Fully kitted Bobcats, Volcanoes, and heavy shields feel special to use but do not deliver a proportionally higher impact relative to their crafting difficulty and price.

• Even when they provide a measurable ~20% improvement in fight outcomes, many players decide that the grind required to sustain such loadouts is not worthwhile.​

Player behavior in PvP lobbies

• PvP lobbies frequently see players armed with Stitchers tearing through better-geared enemies, creating highlight moments where low-cost builds dominate high-investment kits.

• This behavior encourages more players to adopt similar value-oriented loadouts, reinforcing the meta and reducing diversity in the weapon pool.

Possible balance directions

• Future balance passes could reduce the overall efficiency of common weapons, increase their recoil or resource costs, or slightly buff premium options to better justify their high investment.

• Another route would be to introduce new progression systems or perks that only unlock with high-end guns, giving them unique utility beyond raw DPS.

How to adapt right now

• In the current state, focusing on mastering common weapons, learning map angles, and refining movement will yield more results than chasing perfect high-end gear.

• Treat expensive loadouts as situational tools while running Stitcher-style builds as your daily drivers, ensuring a strong balance between fun, efficiency, and long-term progression.

​Recommendation: Value vs Power: $28K Stitcher Loadout Takes on $105K Bobcat in ARC Raiders