How to Upgrade the Workbench in ARC Raiders: Complete Workshop Guide
The Workbench and Workshop system in ARC Raiders forms the backbone of your entire progression. Every weapon you craft, every piece of gear you produce, and every healing item you create flows through these crafting stations. Understanding how to upgrade them efficiently separates struggling Raiders from those who dominate every expedition.
This guide covers everything you need to know about upgrading your Workshop in ARC Raiders, including all material requirements, the best upgrade order, and where to find the resources you need.
Understanding the Workshop System in ARC Raiders
Your Workshop in Speranza consists of seven distinct crafting stations. The starting Workbench (sometimes called the Basic Bench or Equipment Bench) provides essential early-game crafting like ammunition and the basic Ferro pistol. However, the default Workbench cannot be upgraded beyond Level 1 — it’s permanently locked at its starting tier.
The real progression happens through the six other Workshop stations, each of which can be upgraded to Level 3:
- Gunsmith — Weapons and weapon attachments
- Gear Bench — Shields and Raider augment suits
- Medical Lab — Healing items and medical supplies
- Explosives Station — Grenades and mines
- Utility Station — Tactical gadgets like cloaks and ziplines
- Refiner — Converts basic materials into advanced components
Additionally, Scrappy — your passive resource-gathering rooster companion — can be upgraded through five tiers to dramatically increase your material income between raids.
How to Upgrade Workshop Stations
Upgrading any Workshop station follows the same straightforward process:
- Access the Workshop tab from your main menu in Speranza
- Select the station you want to upgrade
- Click the “Level Up” tab at the top of the screen
- Review the material requirements for the next upgrade level
- Use the “Track” button to mark required items (this adds an eye icon to these materials when you find them during raids)
- Gather all required materials through successful extractions
- Return to the station and confirm the upgrade once you have everything
The tracking feature is incredibly useful. When enabled, tracked materials display a small diamond icon on their item card during raids, making them much easier to spot in containers and loot piles.
Pro Tip: Use Landmark Tags for Efficient Farming
Every item in ARC Raiders has tags visible at the bottom of its tooltip. These tags correspond to landmark descriptions on your map. If an item and a landmark share the same tag (like “Industrial” or “Residential”), that item has a significantly higher chance of spawning in containers at that landmark. Match your farming routes to these tags to cut your grind time dramatically.
All Workshop Station Upgrade Requirements
Gunsmith — Weapons and Attachments
The Gunsmith handles all weapon crafting and modifications, unlocking better firearms and advanced attachments at higher levels.
To Build (Level 1):
- 20 Metal Parts
- 30 Rubber Parts
Level 2 Requirements:
- 3 Rusted Tools
- 5 Mechanical Components
- 8 Wasp Drivers
Level 3 Requirements:
- 3 Rusted Gears
- 5 Advanced Mechanical Components
- 4 Sentinel Firing Cores
Key Unlocks: Level 2 gives you the Arpeggio I burst rifle. Level 3 unlocks the Jupiter energy sniper and high-tier weapon attachments like advanced silencers and optics.
Farming Notes: Wasp Drivers drop from Wasp ARC units, which patrol in pairs around industrial zones. Sentinel Firing Cores require taking down Sentinel turrets — challenging but guaranteed drops.
Gear Bench — Shields and Augments
The Gear Bench produces defensive equipment that determines how much punishment you can absorb before going down.
To Build (Level 1):
- 25 Plastic Parts
- 30 Fabric
Level 2 Requirements:
- 3 Power Cables
- 5 Electrical Components
- 5 Hornet Drivers
Level 3 Requirements:
- 3 Industrial Batteries
- 5 Advanced Electrical Components
- 6 Bastion Cells
Key Unlocks: Level 2 provides the Heavy Shield, which massively increases survivability. Level 3 grants access to the Looting Mk.3 (Cautious) augment with massive inventory bonuses.
Farming Notes: Hornet Drivers come from Hornet ARC units — dark, heavily armored machines. Target their back thrusters (the weak spot) while dodging their charged taser shots. Bastion Cells require taking down Bastion units, which are extremely dangerous and best approached with teammates or powerful explosives.
Medical Lab — Healing Items
The Medical Lab crafts all healing supplies, with higher levels unlocking faster and more efficient consumables.
To Build (Level 1):
- 50 Fabric
- 6 ARC Alloy
Level 2 Requirements:
- 2 Cracked Bioscanners
- 5 Durable Cloth
- 8 Tick Pods
Level 3 Requirements:
- 3 Rusted Shut Medical Kits
- 8 Antiseptic
- 5 Surveyor Vaults
Key Unlocks: Level 3 unlocks the Vita Spray — a game-changer that delivers instant health restoration during combat, letting you push fights without needing to disengage.
Farming Notes: Tick Pods drop from Tick ARC units (small spider-like machines that swarm in groups). They spawn consistently near abandoned facilities.
Explosives Station — Grenades and Mines
The Explosives Station produces grenades and mines with specialized effects for crowd control and area denial.
To Build (Level 1):
- 50 Chemicals
- 6 ARC Alloy
Level 2 Requirements:
- 3 Synthesized Fuel
- 5 Crude Explosives
- 5 Pop Triggers
Level 3 Requirements:
- 3 Laboratory Reagents
- 5 Explosive Compound
- 3 Rocketeer Drivers
Key Unlocks: Level 2 provides Blaze Grenades for area denial. Level 3 unlocks Heavy Fuze Grenades and advanced explosive options.
Farming Notes: Rocketeer Drivers require destroying Rocketeer ARC units — flying bombardment drones that appear during high-threat events. This makes Level 3 Explosives a mid-to-late game upgrade.
Utility Station — Tactical Gadgets
The Utility Station produces tactical equipment supporting various playstyles, from reconnaissance tools to mobility gear.
To Build (Level 1):
- 50 Plastic Parts
- 6 ARC Alloy
Level 2 Requirements:
- 2 Damaged Heat Sinks
- 5 Electrical Components
- 6 Snitch Scanners
Level 3 Requirements:
- 3 Fried Motherboards
- 5 Advanced Electrical Components
- 4 Leaper Pulse Units
Key Unlocks: Level 2 unlocks the Lure Grenade for distraction tactics. Level 3 grants access to the Photoelectric Cloak (temporary invisibility) and Snap Hook (grappling mobility).
Refiner — Material Conversion
The Refiner turns common materials into rare components, reducing late-game grinding significantly.
To Build (Level 1):
- 60 Metal Parts
- 5 ARC Powercells
Level 2 Requirements:
- 3 Toasters
- 5 ARC Motion Cores
- 8 Fireball Burners
Level 3 Requirements:
- 3 Motors
- 10 ARC Circuitry
- 6 Bombardier Cells
Key Unlocks: Higher levels let you craft increasingly rare components from basic materials, saving hours of specific farming.
Scrappy Upgrade Requirements
Scrappy passively generates materials between raids. When you fail a raid, Scrappy actually brings back double as a consolation. Upgrading him early provides compounding benefits throughout your playtime.
Level 2 — Forager Scrappy:
- 1 Dog Collar
Level 3 — Scavenger Scrappy:
- 3 Lemons
- 3 Apricots
Level 4 — Treasure Hunter Scrappy:
- 6 Prickly Pears
- 6 Olives
- 1 Cat Bed
Level 5 — Master Hoarder Scrappy:
- 12 Apricots
- 12 Mushrooms
- 3 Very Comfortable Pillows
Where to Find Scrappy Upgrade Materials
Dog Collars: Found in residential areas on any map. Check drawers, cabinets, and tables in apartment buildings. Good spots include Ruby Residence and Pale Apartments on Dam Battlegrounds, and Grandioso Apartments on Buried City.
Lemons and Apricots: Grow on trees in several locations. The best spot is Olive Grove on The Blue Gate map — kick the trees to drop additional fruit. Also check the gardens between Library and Town Hall on Buried City.
Olives: Abundant in the Olive Grove area on The Blue Gate. Search the ground beneath trees and kick them for extras.
Prickly Pears: Spawn near cacti on every map except The Blue Gate. The outer perimeters of Dam Battlegrounds (northern area) and Buried City (southern section) have high cactus density.
Cat Beds and Very Comfortable Pillows: Found in residential and commercial areas. Santa Maria Houses and Plaza Rosa in Buried City’s Old Town provide the highest container density.
Mushrooms: Found in various locations. The Spaceport trench and Buried City’s southern ruins are reliable farming spots.
Pro Tip: During Lush Bloom events, all fruit items have massively increased spawn rates and special fruit baskets appear containing multiple pieces. Prioritize these events for Scrappy upgrades.
Recommended Upgrade Priority Order
Not all upgrades provide equal value, especially early on. Here’s the optimal upgrade path:
1. Gunsmith to Level 2 Better weapons mean more successful raids, which means more materials overall. The Arpeggio I burst rifle at Level 2 is a fantastic workhorse weapon.
2. Scrappy to Level 2 The Dog Collar is easy to find, and getting your passive resource farm started early pays dividends throughout your entire playtime.
3. Gear Bench to Level 2 The Heavy Shield at Level 2 dramatically increases your survivability, letting you take on tougher content and extract more consistently.
4. Medical Lab to Level 2 Better healing options become important once you’re tackling harder content.
5. Utility Station to Level 2 The Lure Grenade opens up strategic options for avoiding or manipulating ARC encounters.
After that, prioritize based on your playstyle. Aggressive players should push Medical Lab to Level 3 for Vita Spray. Stealth players want Utility Station Level 3 for the Photoelectric Cloak. Everyone should eventually build the Refiner — it becomes essential for gathering late-game upgrade materials efficiently.
Best Farming Locations by Material Type
Understanding where materials concentrate lets you plan efficient farming runs:
Industrial Materials (Mechanical Components, Rusted Tools, Rusted Gears):
- Dam Battlegrounds — Industrial zones throughout the map
- Night raids on Blue Gate increase high-value industrial loot
Electrical Components:
- Spaceport on any map
- Tech-heavy POIs and ARC debris
ARC Components (Drivers, Cells, Cores):
- Specific ARC enemy types (match the component name to the enemy type)
- Wasps, Hornets, Sentinels, Bastions, Rocketeers, Bombardiers, Leapers, Fireballs
Fabric and Residential Items:
- Apartment complexes on map edges
- Dam Battlegrounds residential areas
- Buried City housing districts
Nature Items (Fruits, Mushrooms):
- The Blue Gate — Olive Grove for most fruits
- Dam Battlegrounds — Red Lakes for apricots
- Buried City — Southern ruins for mushrooms and prickly pears
Critical Tips for Workshop Progression
Always use Safe Pockets: When you find blueprints or crucial upgrade materials, immediately place them in your Safe Pocket. If you die, you lose everything except Safe Pocket contents. Blueprints in ARC Raiders are physical items — if you find a rare one like the Jupiter sniper or Photoelectric Cloak, it’s not unlocked until you successfully extract with it.
Blueprints require matching station levels: Even if you find an amazing blueprint, you can’t craft that item until your corresponding station reaches the required level. Finding a Level 3 blueprint when your station is only Level 1 means you need to grind those upgrades first.
Recycle junk for basic materials: If you’re short on Metal Parts, Rubber Parts, or other basics, break down ARC technology and scrap gear. Parachutes and random equipment often yield the exact materials you need.
Track one upgrade at a time: Focus your farming on a single station upgrade rather than spreading thin across multiple. Complete each upgrade fully before moving to the next.
Coordinate with teammates: If you’re playing with a group, communicate about material needs. Trading duplicates accelerates everyone’s progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I upgrade my Workbench?
The starting Workbench (Basic Bench) cannot be upgraded — it’s permanently locked at Level 1. This is intentional. Your progression happens through the six specialized stations (Gunsmith, Gear Bench, Medical Lab, Explosives Station, Utility Station, and Refiner), each of which can reach Level 3.
What’s the fastest way to upgrade workbenches?
Focus on one station at a time, use the tracking feature to mark required materials, match material tags to landmark tags for efficient farming, and always extract safely with your gathered resources. Night raids often provide better industrial loot, and Lush Bloom events dramatically increase nature item spawns.
Should I build the Refiner early?
The Refiner becomes essential in mid-to-late game when you need rare materials in quantities that manual farming can’t efficiently provide. You can delay it initially while focusing on combat-relevant upgrades (Gunsmith, Gear Bench), but don’t ignore it entirely — it saves enormous amounts of farming time later.
How do I get ARC Drivers, Cells, and Cores?
These components drop from specific ARC enemy types. The component name tells you which enemy to hunt: Wasp Drivers from Wasps, Hornet Drivers from Hornets, Bastion Cells from Bastions, and so on. Target the enemy’s weak points for efficient kills.
What happens if I die with upgrade materials?
You lose everything not in your Safe Pocket. Always secure critical items immediately when found. For blueprints especially, extraction failure means starting the search over completely.
Upgrading your Workshop stations is the single most impactful thing you can do for long-term success in ARC Raiders. Every investment you make now compounds into better gear, safer raids, and faster progression. Focus your resources strategically, track your materials diligently, and you’ll be fully equipped for everything the game throws at you.
