If you’ve been diving into Arc Raiders lately, you’ve probably noticed that the seasonal event loops are where some of the absolute best loot is hidden. Whether it’s Staking Our Claim, Shared Watch, Last Resort, or Forgotten Relics, these limited-time events drop free, battle-pass-style reward tracks that anyone can complete—if they know how to play the system. The golden ticket to unlocking all of it? Merits.
Merits are the exclusive event currency you need to stockpile during active phases to clear out these tracks before they vanish. If you’re looking to grab every cosmetic, blueprint, and coin available without turning the game into a miserable, endless grind, here is a breakdown of exactly how Merits work and the fastest, most optimal ways to farm them.
Core Merit Mechanics & Conversion
Before jumping out of the dropship, you need to know what kind of event you’re actually dealing with. Arc Raiders shifts its rules depending on the active seasonal track, meaning the way you earn Merits will change. Generally, your performance translates into event progress via three distinct formulas:

• The Standard XP Ratio: 100 XP = 1 Merit. Any basic action that rewards you with overall experience points during a match translates directly to Merits upon a successful extraction.
• The Damage Check Ratio (e.g., Shared Watch): 100 Damage XP = 1 Merit. In these specific combat-heavy events, your progress is solely calculated by the raw damage, destruction, or kill assists you deal to ARC units.
• Trinket/Relic Extraction (e.g., Forgotten Relics / Last Resort): Successfully finding and escaping with specific high-value event items bypasses the standard XP math entirely, yielding a massive, flat Merit bonus.

The Golden Rule: You have to extract successfully. In standard XP and damage events, all those potential Merits you rack up mid-match are only locked in once you make it out alive. Die out there, and your hard work goes up in smoke.
Best Ways to Farm Merits Fast
1. Hunt Massive ARC Bosses (Best for Damage Events)
When an event like Shared Watch is live, your primary objective should be heavy ordnance and massive target prioritization. Do not waste your precious ammunition or time picking fights with other players; squad-wiping an opposing trio might feel great, but player kills award zero Merits during damage-focused events. Instead, look for peace where you can find it and focus on the real enemy.
Keep your eyes on the map and load into zones currently hosting Matriarch, Harvester, Queen, or Bastion events. These giant ARC bosses are massive bullet sponges, which is exactly what you want. Grab high-caliber weapons like the Jupiter, Anvil, or Hullcracker, find a solid piece of cover, and start blasting. Racking up hundreds of Merits in a single ten-minute run is completely doable if you keep the pressure on these behemoths.
2. Container Looting & Searching (Best for XP Events)
When the active event switches to a basic overall XP conversion, the safest, most efficient route isn’t fighting—it’s looting. You can effectively sprint your way through the track by spamming container interactions across industrial and residential areas.
The beauty of this method lies in the game’s mechanics: you get the XP drop the second you open and search a container, regardless of whether it’s full or completely cleared out. If another player swept through a warehouse and left every locker empty, you can still follow their ghost trail and collect the search XP for yourself. Focus heavily on dense spots packed with lockers, desks, boxes, and drawers. Oh, and if you stumble across a large ARC Husk, drop everything and interact with it—that’s an immediate 700 XP drop right into your pocket.
3. Targeted Trinket and Relic Farming
Some seasonal loops completely bypass the traditional XP or damage grinds by introducing specific physical items into the world map. If you’re playing Last Resort or Forgotten Relics, your gunplay takes a backseat to your inventory management.

• Miniature Ship Models: Keep a sharp lookout for these hidden items during events like Last Resort to instantly boost your progression.
• Legendary Relics: During the Forgotten Relics event, turning in high-tier items like the Elephant Obelisk or the Colorful Shoes will yield a flat, massive bonus of 150 Merits instantly.

To maximize this, plan your drop routes around high-density item spawn zones. Bird City and Buried City are absolute gold mines for trinket spawns. Slip in quiet, fill your backpack, and take the nearest elevator out.
4. Maximize Map Modifiers
If you want to maximize efficiency, stop deploying into clean, sunny daytime maps. Look for specific weather and environmental modifiers before you drop. Deploying during an Electromagnetic Storm or a Night Raid dramatically ups the stakes—and the rewards. These modifiers force significantly higher ARC spawn rates, packing the map with high-value targets like Wasps and Rocketeers.
Additionally, make sure you're actively engaging with local map events. If you can trigger a Beach Combing event, break out the metal detectors to hunt for blue luggage and gold boats; extracting these unique finds nets you a solid 250 Merits pop. Alternatively, dive into the Hidden Bunker event located right beneath the main departure building for quick, highly concentrated event progression opportunities.
How to Get Everything (The Rewards)
Once you start hoarding Merits, you will unlock rewards incrementally on the main event progression screen. Progression milestones generally trigger every 150 Merits accumulated. The best part? There is no premium paywall on these specific tracks. Everything listed is completely free to earn, provided you hit the final point cap before the event timer runs out.
Clearing out these seasonal tracks is well worth the effort. Here is what you can look forward to unlocking as you max them out:

• Exclusive Cosmetics: You’ll unlock full outfit cosmetic choices (like the highly coveted Slugger set), unique headgear, custom chest pieces, tactical knee pads, distinctive face paints, and weapon charms to show off your achievements in the underground colony.
• High-Tier Blueprints: This is the functional loot you cannot afford to miss. These tracks contain crucial crafting schematics that permanently expand your workshop options, including advanced Vita Spray variants and Tactical Mark III Healing Augments.
• Premium Currency: Each completed event track hands out up to 150 Raider Tokens / Coins. This lets you save up for premium shop items simply by playing the game efficiently.