Arc Raiders: Riven Tides Map Guide (PC)

Map Overview

Riven Tides is set along a rugged stretch of Italian coastline — cliffs, fishing villages, coastal infrastructure, and beaches carved up by decades of Arc activity and the relentless tides. It's one of the more approachable maps for newer Raiders, with broad sightlines and a relatively straightforward layout, but the coastal terrain introduces unique hazards that experienced players exploit and careless ones fall to.

The map's defining feature is its tidal zones: sections of the map that become accessible or inaccessible depending on the tide state during your run. Low tide opens up extensive beach and cave areas with excellent loot; high tide closes them off entirely. Knowing the tidal state before you push a zone is critical.

The Arc presence on Riven Tides is lighter overall compared to maps like Buried City, but Flyers are significantly more active here — the open coastal terrain gives them clear sightlines across most of the map.

Key Landmarks

The Fishing Village — A cluster of traditional Italian coastal buildings along the northern shore. Good general loot — consumables, basic components, ammo. Lower Arc density than most mid-map zones. A reliable staging area before pushing deeper into the map.

The Coastal Cannery — A mid-sized industrial processing facility on the waterfront. Excellent fabrication materials and mid-tier components. Soldiers patrol the exterior dock areas; the interior is Crawler territory. One of the map's best consistent loot stops.

The Sea Caves — Accessible only at low tide. Multiple cave entrances along the cliff face open to a connected series of chambers beneath the map. Contains the best loot on the entire map — salvage from sunken Arc machinery, rare components, and high-tier fabrication materials. Heavy Crawler presence inside. Tidal access closes within the hour.

The Clifftop Outpost — A former human observation post on the map's highest cliff point. Medium loot quality — mostly equipment and tools — but excellent sightlines over the entire map. Useful for scouting before committing to a loot route. Occasional Flyer patrols circle the clifftop.

The Wrecked Barge — A large Arc vessel that has beached on the southern shore. Partially accessible on foot. Contains high-value Arc components stripped from the machine itself — unique loot that can't be found elsewhere on the map. Arc activity around the barge is moderate but the barge itself is partially controlled.

The Tidal System

Riven Tides cycles between high and low tide during a run. The tide state at your deployment time determines what's accessible:

Low tide (Sea Caves open):

The beach expands significantly, the cave entrances along the cliffs open, and the Sea Caves become accessible. This is when the map's best loot is available. Expect heavy competition from other Raiders on low-tide deployments.

High tide (Caves sealed):

The beach shrinks, cave entrances are submerged, and the map's layout becomes less varied. Safer and quieter, but the high-value loot is off the table. Good for reliable mid-tier runs without the Sea Cave competition.

Tide change mid-run:

If the tide shifts while you're inside the Sea Caves, exits submerge. Know your escape route before the tide turns. The map conditions page on the Arc Raiders site shows the current tidal state.

Recommended Loot Routes

Low-risk route (any tide):

Fishing Village → Coastal Cannery exterior (avoid interior) → Clifftop Outpost → extract north

Consistent, safe, avoids the high-Arc zones. Good for beginners learning the map's layout.

Mid-risk route (any tide):

Fishing Village → Coastal Cannery (full clearance) → Wrecked Barge → extract south

The Cannery interior plus the barge gives a solid loot haul. The barge has unique Arc components worth taking.

High-risk route (low tide only):

Fishing Village (quick resupply) → Sea Caves (full clearance) → Cannery if time allows → extract before tide turns

The maximum-value run. Requires knowing your sea cave exit timing precisely and being ready to fight other Raiders who had the same idea.

Map Conditions

Beachcombing — Additional salvage scattered along the beach and tidal zones. Extends the value of coastal loot routes. Prioritise beach areas before heading inland.

Night Raid — Deploys at night. Flyer detection range is reduced but ground Arc moves more aggressively. The Sea Caves become significantly more dangerous at night — their limited visibility combined with aggressive Crawlers makes torch discipline essential.

Husk Graveyard — Dead Arc machines on the beach and coastal rocks. Some reactivate when approached. Treat the barge approach with extra care — the machine density is high there.

Lush Blooms — Coastal vegetation densifies. Easier to approach the Cannery and Fishing Village unseen, but the cliff paths become harder to navigate.

Extract Points

• Northern beach — Close to the Fishing Village. Easiest access, most player traffic. Popular exit for Raiders who've looted the northern zone quickly.
• Southern cliff road — Near the Wrecked Barge. Low player traffic. Good exit for barge runs but a long walk from the Cannery.
• Eastern clifftop — Near the Outpost. Very little competition. Best accessed from the Clifftop Outpost route. Long, exposed walk from the Sea Caves.

For Sea Cave runs: The northern beach extract is the fastest exit. Be prepared for players to be watching it — others will be timing their cave run for the same extract.

Loadout for Riven Tides

Weapons: A rifle handles Riven Tides' open terrain better than most maps. The coastal sightlines reward range. Bring a secondary for the Cannery interior and Sea Caves.

Armour: Light armour. Movement speed matters more than absorbing hits on this map. The Flyer threat makes staying mobile a survival skill.

Consumables: Bring a light source for Sea Cave runs — they're dark enough that navigating without one is dangerous. Standard two healing items. A throwable for creating diversions near Flyer patrol routes.

Backpack: Large pack if targeting the Sea Caves. Their loot is dense and bulky. For standard runs, medium capacity is fine.