How To Find Each Key In Arc Raiders: Complete Guide

Locked doors are some of the biggest roadblocks you’ll run into while exploring topside in Arc Raiders. With danger around every corner and every trip risking your entire loadout, any shortcut or hidden stash you can access makes a huge difference. Keys are your ticket into these secured rooms—packed with loot, safer extraction points, and shortcuts that can completely change how your run plays out. The problem? Keys don’t have fixed spawns, so tracking them down can be confusing unless you know where to look. This guide breaks down how to find every key and exactly what each one unlocks, making your looting routes smoother and way more rewarding.

How To Get Keys In Arc Raiders

Keys are special items you can find while exploring topside, and they act as your ticket into locked rooms that usually hide far better loot than anything lying out in the open. Since these locked areas often contain higher-tier gear, materials, and weapons, grabbing keys whenever you find them is one of the smartest things you can do in Arc Raiders.

Just keep in mind that keys are single-use. Once you unlock a door, that key is gone for good. Because of that, it’s worth playing a bit more cautiously when you’re holding one—nobody wants to lose a valuable key because they got caught looting during a firefight. Take your time clearing buildings, watch for footsteps, and only commit to unlocking a room when you know the area is safe enough to search without getting ambushed.

Every Key In Arc Raiders and Where to Use It

Most keys in Arc Raiders don’t have fixed spawn points, which makes hunting them down feel a bit random. Still, there are places where they drop more often, and knowing where to use each one saves you a ton of time. Here’s a cleaner breakdown of every key you can find and the doors they unlock, rewritten to be unique and easy to follow.

Raider Hatch Key
Where to Find It:
• Bought from Shani
• Crafted at the Utility Workbench
• Earned from certain quests
• Looted from defeated players

Where to Use It:
Any of the hatches scattered across the map. These are basically fast-exits that let you escape topside instantly once you’ve filled your bags.

Dam Surveillance Key
Where to Find It:
• Residential buildings in Dam Battlegrounds
• Research & Administration offices

What It Unlocks:
A locked door inside the Water Treatment Control building on the southwest side of the map.

Dam Staff Room Key
Where to Find It:
• Random drop inside the Research & Administration building

What It Unlocks:
A staff room near the Control Tower area, usually containing higher-value loot.

Dam Control Center Tower Key
Where to Find It:
• Random drop in Research & Administration
• Reward from the Trifecta quest

What It Unlocks:
The main Control Tower in the center of the map. Expect heavy resistance from ARC units.

Dam Testing Annex Key
Where to Find It:
• Random drop in Research & Administration
• Rare drop on other maps
• Reward from A Lay of the Land quest

What It Unlocks:
Two locked rooms in the southeastern Testing Annex of the Dam Battlegrounds.

Spaceport Container Storage Key
Where to Find It:
• Residential zones like Ruby Residences

What It Unlocks:
A locked door on the upper floor of the Container Storage building in Spaceport.

Spaceport Ground Control Key
Where to Find It:
• Residential buildings in Dam Battlegrounds

What It Unlocks:
Access to the Ground Control tower near the center of Spaceport. ARC enemies usually guard this place tightly.

Spaceport Trench Tower Key
Where to Find It:
• Often found at Ruby Residences

What It Unlocks:
Either of the trench towers on the northeastern side of the Spaceport map.

Spaceport Outskirts Bunker Key
Where to Find It:
• Drawers and cabinets in residential buildings

What It Unlocks:
A hidden bunker far west on the Spaceport map.

Spaceport Warehouse Key
Where to Find It:
• Research & Administration
• Residential areas

What It Unlocks:
The upper-floor locked room inside the northern warehouse on Spaceport.

Buried City Hospital Key
Where to Find It:
• Residential areas
• Research & Administration

What It Unlocks:
A locked room on the upper floors of the Buried City hospital.

Buried City Town Hall Key
Where to Find It:
• Random drop in residential areas
• Reward from Our Presence Up There quest

What It Unlocks:
The locked front door of Buried City’s Town Hall, near the center of the map.

Buried City Residential Master Key
Where to Find It:
• Random drop, most common in Research & Administration

What It Unlocks:
Multiple apartment doors on the west side of Buried City.

JKV Employee Access Card
Where to Find It:
• Drops in residential areas

What It Unlocks:
A steel security door inside the parking garage on the top floor.

Blue Gate Communication Tower Key
Where to Find It:
• Random drop in residential zones like Pale Apartments

What It Unlocks:
The communication tower entrance in the northern section of Blue Gate.

Blue Gate Confiscation Room Key
Where to Find It:
• Pale Apartments
• Ruby Residences

What It Unlocks:
A hidden confiscation room accessed by dropping into the tunnels beneath Reinforced Reception.

Blue Gate Cellar Key
Where to Find It:
• Residential zones
• Office buildings in Spaceport

What It Unlocks:
A cellar entrance south of Olive Grove and the Ruined Homestead.

Blue Gate Village Key
Where to Find It:
• Residential buildings
• Research & Administration

What It Unlocks:
A large double-door entrance to the western village area.

Patrol Car Key
Where to Find It:
• Residential areas
• Earned from Armored Transports quest

What It Unlocks:
The back of a police patrol car located near the Headhouse region.

A Few Tips for Using Keys Efficiently
• Check map modifiers before entering — Harvesters and hazards can make some routes deadly.
• Use your Safe Pocket for your best key so you don’t lose it to a bad fight.
• Expect competition — key rooms often attract raiders looking for high-tier loot.
• Don’t give up — key drops are random, but the more you search, the more consistent they become.

Conclusion

Finding every key in Arc Raiders can feel overwhelming at first, but once you understand where they drop and what each one unlocks, the game opens up in a completely new way. These keys aren’t just random items—they’re shortcuts to high-value loot, safer extraction routes, and hidden rooms most players will never see. As long as you keep checking the right buildings, looting residential spots, and staying alert during PvP-heavy runs, you’ll eventually collect every key you need. Each trip topside becomes easier, more rewarding, and a lot less risky when you know exactly which locked doors are worth opening. Keep exploring, keep looting, and the keys will come.