The ARC Raiders Harvester puzzle is inside a huge machine guarded by the Queen. To finish it, collect three Fusion Cores, install them in the centre column and destroy twelve glowing targets. The reward containers can hold Equalizer and Jupiter blueprints, but you have to survive the machine’s hazards and get out with the loot.
The Queen isn’t the only danger. The Harvester releases timed fire and electrical attacks, and its puzzle mechanisms can eject your Fusion Cores. Here’s the complete route, from choosing a map with the right condition to leaving the Harvester safely.
ARC Raiders Harvester puzzle: maps and locations
| Map | Harvester condition |
|---|---|
| Dam Battlegrounds | Available |
| Spaceport | Available |
| The Blue Gate | Available |
| Buried City | Not listed |
| Stella Montis | Not listed |
| Riven Tides | Not listed |
Select a map with the Harvester condition active. The machine appears at a fixed location on each of the three supported maps, with the Queen patrolling around it. Dam Battlegrounds has the lowest event difficulty of those maps, making it a useful place to learn the route.
You don’t need to kill the Queen to solve the ARC Raiders Harvester puzzle. You do need to avoid her attacks as you enter and leave. Approach a door when she’s not facing you, and don’t linger in the open after collecting your rewards.
Step 1: breach the Harvester entrance
There are three entrance doors on the exterior. Breach one and move inside. The chamber has a central pillar with three core slots and an upper level with breachable containers. Look around before touching anything so you know where the escape vents are.
Step 2: collect all three Fusion Cores
| Core | Location |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lower floor near the central pillar |
| 2 | Breachable container on the upper level |
| 3 | Another breachable upper-level container |
Pick up the first core from the floor, then search the upper level for the other two. Other players can move the items, so check near the pillar if a core appears to be missing. Gathering all three before inserting them makes the next stage easier.
The ARC Raiders Harvester puzzle needs all three Fusion Cores in the pillar. One or two won’t activate the yellow targets. Carry them downstairs and stay alert for the warning lights that announce the chamber’s fire cycle.
Step 3: insert the three Fusion Cores quickly
Breach each receptacle at the base of the centre column and insert a core. Complete all three in quick succession. If the machine fires its hazard before you’re finished, a core may be ejected. Retrieve the displaced core and install it again.
An ejected core doesn’t mean you have to abandon the ARC Raiders Harvester puzzle. Check the floor and restore it to the correct slot, then continue when the hazard has ended. Work with teammates if possible so you can fill the slots faster.
Step 4: destroy all twelve yellow targets
Once the cores are installed, twelve pulsing yellow targets appear around the chamber. Some are on the lower floor, with others higher up. Shoot or strike each target. The ARC Raiders Harvester puzzle doesn’t finish until all twelve have been destroyed.
If the count seems stuck, scan the upper walls and behind the central structure. Targets can retract during a hazard cycle and appear again afterwards. Wait for the warning to pass, then look for the remaining glow.
How to avoid fire, electricity and the Queen
| Hazard | What to do |
|---|---|
| Yellow warning and alarm | Move towards a vent or opening before the fire |
| Fire discharge | Leave the centre chamber rather than trying to outheal the damage |
| Electrical pulse | Avoid standing exposed and restore shields afterwards |
| Queen outside | Wait for a gap in her patrol before exiting |
The Harvester can fill with fire even when you’re halfway through the ARC Raiders Harvester puzzle. Listen for the alarm and watch the vents open. Leaving temporarily is safer than trying to remain inside. You may have to reinsert a core afterwards.
ARC Raiders Harvester puzzle rewards and blueprints
Destroying the final yellow target opens reward containers in the centre column. They can contain legendary Jupiter and Equalizer blueprints and other loot. A specific blueprint isn’t guaranteed from every container. Search the opened rewards before leaving.
If you find a blueprint, protect it in an available safe pocket and plan your extraction. Our Jupiter blueprint guide covers the weapon’s crafting requirements, which are separate from clearing the Harvester.
How to escape after opening the Harvester
Check the Queen’s position before leaving through a door or vent. Try not to take an unnecessary boss fight while carrying your rewards. The ARC Raiders Harvester puzzle can be repeated when the event returns, so successful extraction matters more than attacking everything on the way out.
ARC Raiders Harvester puzzle: quick checklist
Queue for a supported map with the Harvester condition, breach an entrance, collect three Fusion Cores and insert them in the centre column. Destroy all twelve yellow targets, loot the containers and leave between fire cycles and Queen attacks. That’s the entire completion sequence.
Related Guides
Official source: Embark Studios: ARC Raiders update notes.
