Quests in ARC Raiders often don't ask you to complete complicated tasks in your runs Topside. They're usually just asking you to bring a specific item back, or some just want you to look around in a specific area. But the quests, specifically the ones you get as you unlock new maps, are doing more than just asking you to bring something back.
They're helping you acclimate to the new map, and teaching you about its more important areas. That's exactly what the 'A First Foothold' quest is doing when you first unlock the Blue Gate map. Speranza's gadgets and grenades expert, Apollo, asks you to visit several key spots on the map. But with no waypoints and only small descriptions of where to go, finding each point might prove a shade challenging.
That's why this guide will help you run through the 'A First Foothold' quest, showing you where to go so you can start raiding the Blue Gate with ease.
For more guides on ARC Raiders, check out our complete walkthrough and guides hub, and check out our dedicated ARC Raiders hub for all of our coverage of Embark's third-person extraction shooter.
ARC Raiders - A First Foothold Quest Guide
The 'A First Foothold' quest tasks you with visiting four spots on the map. You have to find an observation deck near the Ridgeline on the perimeter of the map, a communications terminal near the Olive Grove, reach satellite dishes on the roof of a church north of the Data Vault, and fix the roof plates of a Raider structure near Trapper's Glade.
Unfortunately, visiting each of these locations in one visit Topside will mean that you're trying to run around the entire map in one session, and doing so while avoiding ARC and other players successfully gets more difficult the longer you stay Topside, especially as more and more ARC are sent to the area.
That's why, depending on where you're dropped, you should try to visit at least two of the locations in one run. That's more than possible to do without taking the risk that you won't make it back to Speranza.
If you do want to risk it, then make sure to bring a hatch key with you, so you can still find your way back home once you've completed every task.
Where to Find the Ridgeline Observation Deck
A quick way to know where to find the observation deck near the Ridgeline is to look at the map and place your waypoint over the 'ne' in the word 'Ridgeline' on the east side of the map. If you stick to the perimeter of the map, you should have an easy stroll to complete one of the four objectives.
Where to Find the Olive Grove Comms Terminal
Apollo's advice for where to find the comms terminal is unfortunately quite confusing. I'm sure someone at Embark feels like its location is 'near' the Olive Grove, but a better suggestion would be to say it is between the Highway Collapse and the Olive Grove. It's just about an equal distance between the two.
Where to Find the Satellite Dishes on the Church Roof
Like the observation deck near the Ridgeline, getting to the satellite dishes on the roof of the church will send you to the edges of the map. This time it'll be the northeast edge, right in between Pilgrim's Peak and the Village.
Walk around to the back side of the church, and you should be able to jump onto the roof to get to the satellite. There's also a structure at the front of the church that can get you up there if you're nimble enough.
Where to Find the Raider Structure in the Trapper's Glade
The Raider structure in the Trapper's Glade is one objective you could probably go alongside hitting the comms terminal in between the Highway Collapse and the Olive Grove, since they are technically close enough. Just remember not to lose track of time, which can easily happen if you're trying to run across the map and do all of these in one round.
You'll find the structure just south of the 'Trapper's Glade' text on the map. Just climb to the roof and you'll be prompted to nail it down.
Rewards
When you make it back to Speranza after completing these tasks, Apollo will grant you three Shrapnel Grenades, three Snap Blast Grenades, and three Heavy Fuze Grenades.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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