Exploring the world topside in Arc Raiders means managing your resources carefully, especially when danger lurks around every corner and there's a good chance you won't be coming home. However, there are plenty of precautions you can take in pursuit of loot! The world is your metaphorical oyster, and nothing is closed to you–except locked doors.
Getting past these obstacles means finding even more loot, but you need to get the keys first. Without a set spawn point, finding keys can be incredibly difficult. We'll help you track down where the keys are to multiple regions, along with where you can use them to get better loot and hurry home in an instant!
Updated February 14, 2026 by Zoë J. Osik: We've updated our guide to include the keys from Stella Montis so you can fully explore the new map. Keep an eye out for keys in your excursions so you can find even better loot, because you never know what you might find!
How To Get Keys
Keys are special items that you can pick up topside, allowing you to use them on locked doors to gain access to previously inaccessible areas. Locked areas are more likely to have superior loot to the regularly accessible areas, making them extremely important for all raiders to seek out.
Keys are consumable, however, so once you use them, they're gone. For this reason, it's best to be extra careful when diving into the chaos of PvP. Make sure to check areas thoroughly so you don't end up on the wrong end of a shootout while rifling through abandoned buildings.
If you don't want to drop any keys, put them in your safe pocket!
Every Key And Where To Use It
Unfortunately, most keys are random drops, but the table below includes the best places to search for them reliably. Below are all the different keys you can find and where to pick them up:
|
Key Name |
Location |
Where To Use The Key |
|---|---|---|
|
Raider Hatch Key |
Can be purchased from Shani Can be crafted at the Utility Workbench Can be given as a quest reward Can be looted off other players |
Can be used at the various hatches around the map for quick returns from the field. Check your map for specific locations, as there are many. |
|
Dam Surveillance Key |
Residential buildings in the Dam Battlegrounds Research and Administration buildings |
Inside the Water Treatment Control building in the Dam Battlegrounds, towards the southwestern side of the map. |
|
Dam Staff Room Key |
Random drop inside the Research and Administration building. |
Near the Control Tower, you can use the key to open a locked door. |
|
Dam Control Center Tower Key |
Random drop inside the Research and Administration building. Quest reward from the Trifecta quest. |
The Control Tower entrance, in the center of the map. Exercise caution, as this is a high-security area. You'll need to take the zipline up and navigate to the elevator to use the key. |
|
Dam Testing Annex Key |
Random drop inside the Research and Administration building. Small chance to be found on other maps as well. Quest reward from the A Lay of the Land quest. |
Make your way to the southeastern corner of the Dam Battlegrounds, then use the key on one of two locked doors to enter an loot the room. |
|
Spaceport Container Storage Key |
Residential areas, like the Ruby Residences on the Dam Battlegrounds map. |
Head to the container storage unit at the Spaceport, then head to the top floor to open a locked door leading to a room filled with loot. |
|
Spaceport Ground Control Key |
Residential areas in the Dam Battlegrounds, like the Ruby Residences. |
Make your way to the control tower towards the near center of the map, a little to the west. Be prepared to face ARC units in this guarded area. |
|
Spaceport Trench Tower Key |
Most likely to be found in the Ruby Residences in the Dam Battlegrounds map. |
Head to the Spaceport map and go past the trench towers. In the northeastern region of the map, you can use the key to open either of the tower doors. |
|
Spaceport Outskirts Bunker Key |
Random drop in cabinets and drawers in the residential areas of the Dam Battlegrounds. |
Use on the hidden bunker far to the west of the Spaceport map. |
|
Spaceport Warehouse Key |
Check the Research and Administration building, as well as the residences in the Dam Battlegrounds. |
In the northern section of the Spaceport map, use this key to open a locked door on the upper floor of the warehouse. |
|
Buried City Hospital Key |
Random drop in residential areas, or the Research and Administration building. |
Head to the upper floors of the hospital to use the key and loot. |
|
Buried City Town Hall Key |
Random drop in residential areas. Quest reward from the Our Presence Up There quest. |
Towards the center of the map, you can find the locked door at the front of the building. |
|
Buried City Residential Master Key |
Random drop, most likely to be found in the Research and Administration building. |
Unlocks various apartment doors in the Buried City, to the west of the map. |
|
Buried City JKV Employee Access Card |
Random drop in residential areas. |
Once you have the key, you can unlock the steel door within the parking garage, on the top floor. |
|
Blue Gate Communication Tower Key |
Random drop in residential areas, likely the Pale Apartments. |
Head to the northern region of the Blue Gate map to unlock the communication tower entrance. |
|
Blue Gate Confiscation Room Key |
Random drop in the Pale Apartments or Ruby Residences. |
Make your way to the Reinforced Reception area, then zipline down into the tunnels to reach the confiscation room and unlock it. |
|
Blue Gate Cellar Key |
Random drop in residential areas, and in offices in the Spaceport. |
South of the Olive Grove and the Ruined Homestead, you can take a hatch down to find the cellar entrance and use your key. |
|
Blue Gate Village Key |
Random drop in residential areas and the Research and Administration building. |
Head to the village on the map, towards the west, and then open a large double door with your key. |
|
Patrol Car Key |
Random drop in residential areas. Quest reward from the Armored Transports quest. |
When you have one of these keys, you can open the back of the patrol car near the Headhouse section of the map. |
|
Stella Montis Security Checkpoint Key |
Random drop in residential areas. Random drop in high-value loot areas. |
In the Lobby, along the eastern wall, there's a security desk and office. Use the key to get in. |
|
Stella Montis Archives Key |
Random drop in residential areas. Random drop in high-value loot areas. |
Use this key east of the Lobby in Stella Montis, inside the Cultural Archives area. |
|
Stella Montis Assembly Admin Key |
Random drop in residential areas. Random drop in high-value loot areas. |
Head to the Assembly region of Stella Montis, then follow the scaffolding to reach the locked Admin door. |
|
Stella Montis Medical Storage Key |
Random drop in residential areas. Random drop in high-value loot areas. |
In the Medical Research area, use this key to open the door along the northwestern wall. |
Keep an eye on the map conditions so you can plan the best route to use your keys. If there's a harvester on the map you want to explore, either plan accordingly to move around it and use it as a distraction for other raiders, or reschedule your operation for another time when the map is less dangerous.
Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storms can increase your odds of finding the keys, though each comes with its own risk.
As a raider, you must use your own discretion to decide on the best course of action. There's nothing worse than losing your hard work due to a miscalculation or unexpected attack, so use your Safe Pocket to protect the most important item in your inventory. This will make sure you don't return to base empty-handed, which makes every adventure topside worth it!
If you can't find keys right away, just keep trying! Random drops are difficult to farm, but not impossible. Every trip topside brings a new challenge, so don't give up until you find what you're looking for.
