Quest Overview

Reduced to Rubble unlocks after you've got access to the Blue Gate map. Shani, your first contact at Speranza, gives you this quest as part of her investigation into what happened at the highway collapse. You'll spend most of your time running through Blue Gate territory, hitting up Highway Collapse and Broken Earth.

The quest breaks down into four steps across two main objectives: snap a photo at the collapsed highway, then track down and investigate some Arc machinery in Broken Earth. You don't have to knock it all out in one run. Your progress saves between raids, so you can tackle this at whatever pace works for you.

Good news: You don't need to bring any specific gear or extract with special items. Just show up and complete the objectives.

Blue Gate map showing quest locations — Blue Gate map with Highway Collapse and Broken Earth marked

What You'll Need

Before You Start

Make sure you've handled these requirements first:

Blue Gate map unlocked through story progression
Shani's starter quests completed (basic combat missions and hatch interactions)
Access to the quest board at Speranza Topside

Gear and Loadout

Here's what you actually need to bring: nothing special. Despite what the photography objective might suggest, there's no camera item in the game. The photo function is just a standard interaction you'll find at the right spot.

That said, bring a cheap loadout or go in with free gear. Your route cuts straight through Olive Grove, and that place is packed with players farming lemons, apricots, and olives. You're going to run into people, so don't risk your best stuff on a simple quest run.

Pro Tip

Use a free loadout for this quest. The route through Olive Grove is heavily contested, and you don't need any specific equipment to complete the objectives.

Step by Step Walkthrough

Part 1: Photograph the Collapsed Highway

Where to Go

Highway Collapse sits in the southwestern corner of Blue Gate. Open your map and zoom in on the bottom left area near the checkpoint marker. You'll see it clearly marked.

Getting There

Pull up your map and find Highway Collapse in the southwest section
Head south across Blue Gate to reach the location
You'll know you're close when you see the broken highway structure at different elevations

Highway Collapse location on map — Highway Collapse location in southwestern Blue Gate

Taking the Photo

Once you reach Highway Collapse, you need to find the exact photo spot. Head to the western side, positioned just north of where the marker label appears on your map. Look for the section where the highway broke apart and one piece dropped close to ground level. You'll find this spot just south of where "Highway" is written on the map.

At ground level near the break, there's a yellow "take photo" prompt between a tree and a rock. Walk up to it and interact. Done. This photo documents the damage for Shani's investigation.

Part 2: Investigate Broken Earth

Getting to Broken Earth

After you've got your photo, head east toward Broken Earth. It's directly right of Highway Collapse on your map. To get there, you'll need to cross through Olive Grove. Watch yourself here. This area sees constant traffic from resource farmers, so expect company.

Just walking into the Broken Earth zone boundary updates your quest. So far, so simple.

Warning

Olive Grove is one of the most contested areas in Blue Gate. Players constantly farm resources here, so be prepared for PvP encounters.

Where Players Get Lost

Once you enter Broken Earth, the quest tells you to "follow the trail of destruction." This is super vague. The area is huge and covered in debris everywhere. Most players waste time wandering around looking for an obvious path. There isn't one.

What "Trail of Destruction" Actually Means

The trail is a small, barely noticeable path created where the Arc machine moved through the area. It's not marked. It's not obvious. It gets lost among all the other wreckage. Honestly, you can ignore the whole trail concept and just navigate to the right coordinates.

Finding the Arc Machine

Here's exactly where you need to go from Broken Earth:

Head northeast up the hill
Look for a large scrap metal ring structure
You're aiming for the spot halfway between Broken Earth and Ridgeline
More specifically, go directly east from the Maintenance Bunker marker
If you zoom way in on your map, you can actually see a tiny machine icon at this location

Downed Arc machine location — Arc machine wreckage location northeast of Broken Earth

Investigating the Wreckage

You'll know you're in the right spot when you see a massive downed Arc machine. This thing is huge. Climb up to the top section of the wreckage and look for a yellow interaction prompt. Hit that to investigate, and you're done with the quest.

The quest counts as complete the moment you investigate the machine. You don't need to extract to get credit for finishing Reduced to Rubble. But if you want the actual rewards, you'll need to make it out alive.

Common Problems and Fixes

Critical Note

Quest completion registers when you interact with the Arc machine, not when you extract. If you die before making it out, your progress still counts—you just won't get the rewards until you successfully extract on a future run.

Problem: Looking for a camera item

A lot of players assume they need to find or equip a camera because of the photography objective. There's no camera item in Arc Raiders. The photo function is just a yellow interaction that shows up at the correct spot.

Problem: Lost in Broken Earth

That "follow the trail of destruction" instruction trips everyone up. The area is massive and full of debris. Skip trying to identify the trail. Just head northeast from the Broken Earth marker toward the coordinates listed above (halfway to Ridgeline, east of Maintenance Bunker).

Problem: Searching the wrong part of Broken Earth

Broken Earth covers a lot of ground. The Arc machine isn't in the center or south sections. Always go northeast up the hill from where you enter the zone.

Problem: Losing expensive gear

This quest doesn't ask for specific items, and the route goes through a contested zone. Bringing your best loadout just puts it at risk for no benefit. Stick with cheap or free gear.

Quest completion screen — Reduced to Rubble quest completion

Tips for Getting It Done

Timing Your Run

Olive Grove stays busy because of all the resource nodes. You're probably going to run into other players no matter when you go. Since you can split the quest across multiple raids, think about doing the photo first, extracting, then coming back for the Broken Earth part when you're ready.

Dealing with Combat

The quest itself has zero combat requirements, but the journey is a different story. Olive Grove gets described as a place where everyone and their mother farms resources. Translation: you're going to see people. Focus on moving through quickly rather than picking fights unless you absolutely have to defend yourself.

Navigation Tips

Study your route before you deploy. Memorize the path from Highway Collapse through Olive Grove to Broken Earth. Zoom in on your map and find that tiny machine icon northeast of Broken Earth before you even land. Once you're in Broken Earth, use the Maintenance Bunker and Ridgeline markers to orient yourself, then head straight northeast instead of exploring aimlessly.

Note

Quest progress is saved between raids. You don't have to complete all objectives in a single run—feel free to extract and return later if needed.

Rewards and What Comes Next

When you investigate the Arc machine wreckage, Reduced to Rubble marks as complete. Your rewards become available after you extract. The quest pushes Shani's investigation storyline forward and might unlock more investigation quests from her back at Speranza.

Remember, completion registers when you interact with the machine, not when you extract. If you die before making it out, your progress still counts. You just won't get the rewards until you successfully extract on a future run.

Quick Reference

The Four Steps

Photograph Highway: Southwest Blue Gate, north of the Highway Collapse marker. Yellow prompt between a tree and rock where the highway breaks at ground level.
Enter Broken Earth: East of Highway Collapse, past Olive Grove.
Find the Trail: Go northeast from Broken Earth toward the large scrap metal ring.
Investigate Machine: Halfway between Broken Earth and Ridgeline, directly east of Maintenance Bunker. Interact with the yellow prompt on the giant downed Arc machine.

Quick Notes

No camera item exists in the game
No special gear required
Steps save between raids
Use cheap gear because of Olive Grove traffic
Quest completes on investigation, rewards need extraction