Quest Context and Importance

Early in Arc Raiders, Celeste gives you the "A Bad Feeling" quest, which sends you hunting for either an ARC Probe or an ARC Courier. This quest matters more than it first appears because completing it unlocks additional missions you can tackle simultaneously. Getting this done early prevents it from blocking your progress and opens up more content to work on at once.

ARC Probes and Couriers also drop solid loot. These machines contain high-quality materials and gear, so they're worth tracking down even after you've finished the quest.

ARC Probe on the ground in Arc Raiders — An ARC Probe embedded in the ground, identifiable by its missile-like appearance

Visual Identification Guide

ARC Probes

Probes look like missiles stuck in the ground or tipped over on their sides. They make an annoying beeping noise that gets louder as you get closer, which actually helps you track them down. The sound increases in both volume and frequency, letting you zero in on their position before you can even see them.

ARC Couriers

Couriers are bigger and boxier than Probes. They're easier to spot from a distance because of their size and distinct rectangular shape.

Pro Tip

Both types emit thick black smoke that rises high enough to see on the horizon. This smoke is your main way to spot these machines from far away, well before you're close enough to make out their actual shape.

Spawn Behavior and Quest Strategy

Target ARC Couriers for the Quest

If you're trying to complete "A Bad Feeling," go after Couriers first. They spawn at fixed locations across the map, making them much more predictable when you need to find one quickly.

ARC Probe Spawn Mechanics

Probes spawn more randomly than Couriers. They can even airdrop into your match while it's already in progress. When this happens, you'll see them descending from the sky and slowly touching down. This unpredictability makes them less reliable for quest completion, though they're still good loot when you stumble across them.

ARC Courier in Arc Raiders — An ARC Courier with its distinctive boxy shape and black smoke emission

Dam Battlegrounds: ARC Courier Locations

You can find Couriers at these spots on Dam Battlegrounds:

Just outside the west wall of Electrical Substation
Near the road junction between Electrical Substation and Water Treatment
On the slope south of Research & Administration
Inside South Swamp Outpost
In the hills south of Research & Administration, east of Small Creek
By the roadside near West Broken Bridge, heading south toward Hydroponic Dome Complex

Dam Battlegrounds: ARC Probe Locations

Probes have been spotted at these locations, though spawns can vary between matches:

At the center of Power Generation Complex, on the surface level
In the middle of Hydroponic Dome Complex
In the hills south of Research & Administration, east of Small Creek (two Probes were found here during an electromagnetic storm event, which disrupts ARC machines and might have caused the double spawn)
Near the Field Depot inside South Swamp Outpost

Dam Battlegrounds map in Arc Raiders — Dam Battlegrounds map showing key locations for ARC machine spawns

Location Strategy and Spawn Proximity

When you load into Dam Battlegrounds, check your spawn position and figure out which ARC machine is closest. Both Probes and Couriers count for the quest, so pick whichever is nearest to cut down on travel time and reduce your exposure to enemies or hostile ARC forces. If you spawn near a Courier location, grab that one since it's more reliable. If a Probe spot is closer, you can try it, but be ready to pivot to a Courier location if nothing spawned there.

Audio Cues and Tracking

The game drops audio hints to help you locate these targets. When you hear that distinctive Probe beeping, follow the sound back to its source. The audio gets louder as you move in the right direction, so you can track them down even without visual confirmation. Couriers don't beep, but their black smoke works just as well for spotting them.

Note

The beeping sound from ARC Probes increases in both volume and frequency as you approach, making them easy to locate even through obstacles or vegetation.

Looting Process

Once you find an ARC Probe or Courier, interacting with it is straightforward. Breach the device, then search it to grab what's inside. For the quest, this search action immediately completes the objective and lets you move on to the next missions.

Looting an ARC machine in Arc Raiders — Breaching and looting an ARC machine to collect valuable materials

Quest Rewards

Finishing "A Bad Feeling" for Celeste gives you:

Ten Metal Parts
Five Steel Springs
Five rolls of Duct Tape

These crafting materials come in handy for equipment repairs and construction throughout the game.

Post-Quest Value

After completing the quest, keep watching for ARC Probes and Couriers in your matches. They're still valuable loot sources that can drop high-quality materials and gear. Since they're relatively easy to loot once you spot them, they're low-risk opportunities you shouldn't skip when you see that black smoke rising.

Critical Note

The quest unlocks more missions, making it important to finish early. Completing "A Bad Feeling" prevents it from blocking your progress and opens up additional content to work on simultaneously.

Electromagnetic Storm Considerations

During electromagnetic storms, ARC machines get disrupted. This weather might affect how Probes and Couriers spawn. One instance during a storm had two Probes spawn close together in the hills south of Research & Administration, suggesting storms could change spawn patterns or quantities. This is just an observation though, not confirmed mechanics.

Electromagnetic storm in Arc Raiders — Electromagnetic storms may influence ARC machine spawn patterns and behavior

Summary of Key Points

Both ARC Probes and Couriers work for the "A Bad Feeling" quest
Look for thick black smoke to spot them from far away
ARC Probes beep and get louder as you approach
ARC Couriers spawn at more predictable, fixed locations
ARC Probes spawn randomly and can airdrop mid-match
Go for whichever machine is closest to your spawn
Keep looting these after the quest for valuable materials
The quest unlocks more missions, making it important to finish early