After 120 Hours In Arc Raiders, I Finally Killed Another Player

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Earning the “Crossing The Threshold” achievement in Arc Raiders – which is awarded for defeating another player – felt like a major turning point after I’d spent over 120 hours intentionally avoiding conflict. It was a completely new experience, and honestly, not one I enjoyed. I’d made it a point of pride to never kill another player, going to great lengths to avoid it, even if it meant putting myself at a disadvantage. I tried trusting others, though it didn’t always pay off, and often relied on talking my way out of dangerous situations. I was fascinated by the idea of completing the game without resorting to violence, treating it like a social experiment to see how long I could de-escalate conflicts. Ultimately, my pacifistic run lasted about 122 hours.

Okay, so I just played on the new Stella Montis map in Arc Raiders, and wow, it’s intense! Anyone who’s been playing for a while probably already knew this map would be a challenge. It’s the first one that’s completely indoors, and let me tell you, you have to be super careful, constantly checking your surroundings. One wrong move and you’re down. Even when I’m playing solo, and most people are just trying to enjoy the PvE stuff, it feels way more cutthroat than the other maps. It’s basically kill or be killed up there!

I was quietly searching for items, being careful not to bother anyone, when I heard shooting nearby. I ducked behind some lockers and could see the fight, though it moved into a hallway at times. Even though I was hidden, I could still hear the players arguing and witnessed a fight that killed at least two of them – I saw their flares go up from inside the hallway. I stayed a safe distance away until the fighting stopped, then I continued my search.

I quickly realized someone in that match was causing trouble, so I became more cautious. Fortunately, I met some helpful players, which is typical for me in Arc Raiders – friendly players usually outnumber the ones causing problems. After a few minutes, I’d moved around and upstairs, finding myself on a higher floor overlooking the main hallway. That’s when I heard two players arguing. One was annoyed that the other had started attacking players, feeling that solo matches shouldn’t be so hostile. They had a surprisingly thoughtful conversation about it, but eventually, one of them stopped responding.

I opened the hallway door, which had been shut during the fight, and shouted, “What happened? Are you okay?” Someone answered, but I couldn’t tell from his voice if he was the one who started the trouble or if he’d been attacked and had defended himself. I quickly looked inside and saw at least three raider corpses. I couldn’t see the survivor, but he said he’d been knocked down and asked if I had a defibrillator. I always carry one – I like helping people in this game. Still, the hallway was a mess, and I hesitated to go in. I told him, “Crawl over here. I have a defib. Just crawl to me, and I’ll bring you back.”

“Crawl to you?” he asked.

I thought to myself, “Can he actually get here in time?” I was worried because he said he was badly hurt, and it sounded like he was close to being defeated.

He didn’t say a thing after that. I’d been peeking around the corner and saw him rush into my room – he didn’t even bother knocking. He rounded the corner and immediately started shooting, but I managed to survive because I had a Torrente LMG, fully equipped with attachments. It’s a devastating weapon at short distances. He got the first shot in, but my LMG quickly overwhelmed him, taking him down before he could finish me.

I’d been in similar spots before. While I hadn’t actually killed anyone as an Arc Raider yet, I had taken a few people down. But I always made sure they were either revived by me or by their teammates. I’d tell them I hadn’t gone that far, and I didn’t want to start with them, which usually led to them being grateful for my leniency.

I have to admit, I likely would have done the same thing if that deceitful opponent had given me an opening. But he didn’t – as soon as I hit him, probably because he was humiliated at being caught trying to trick me, he surrendered, and I was credited with defeating him.

I used to imagine a dramatic speech for my first kill in Arc Raiders – something about being pushed to my limit, like a movie character finally breaking. I pictured forcing them to listen to me as they fell. But when the moment came, I didn’t get to say any of that. I just blurted out, “Why’d you do it?!” before they died, and of course, they didn’t respond.

A wave of shock went through me. Even though that hallway had already seen so much fighting, I never expected to be involved. I’d always thought I could talk my way out of trouble, or maybe slip away without getting hurt. I even considered I might be another victim, too slow to react, but I never imagined I’d be the one ending up with blood on my hands – until I was.

Since that first encounter, I’ve eliminated one other player – again on Stella Montis, and again after they attacked me first and then surrendered. I still try to play the game peacefully, always carrying a defibrillator or two just in case. If someone uses the in-game emote to signal they don’t want to fight, I reassure them that everything is okay, and I genuinely mean it. However, after taking that step, I feel much quicker to react. Now, when I encounter other players, I usually ask if they’re friendly. If they don’t respond, or even if they say they are, I remain cautious. I still don’t want to initiate conflicts, but since what happened on Stella Montis, I’m more ready to defend myself if necessary.

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2025-12-02 19:40