Arc Raiders Firefly Burner material, the Firefly enemy and what the new guide changes
Source: pcgamer.com

For players trying to understand how to get Firefly Burner in Arc Raiders after the latest content update, PC Gamer has published a straightforward guide. This ARC material does not come from containers or traders. Instead, it drops directly from a new type of flying enemy called the Firefly.

Although the objective may initially sound like a demanding grind, it is actually one of the simpler stages of the project once you know what to look for and how to extract safely with the item.

This story is interesting for more than one crafting recipe or loot location. The Firefly Burner has become a small but revealing example of the direction introduced through Shrouded Sky. The developers are encouraging players to react to changing conditions, move around the map more actively and deliberately hunt specific targets instead of repeatedly clearing the same familiar routes.

In other words, this is a relatively small detail that reveals a broader part of the Arc Raiders progression philosophy in early 2026.

What the PC Gamer Guide Reveals About the Firefly Burner

PC Gamer’s guide, “How to get a Firefly Burner in Arc Raiders”, explains that the Firefly Burner is required to complete the Weather Monitor System project.

Projects in Arc Raiders usually function as longer progression chains. Players collect specific materials, submit them to the project system and unlock additional stages, rewards or gameplay opportunities.

In this case, the Firefly Burner is connected to the new conditions and content introduced with Shrouded Sky. The update places more emphasis on environmental effects, new types of ARC threats and objectives that force players to adapt rather than repeat the same farming routine.

It is still unclear how long this particular project will remain important or how often it may change, but the Firefly Burner is clearly one of the final requirements needed to complete it.

For players, the requirement is simple: anyone who wants to finish the project must encounter and defeat a Firefly. However, this is not a raid-boss-style barrier. It is more of a checkpoint testing whether the player can identify the new enemy, destroy it quickly and extract with the material without losing it to other players or additional ARC units.

How to Get Firefly Burner in Arc Raiders: A Quick Practical Plan

If the answer is reduced to one sentence, PC Gamer explains that to get a Firefly Burner in Arc Raiders, you must kill a Firefly and collect the material dropped from its body.

The process sounds simple, but several details can save time and frustration, particularly for solo players or anyone using limited equipment.

The first detail concerns the drop rate. According to the guide, the Firefly Burner appears to be a very common drop and will usually appear after defeating a Firefly. Players are therefore unlikely to need dozens of attempts.

This is good news because the objective functions more like a straightforward locate-and-complete task than a long battle against random-number generation.

The second detail is risk management. As an extraction-based game, Arc Raiders constantly asks players whether they should continue searching for additional loot or leave once they have secured the item they originally wanted.

The decision is usually simple with the Firefly Burner. If you need it for the project and your inventory is already valuable, prioritising a safe extraction is often the best choice.

This is not because the Firefly Burner itself is exceptionally difficult to obtain. The problem is losing it because of the classic extraction-game mistake of staying for “just another five minutes”.

The third detail concerns combat distance. The Firefly is a flying ARC unit, but it becomes particularly dangerous when it moves close to the player. PC Gamer notes that it attacks with fire, meaning players should avoid allowing it to approach at close range.

In practice, the fight should be quick and deliberate, ideally from a position with enough cover to retreat and reposition.

Where to Find a Firefly Burner Quickly in Arc Raiders

PC Gamer explains that Fireflies can appear on several maps, but the most reliable results reported by the guide’s author came from the Dam Battlegrounds area, particularly around the Hydroponic Dome Complex and the nearby swamps.

This is a logical location for hunting flying ARC units. The area contains more open space and vertical movement routes, while enemy silhouettes are often easier to identify against the sky.

However, it is important to remember that the “best location” in Arc Raiders can also mean the highest-risk location. Popular farming areas naturally attract other players.

Some arrive to complete the same project, others are looking for PvP encounters, and some simply follow an established loot route through the area.

When planning how to get Firefly Burner in Arc Raiders as safely as possible, consider the time of the run, your route and your available extraction options. Reaching the target area is only half of the objective. The other half is leaving with the material.

Another practical tip from the guide is to use the tagging system. If you are unsure whether a flying object is a Firefly or another similar ARC unit, mark it before starting the fight.

This reduces the chance of wasting ammunition, making unnecessary noise and attracting additional threats because you attacked the wrong target.

How to Identify a Firefly Among Other Flying ARC Enemies

The Firefly does not look completely unfamiliar. Its design is conceptually similar to other flying ARC units players may already recognise.

The main difference is its sharper silhouette, which resembles a small jet-powered machine. From some angles, an additional plate-like detail can also be seen on top, making the enemy easier to distinguish.

This visual information matters for more than appearance. Correct identification helps players decide whether to fight or avoid the enemy.

Arc Raiders often rewards players who choose their encounters carefully. If you need a Firefly Burner, fighting the Firefly has a clear purpose. If you do not need the material, avoiding it may be the better decision, especially when stronger threats or nearby players are already active in the area.

The Firefly also becomes more aggressive during close-range contact. Players should follow the principle that the first effective attack creates the first major advantage.

Begin the fight when you have good visibility, a stable position and access to cover, rather than waiting until the Firefly is already directly above you.

Combat Tactics: How to Defeat a Firefly Safely

The guide suggests fighting the Firefly in a similar way to other flying ARC units. The most effective approach is to target its rotor or fan sections, focusing on vulnerable areas that reduce or disable its mobility.

If the front of the enemy is more heavily armoured, players may need to remove the protective plating before finishing the rotors.

PC Gamer mentions that several types of equipment can be effective, ranging from reliable firearms to cheaper but efficient alternatives.

The important factor is not necessarily using one specific meta weapon. What matters is being able to deal a concentrated amount of damage to a moving airborne target.

If your chosen loadout struggles to hit moving enemies, the Firefly will have more time to approach. Once it gets close, its fire attack becomes the main danger.

Remember one basic rule: if the Firefly gets too close, do not attempt to trade damage with it while standing in the open.

Move into a building or behind solid cover, reposition and attack again from a safer angle. This reduces the risk of taking severe fire damage and wasting healing resources that may be needed later in the expedition.

Once the Firefly falls, the danger is not necessarily over. Gunfire and combat noise can attract other ARC enemies or nearby players.

Collect the loot, including the Firefly Burner, as quickly as possible. Organise your inventory behind cover rather than remaining exposed.

If the project material was your main objective, immediately begin moving towards a safe extraction route.

How the Firefly Burner Affects Progression and the Shrouded Sky Economy

Although the PC Gamer guide is short and practical, its appearance signals a wider shift. Arc Raiders progression is increasingly built around hunting specific ARC units and completing clearly defined project stages.

When large numbers of players begin searching for how to get Firefly Burner in Arc Raiders, it suggests that a significant portion of the community has reached the same progression point. Information about the item therefore becomes valuable almost like an in-game resource.

From an economic perspective, this development has both advantages and disadvantages.

The positive side is that players receive clearer objectives. Random expeditions become more focused journeys: obtain the required material, return safely and continue progressing.

The negative side is that popular farming locations temporarily become crowded. New players and solo users may face a greater risk of PvP encounters or increased ARC activity.

Balance is another important factor. If the Firefly Burner drops very frequently, completing the project becomes easier and less frustrating.

However, the developers may later adjust drop rates, spawn locations or the material’s role if they discover that players are completing the project too quickly.

These types of changes are common in extraction games because they directly influence the speed of player progression.

What Remains Unclear About Firefly Spawns

It is currently clear that the Firefly Burner is connected to the final stage of the project and comes from a specific enemy. However, the community may need several weeks to understand the complete spawning system.

Players may eventually discover additional reliable locations, differences in Firefly density between maps or particular map modifiers that increase the chance of finding one.

These details usually become clear only after the community gathers a larger amount of practical data.

Another question is whether the Firefly will become a routine enemy or remain more situational.

If it appears regularly, the Firefly Burner may become an ordinary material and this project stage will remain one of the easier parts of progression.

If the developers reduce its spawn rate, the question will shift from where to get the item to how to optimise the time required to find it. That would create a different meta involving farming routes, team composition and risk distribution.

Balance updates are another possible scenario. The developers could adjust the strength of the Firefly’s fire attack, its armour or its vulnerable points if players defeat it too easily or suffer too many sudden deaths.

Such changes would directly affect how to get Firefly Burner in Arc Raiders efficiently. Players may need to decide whether low-cost equipment remains sufficient or whether investing in a safer loadout becomes necessary.

What to Expect Next From Shrouded Sky Projects

If the Shrouded Sky direction continues at a similar pace, future projects will probably involve additional new enemies and environmental conditions.

Guides like the one published by PC Gamer will therefore continue to function as rapid-response information. They reduce the amount of trial and error required and allow players to focus more directly on expedition strategy.

Players should follow three important developments.

First, watch for alternative methods of obtaining required materials, such as quest rewards or special containers.

Second, monitor whether the developers change Firefly spawn rates or loot behaviour.

Third, check whether additional project stages require players to return to the same locations again.

If your goal is to complete progression as smoothly as possible, the simplest strategy may be to finish this stage while the community is still actively hunting Fireflies and sharing current information.

Even if your only concern today is how to get Firefly Burner in Arc Raiders, the situation is a useful reminder that progression in Arc Raiders often depends on having an information advantage.

Knowing what you are hunting, where it is most likely to appear and which combat distance is safest does more than help you obtain one material. It also reduces the risk of losing the entire value of an expedition because of one avoidable decision.

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