Arc Raiders: How to Complete To the Skies Quest Guide

Embark Studios designs Arc Raiders around high-stakes territorial flow, vertical exploration, and lethal systemic encounters. Unlike conventional extraction shooters where tasks exist solely as inventory checklists, quests in Arc Raiders require navigating hostile machine patrol corridors and vertical environmental hazards.

Among the standout mid-tier narrative missions is To the Skies, an objective chain where you assist Apollo in repairing the Gondola Prototype. This walkthrough breaks down the tactical pathing, resource extraction, repair phases, and combat considerations required to survive the mission and return safely to Speranza.

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Quest Overview and Prerequisites

Before deploying topside, ensure your loadout accounts for long-range robotic recon units and sudden close-quarters ambushes. "To the Skies" sends players into elevated industrial infrastructure where ARC machines maintain tight surveillance grids.

Mission Objectives

• Locate Apollo and receive the Gondola Prototype schematics.
• Scavenge essential repair components across elevated transit ruins.
• Deliver and install the parts into the Gondola Prototype assembly.
• Secure the repair perimeter against reactive ARC patrols.
• Successfully extract with mission completion flags intact.

Recommended Loadout and Preparation

Approaching high-altitude industrial ruins requires a blend of mobility tools and sustained armor-piercing firepower. ARC drones in these zones frequently utilize suppressive high ground, making situational awareness paramount.

• Primary Weapon: Mid-to-long-range battle rifle or marksman rifle capable of knocking out optical sensors on aerial ARC units.
• Secondary Weapon: High-burst submachine gun or shotgun for tight stairwells and maintenance shafts.
• Tactical Utility: Smoke canisters and deployable ziplines or grapple enhancements to bypass ground-level minefields.
• Medical and Shield Supplies: At least two shield recharge packs and emergency stims, as prolonged defense phases can drain recovery reserves quickly.

Always check your inventory capacity prior to launch. The components required for the Gondola Prototype consume inventory bulk, limiting how much excess scrap you can safely carry back.

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Step 1: Locating Apollo and Starting the Mission

Deploy into the designated surface sector and orient toward Apollo's forward workshop. Apollo coordinates logistics and technical recovery efforts, operating out of fortified maintenance shelters near transit nodes.

1. Check your tactical overview map upon entry to verify Apollo's current sector beacon.

2. Approach the compound using low-profile drainage trenches or ruined train rails to avoid alerting roaming scout machines.

3. Interact with Apollo inside the fortified depot to initialize the "To the Skies" dialogue sequence.

4. Collect the component checklist and coordinates for the dormant Gondola Prototype.

Listen carefully to environmental audio cues while interacting with NPCs in the field. Even within non-combat shelters, distant ARC alert sirens indicate wandering patrols converging on player signatures.

Step 2: Scavenging the Gondola Prototype Components

The core objective demands gathering specialized industrial components scattered across elevated transit towers. These parts cannot be purchased in the underground market; they must be physically salvaged from derelict mechanical bays.

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Component Locations and Retrieval Steps

• Cable Winch Assembly: Located in the upper crane control cab. Climb the yellow industrial maintenance ladders or deploy a tactical zipline to reach the platform. Beware of sniper drones hovering above the gantry.
• Power Coupling Unit: Found inside the ground-level substation room. Disable or bypass the perimeter tripwires before interacting with the breaker cabinet.
• Drive Gear Core: Resting in an overturned cargo container along the mid-level catwalks. Clear out ground-crawling ARC skirmishers before opening the container doors.

Maintain stealth whenever possible during this stage. Engaging in prolonged gunfights while carrying quest items alerts rival Raider squads drawn by weapon audio signatures across the valley.

Step 3: Repairing the Gondola Prototype

With all three primary components secured, navigate toward the central gondola docking terminal. The Gondola Prototype sits perched over a ravine, serving as the connective transit point between sectors.

1. Ascend to the gondola boarding bridge and locate the primary drive console.

2. Interact with the maintenance panel to sequentially insert the Cable Winch, Power Coupling, and Drive Gear.

3. Hold position as the interaction timer completes; taking damage interrupts the installation progress.

4. Monitor the terminal diagnostic lights as the Gondola engine restarts.

Once the engine fires up, the acoustic footprint triggers an automated security alert across the immediate district.

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Step 4: Defending the Site and Reaching Extraction

As the gondola systems calibrate, automated ARC defense units drop in via orbital pods and transit lines. You must defend the installation point or hold your ground until the diagnostic cycle completes.

Defense Tactics

• Establish Chokepoints: Place proximity traps along the primary catwalk stairs to shred light assault bots before they scale the platform.
• Target Heavy Weak Points: Heavy ARC units dropping onto the platform feature illuminated coolant vents on their rear panels. Use structural pillars for cover and circle-strafe their flanks.
• Avoid Overstaying: As soon as the terminal displays operational status, your quest objective updates to extract. Do not attempt to wipe every remaining drone wave; disengage cleanly.

Break line of sight using smoke or drop down onto lower transit cables. Head directly toward the nearest active extraction silo. Call the elevator, secure the perimeter during the countdown, and extract to confirm completion of "To the Skies."

Level Design Takeaways: Why This Quest Works

From a systemic game design standpoint, "To the Skies" exemplifies how Embark Studios leverages verticality to alter traditional extraction loops:

1. Elevation as a Vulnerability Vector: Scavenging atop cranes exposes players to line-of-sight from hundreds of meters away, turning high ground into a calculated risk rather than a pure advantage.

2. Audio-Driven Escalation: The repair phase uses machine audio cues to naturally broadcast player positions to nearby squads, creating dynamic emergent encounters without artificial match events.

3. Pacing and Resource Strain: Requiring multi-part salvage across disparate altitudes forces squads to split focus, balance inventory encumbrance, and coordinate overwatch roles.

By mastering these route optimizations and combat chokepoints, you will complete Apollo's prototype and solidify your foothold across the surface sectors of Arc Raiders.