Research Points in ARC Raiders come from research items you loot Topside and carry home: extract with them, then turn them into points at the Research Station in your Outpost. The richest source reported so far is the Frigate Diagnostic Node from the new ARC Frigate, which players and item trackers both put at 1,000 points.
Research Points arrived with Frozen Trail, the 2.0 update released on October 8, 2026, and they are the currency behind the update’s biggest progression system. Below we cover how to unlock the station that uses them, which loot is worth the most, how the conversion works, and how to avoid wasting points.
What Research Points Are
Research Points are spent at the Research Station, a workstation that comes with the Outpost. Embark’s Frozen Trail patch notes say that “unlocking the outpost will unlock access to the research station,” and Embark’s preview describes it as a way to “investigate new elements of the world” and reach “higher levels of weapon customization and modding.”
In practice, players describe research as a way to unlock things without waiting for a lucky drop. One player on the official Steam forum summed it up after launch: you consume research items “and those give you research points to spend along with items from the game to craft any blueprints you want.” Launch-week guides list three kinds of research at the station: blueprints, Furniture Designs and, at the top level, the perks used for Amplified Weapons.
Do not confuse them with the other new currency. Reward Points replaced Cred in Frozen Trail and only feed your active Reward Pass, as our Reward Pass breakdown explains. Research Points are a separate currency used only at the Research Station.
Step 1: Unlock the Outpost and Its Research Station
You cannot earn or spend Research Points until the Research Station exists, and that means finishing the Outpost project first: a farmland house photo, a materials delivery and a damage task against ARC. Our Outpost unlock guide walks through every stage.
Step 2: Loot Research Items Topside
Research Points do not drop as a currency. They come from items that carry research value, and you only bank them if you extract. Embark has not published a list, so the values below come from item trackers and player reports, and may change with balance updates:
- Frigate Diagnostic Node: reported at 1,000 Research Points, the largest single source. It comes from the ARC Frigate. A player on the Steam forum who completed the Frigate described the reward as the same loot as an Emperor run “plus one extra item that gives 1,000 research points.”
- ARC Data Module: reported at 200 Research Points by item trackers. It is also listed as a Research Station Level 4 upgrade material, so you may want to keep a few.
- Books and other world items: players report that books found Topside are a steady source, and trackers say many ordinary loot items carry small amounts.
The habit that matters most is to read the description of unfamiliar loot before you sell or recycle it. Frozen Trail added a lot of new items, and some of them are worth more as research than as Coins.
Step 3: Convert Items at the Research Station
Back in Speranza, open your Outpost and go to the Research Station. Guides and trackers describe an Acquire Research Points option there that converts eligible items in your stash into points. You then spend those points on research projects at the same station.
What to Spend Research Points On
Community trackers count roughly 126 research entries across the station’s four levels:
| Station level | What it unlocks (per trackers) |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | 14 blueprints and 20 Outpost designs |
| Level 2 | 31 blueprints and 18 Outpost designs |
| Level 3 | 14 blueprints and 14 Outpost designs |
| Level 4 | 15 weapon perks for Amplified Weapons |
Most entries cost Research Points plus materials. The community wiki lists the Yank Grenade blueprint at 1,000 points and 8 Steel Cable, and launch-week guides put each Amplified Weapon perk at 5,000 points, which makes those perks the most expensive thing on the station.
Our reading: furniture is purely cosmetic, so spend your early points on blueprints you will actually carry into raids, then start saving for perks once your station reaches Level 4. Upgrading the station itself is reported to cost items, not points, and trackers say each station level needs a matching Outpost level.
Tips Most Players Miss
- Protect your best research items. If your augment gives you a safe pocket, that is where a Diagnostic Node belongs, since everything else in your bag is lootable if you go down.
- The Frigate is PvPvE only for now. Embark excluded the Frigate from its PvE toggle test, so the biggest Research Point source still means risking other raiders. Our PvE toggle story lists everything the test leaves out.
- Pendola Pass routes change. Embark is testing Dynamic Loot Zones on Pendola Pass, where an area’s loot value “may yield more value one Raid, and less value on another.” Do not assume one route pays the same every time.
- Riven Tides got richer. Frozen Trail raised overall loot value on Riven Tides by about 15%, which helps if you are hunting small research items between big runs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get Research Points fast in ARC Raiders? The biggest reported payout is the Frigate Diagnostic Node at 1,000 points, from the ARC Frigate map condition. ARC Data Modules, reported at 200 points each, are the next best common source.
Where do you spend Research Points? At the Research Station in your Outpost, on blueprints, Furniture Designs and, at Level 4, weapon perks for Amplified Weapons.
Do you need the Outpost to earn Research Points? Yes. The Research Station comes with the Outpost, and Embark’s patch notes say unlocking the Outpost is what gives you access to it.
Are Research Points the same as Reward Points? No. Reward Points replaced Cred and feed your Reward Pass. Research Points are only used at the Research Station.
Do research items count if you die? Only items you extract with can be converted, so anything lost in a raid is gone. Keep your most valuable research item in a safe pocket if you have one.