Arc Raiders: Mastering the Eyes on the Prize Quest

The Eyes on the Prize mission in Arc Raiders looks simple on paper: find a hidden rooftop terrace in Buried City, restore power to a solar setup, and move on. In practice, many players lose valuable time (and loot) because they arrive unprepared, misread the map clues, or underestimate enemy patrols around the objective.

This guide breaks down the quest in detail, explaining how to prepare your loadout, where to find the Secluded Roof Terrace, how to secure the three essential Wires, and how to survive the trek across Buried City. You will also find a FAQ section and quick-reference tips so you can clear this quest efficiently on repeat runs.

Quest Overview: What Eyes on the Prize Actually Wants

Eyes on the Prize is a compact, utility-focused mission that emphasizes planning and positioning instead of raw damage output. The quest has two functional goals:

• Locate a specific rooftop terrace in Buried City, west of a major extraction point.
• Use three Wires to repair a solar-related electrical junction on that terrace.

There is no requirement to extract after completing the objective. As soon as you repair the solar panel system, the quest completes and you are free to continue looting, hunt other players, or head for the nearest exit.

Preparing for the Mission: Loadout and Inventory Planning

The most common failure point in Eyes on the Prize is not combat – it is arriving at the objective without the items needed to interact with the electrical box. Proper preparation turns this mission into a quick, reliable clear.

Essential Items Checklist

Before deploying into Buried City, make sure you have the following covered:

• 3× Wires in your inventory (non-negotiable for completion).
• A medium or better backpack to carry loot alongside quest items.
• Enough ammo and healing for at least one serious firefight.
• At least one mid- to long-range weapon for rooftop engagements.

Where to Store Your Wires Safely

Because death can cause you to drop part of your gear, placing the Wires in safer inventory slots can reduce risk. Many extraction shooters use different tiers of inventory safety; while specifics vary by game version, a general principle is:

• Put Wires into any secure pocket or protected slot if available.
• Avoid storing them in low-priority areas of your backpack that you might dump under pressure.

Recommended Role and Weapon Choices

Eyes on the Prize rewards controlled positioning rather than reckless rushing. Consider:

• Rifles or DMRs with good stability for rooftop lines of sight.
• Silenced weapons if you want to minimize attention while moving through contested streets.
• A mobility tool (such as a movement ability or grappling option if your build supports it) for vertical traversal and disengagement.

Understanding Buried City: Key Zones and Route Planning

Buried City is densely packed with sightlines, vertical angles, and points of interest (POIs). Knowing how these areas connect makes the run to the secluded terrace faster and safer.

Important Landmarks for This Quest

Depending on your particular map roll and matchmaking, the names may vary slightly, but players generally use several recurring landmarks:

• Southern Station (extraction) – A common exit and navigation anchor in the southern area.
• Plaza Rosa (or equivalent plaza) – A recognizable hub near the cluster of rooftops you will visit.
• Research and Space Travel buildings – High-tech facilities that are excellent for finding Wires and electronics.

High-Level Route Strategy

You can approach Eyes on the Prize in two main ways:

1. Go in already carrying Wires and head directly toward the terrace from your spawn.
2. Loot Wires inside the raid, prioritizing technology-heavy POIs before heading to the objective.

Because Wires are relatively common but still subject to RNG, experienced players often prefer to bring three Wires from their stash to make the run predictable.

Finding and Farming Wires Efficiently

Wires are a common crafting and repair component in Arc Raiders and can be obtained in two main ways: looting containers in the world and recycling specific items into raw materials.

Looting Wires in Electrical and Technological POIs

Quest hints and community testing agree that Wires drop most frequently in areas associated with electronics and research. Look for:

• Computer terminals and server cabinets.
• Industrial control panels and breaker boxes.
• Residential apartments with lots of consumer electronics.

In Buried City, that typically means targeting buildings such as a:

• Research facility with laboratories and office spaces.
• Space travel or aerospace building with communication arrays.

Recycling Items Into Wires

Many pieces of junk technology can be broken down into components. While the exact recycling interface and yields can change with balance updates, commonly recyclable items include:

• Power cables and extension cords.
• Small electronics like portable TVs or radios.
• Computer parts such as heatsinks and low-end boards.

Whenever you bring items back from raids, it can be worth recycling cheap electronics until you have a comfortable buffer of Wires in your stash. That way, you never need to rely on finding them mid-mission for quest progression.

Locating the Secluded Roof Terrace

Once you either enter the raid already carrying Wires or loot them from nearby POIs, your next step is to reach the correct rooftop.

General Location Relative to Major Landmarks

The Secluded Roof Terrace lies in the southern part of Buried City, roughly west of a station-style extraction point and often slightly southwest of a named plaza. In practical terms:

• Open your map and locate the Southern Station or equivalent south-side extraction point.
• Identify building clusters west or southwest of that marker.
• Look for a group of low-to-mid-height buildings with interconnected rooftops.

Visual Clues: What the Terrace Looks Like

The in-game quest text mentions a blue tarp, and that visual marker is critical in locating the exact spot. When you get close:

• Scan the rooftops for a blue tarpaulin stretched over a small makeshift camp.
• Expect to see chairs, crates, and solar panels all clustered together.
• Look for a yellow or otherwise distinct electrical junction box near the solar equipment.

In some map variations, you will reach the terrace via a plank bridge or connecting rooftop, so be prepared to climb and cross narrow pathways rather than expect a single staircase or elevator.

Step-by-Step Rooftop Navigation

1. Approach the building block west of the Southern Station while staying behind cover as much as possible.
2. Enter a low-traffic building on the edge of the block and work your way up to the roof via stairs or ladders.
3. From the roof, scan for the blue tarp and plank bridges leading to adjacent buildings.
4. Carefully cross the bridge or jump gap, watching for enemy patrols and other players.
5. Move under the blue tarp and locate the electrical box just in front of the solar panels.

Rewiring the Solar Panel: How to Complete the Objective

Once you arrive at the Secluded Roof Terrace, the mission’s final step is straightforward – as long as you brought the right materials.

Using the Wires at the Electrical Box

Stand near the yellow electrical box or highlighted interaction device and check that you have at least three Wires in your active inventory. Then:

• Interact with the device when the prompt appears.
• Confirm the consumption of 3 Wires if the game shows a confirmation window.
• Wait a brief moment while the rewiring animation or progress bar completes.

Once the rewiring interaction finishes successfully, the solar system will be restored, and the quest objective will be marked as completed in your log.

What Happens After Completion

After the electrical repair is done:

• The Eyes on the Prize quest completes immediately; you do not need to extract to lock in progress.
• Any remaining Wires in your inventory are yours to keep for future crafts or quests.
• You can now continue looting Buried City, hunt enemies, or head to the nearest extraction point.

Because you are already close to a southern extraction, many players choose to sweep nearby buildings for quick loot, then exit via Southern Station once their bag is full or they attract too much attention.

Risk Management: Surviving the Run

Although the objective itself is simple, the rooftops around Plaza-like areas and the Southern Station are often contested. A few good habits make this route safer:

Movement and Positioning Tips

• Avoid sprinting in open streets. Use alleys, interiors, and overpasses when possible.
• Clear the building you plan to climb before heading to the roof; ambushes are common on stairwells.
• Once on the rooftops, crouch or go prone near edges instead of silhouetting yourself against the sky.
• Always assume that plank bridges are watched – cross quickly and unpredictably.

When to Detour or Disengage

Because your Wires are the bottleneck for completion, it is often better to disengage than fight on bad terms.

• If you hear multiple hostile teams nearby, consider waiting in cover for them to pass.
• If a fight breaks out on the target roof itself, retreat to an adjacent building and watch for third-party opportunities.
• If resources are running low, prioritize survival and extraction over finishing the quest in that particular raid.

Efficiency Tips for Repeating Eyes on the Prize

If you are running this quest on multiple characters or repeating it for friends, optimizing your routine saves time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to extract to complete Eyes on the Prize?

No. The quest completes the moment you successfully rewire the solar panel on the Secluded Roof Terrace. Extraction only matters for keeping any loot you picked up during the raid.

Can I finish the mission if I forget to bring Wires?

Yes, but it becomes less reliable. You will need to find Wires in the raid itself by searching Electrical or Technological POIs or recycling electronic items. This can delay your progress and expose you to more risk, especially if other teams have the same idea.

How many Wires do I actually need?

You must have three Wires in your inventory when you interact with the electrical box. Bringing extra is helpful if you plan to craft or complete other objectives in the same run, but only three are required for Eyes on the Prize itself.

Is the terrace always in the exact same spot?

The terrace is consistently located in the same general area west of the southern extraction point, marked visually by a blue tarp over a rooftop setup. Minor layouts or surrounding spawns may vary, but the key landmark remains stable.

What happens if I die after rewiring the solar panel?

Quest progress is typically saved as soon as the objective is completed. You may lose gear or loot from that raid, but the Eyes on the Prize mission should remain marked as finished on your account, allowing you to move on to subsequent tasks.

Final Thoughts

Eyes on the Prize is one of the best early examples of Arc Raiders’ emphasis on preparation and map knowledge over pure mechanical skill. By stockpiling Wires, learning the building clusters around Buried City’s southern extraction, and practicing a safe rooftop route, you can turn what is initially a frustrating hunt for a vague rooftop into a short, efficient objective run.

Once you master this mission, you will not only complete a key questline but also gain a deeper understanding of vertical navigation, resource planning, and risk management – skills that carry over to nearly every other raid in the game.