The Frozen Trail 2.0 update brings one of the most impactful weapon overhauls in ARC Raiders history: the brand-new Amplified Weapons system. This end-game upgrade mechanic adds a fifth quality tier to select weapons, moving beyond simple stat boosts to offer unique, gameplay-altering modifications that completely reshape how your firearms perform in combat. This guide lists ARC Raiders weapon amplifications with unique upgrade effects and introduces how to get amplified weapons.
ARC Raiders Amplified Weapons Guide (Frozen Trail 2.0)
Amplified Weapons are exclusive fifth-tier upgraded weapons introduced in the ARC Raiders Frozen Trail 2.0 update, designed as end-game gear for advanced players. Only a specific set of 15 weapons in the game support amplification, while common firearms like the Bobcat and Tempest have no amplified upgrade options.
These weapons stand out from regular max-tier ARC Raiders gear for two core reasons. First, they come with a boosted base durability of 200, a significant improvement over standard level 4 weapons, making them far more durable in prolonged raids. Second, they unlock branching custom upgrade paths that alter core weapon mechanics, including damage scaling, magazine capacity, reload speed, weak point effectiveness, and firing modes. Most amplified upgrades carry trade-offs, so players must choose enhancements that match their combat strategy, whether focusing on PvE ARC takedowns or PvP encounters.
Notably, base amplified weapons do not gain raw stat increases on their own. All unique power and functionality comes from the optional amplification modules players apply after upgrading.
List of ARC Raiders Amplified Weapons & Upgrade Effects
A total of 15 weapons support amplification in the Frozen Trail 2.0 update, with 10 fully documented in early access gameplay. Each amplifiable weapon features exclusive branching upgrade paths with unique perks, trade-offs, and exclusive locked upgrades that disable alternative build options. Below is the complete list of confirmed amplified weapons and their verified amplification effects:
Amplified Rattler: Three upgrade paths. More Reload (+2 rounds per reload step, 4 rounds total); Drum Mag (+40 magazine capacity for 64 total rounds, with increased recoil, shot dispersion and slower ADS speed); Incendiary Rounds (+5 burn damage per second, 2-second burn duration, fixed 24-round magazine, exclusive upgrade).
Amplified Renegade: Two core upgrades. More Reload (+1 round per reload step for faster iterative reloads); Scoped (adds a dedicated sniper scope for improved mid-long range precision). The scoped upgrade disables extended magazine compatibility.
Amplified Burletta: Multiple mutually exclusive combat upgrades. Burst Fire (3-round burst fire mode, locks full auto and sprint shooting paths); Increased Burst (5-round burst with expanded magazine); Full Auto (60% higher fire rate with reduced base damage, headshot multiplier and increased recoil); Sprint Shooting (enables firing while sprinting).
Amplified Hairpin: Specialized tactical upgrades. Incendiary Rounds (stackable burn damage effect, exclusive path); Semi-Automatic (150% increased fire rate with minor accuracy trade-offs); Sprint Shooting (sprint-fire capability); Tracker Rounds (marks hit targets for 5 seconds, exclusive upgrade).
Amplified Bettina: Three core enhancements. Extended Magazine (+15 magazine capacity); Semi-Auto conversion (+3 base damage); X Rounds (explosive projectile rounds for improved armor damage).
Amplified Anvil: Reworked exclusive upgrades following official balance changes. X Rounds (boosted damage against Raiders and massive damage bonuses to ARC armor plating); Anvil Splitter (replaces the old standalone mod, splitting each shot into 4 projectiles with reduced per-projectile damage and headshot multiplier, exclusive amplified-only upgrade). Base amplification increases damage from 40 to 48 and max durability from 130 to 200 at the cost of slight range reduction.
Amplified Canto: Utility-focused upgrades. Carbine Conversion (greatly improved stability and accuracy with reduced mobility); Sprint Shooting (sprint-fire functionality); Incendiary Rounds (applies sustained burn damage to targets).
Amplified Hullcracker: Explosive-focused upgrades. Incendiary Grenades (adds burning damage to explosive blasts); Mag Reload (enables full-magazine instant reloads). As an epic-tier weapon, it requires a Mk. IV Amplification Module.
Amplified Kettle: Features Concussive Impact Engineering research upgrade with X Rounds that deliver concussive explosive damage, locked behind dedicated in-game damage completion objectives.
Amplified Osprey: Rare weapon requiring a Mk. III Amplification Module. Confirmed upgrades include 60% reduced bolt-action cycle time and 37.5% faster reload speed, paired with the standard 200 amplified durability cap.
All exclusive upgrades permanently lock competing amplification chains upon selection, with no option to revert changes after confirmation.
How to Get Amplified Weapons in ARC Raiders 2.0?
Weapon amplification is a multi-stage locked progression system. Players cannot craft or upgrade amplified weapons without first unlocking and maxing out end-game base facilities. Below is the complete step-by-step amplification process:
Step 1: Unlock the Outpost
Before accessing any weapon amplification features, you must complete the three-stage Outpost unlock project located in the main menu’s Outpost tab. You need a Camera for key objectives, which can be purchased from Shani, crafted at the basic Workbench, or looted as topside random loot.
Stage 1: Research Topside Living Conditions – Travel to the Ruined Homestead on the Blue Gate map. Take a photo of any farmland house in the area (you do not need close proximity; zooming in from the zone edge counts for completion).
Stage 2: Gather Building Materials – Turn in basic Outpost crafting resources: 3 Planks, 5 Sheet Metal, 10 ARC Alloy, and 3 Advanced Electrical Components. For faster farming, purchase Planks and Sheet Metal from Celeste using Assorted Seeds. Collect Seeds regularly from Scrappy after every raid to avoid hitting the 50-seed cap.
Stage 3: Safeguard the Building Site – Deal damage to any flying ARC units and land damage on a new Bully enemy. Flying ARC can be found on most maps, while Bully fights follow dedicated close-quarters combat tactics (target knee weak points and use tether stuns for easy damage).
Completing all three stages triggers a short cutscene and unlocks your permanent mountain Outpost base, which houses all advanced crafting and research stations required for weapon amplification.
Step 2: Fully Upgrade Outpost to Level 4
Base weapon amplification tools are locked behind a Level 4 Outpost. Each Outpost upgrade unlocks new rooms and higher-tier station levels, with fixed material costs for every tier. Room selections (Panoramic, Chalet, Studious, etc.) are permanent and cannot be swapped after placement.
Level 1 → 2: Unlocks Level 2 Research Station + new room | Requires 3 Steel Cable, 20 Sheet Metal, 3 Cable Strippers
Level 2 → 3: Unlocks additional buildable room | Requires 3 Epoxy Buckets, 35 Planks, 3 Hand Drills
Level 3 → 4: Unlocks Level 4 Gunsmith and Level 4 Research Station (core amplification stations) + final base room | Requires 40 Sheet Metal, 3 Laser Levels, 3 Insulation Rolls
Rare upgrade materials (Steel Cable, Epoxy Buckets, Hand Drills, Laser Levels, Insulation Rolls) primarily spawn as loose open-world loot in high-value zones on Pendola Pass, especially the Freight Terminal (Railyard) and Commissary Supermarket. Always check your raid map for highlighted high-loot areas to speed up farming.
Step 3: Build & Max Out Core Crafting Stations
Once your Outpost reaches Level 4, construct and fully upgrade the two essential stations for amplified weapon creation and customization.
Research Station Setup
Build the base Level 1 Research Station first with 35 Planks, 5 Battered Paperbacks, and 3 Mini Pumps (easily farmed at Pendola Pass’s Observatory, Railyard, and Commissary Supermarket). This station features three core tabs: Blueprint Crafting, Design Crafting, and Amplified Research. The critical Amplified Research function only unlocks at Level 4, required for all advanced weapon perk upgrades.
Gunsmith Level 4 Upgrade
Upgrade the Gunsmith from Level 3 to Level 4 to unlock the weapon amplification menu. This final upgrade requires three rare endgame materials: 3 Radial Press, 3 Magnetic Accelerators, and 1 Emperor Modulator. The Emperor Modulator is a legendary exclusive drop found only inside the Fallen Emperor on Pendola Pass, making it the rarest gatekeeping material for high-tier amplification.
Step 4: Prepare a Max-Tier Level 4 Base Weapon
Only fully upgraded Tier 4 (Level 4) base weapons can be amplified. Standard low-tier weapons are ineligible for this system. Amplification overwrites the weapon’s base durability: it upgrades the default Tier 4 max durability (130) to a boosted 200 durability, drastically improving longevity in endgame raids. Ensure your target weapon is fully leveled before proceeding, as amplification cannot be applied to under-tier gear.
Step 5: Obtain Matching Rarity Amplification Modules
Every weapon amplification requires one Amplification Module matched to the weapon’s rarity. Modules are split into Mk. I to Mk. V tiers, with each tier corresponding to common through legendary weapon rarities (e.g., Mk. I for common weapons like the Rattler, Mk. V for legendary weapons).
Per official developer confirmation, all module tiers have identical drop rates—rarity does not affect spawn chance. All modules weigh 0.5 inventory weight and sell for 7,000 credits, and spare modules can be recycled into 7 Amplified Fragments (used for repairing amplified weapons).
Exclusive Module Drop Sources (no regular loot containers drop these items):
ARC Frigate: Spawns on five maps (Blue Gate, Buried City, Dam Battlegrounds, Pendola Pass, Spaceport). Loot Breach & Search hatches along the Frigate’s hull for all module tiers. Always store modules in your safe pocket to preserve them if you get downed.
Fallen Emperor (Pendola Pass): Accessible only during Redirection map events. Craft an Emperor Gateway Conduit (from 3 unique ARC Couplers + rare blueprint looted from Emperor Payloads) to open the Emperor’s base door. Loot breachable wall panels and payload containers inside for full module tier drops.
Step 6: Apply Base Weapon Amplification
Head to the Level 4 Gunsmith’s Weapon Upgrades tab in your Outpost. Select your maxed Tier 4 weapon and click the Amplify option. Consume your matching-rarity Amplification Module to complete the base amplification.
This step fully repairs the weapon, upgrades its durability to 200, applies a new unique weapon model, and unlocks the exclusive amplified upgrade tree for further customization. No stat or perk upgrades are applied yet—this only unlocks the upgrade framework.
Step 7: Complete Advanced Amplified Research & Perk Upgrades
Base amplified weapons are functional but require research and rare materials to unlock their unique combat perks. Right-click your amplified weapon to open its dedicated upgrade tree, where every node displays required materials, research points, and unlock objectives.
Key Required Research Materials
Most advanced upgrades need two exclusive epic topside materials looted exclusively from Emperor Payloads during Pendola Pass Redirection events: Pneumatic Actuator andPressure Regulator. Both stack to 3, weigh 0.5, and are labeled explicitly for amplified weapon crafting.
Research Point & Objective Unlocks
All amplified perks require two unlock conditions: sufficient research points and completed in-game mastery objectives. Research points are earned by consuming research items at the Level 4 Research Station: Legendary Frigate Diagnostic Nodes (1,000 points), epic ARC Data Modules (200 points), and common items like Battered Paperbacks and Raider Logbooks (small point values). Mastery objectives require active combat usage (e.g., dealing 100 damage with the weapon) to unlock locked upgrade nodes.
Amplified Upgrade Tree Rules
Permanent Choices: All upgrade selections are irreversible. Committing to one perk branch locks out conflicting alternative paths.
Unique Build Variants: Each amplifiable weapon has 1–3 distinct upgrade pathways with exclusive perks (e.g., burst fire vs. full auto for Burletta, high weak-point damage vs. sustained rampage damage for Equalizer).
Modified Attachment Slots: Amplification adjusts weapon mod slots. Some weapons lose certain slots (e.g., Amplified Renegade loses magazine slots for scoped perks) while retaining core attachment compatibility.
Universal Durability Buff: Max 200 durability is a standard baseline for all amplified weapons, regardless of perk choices.
Frozen Trail Weapon Balance & Amplification-Related Changes
The Frozen Trail 2.0 update adjusted several staple weapons to align with the new amplification system, with official balance tweaks and bug fixes that directly impact amplified weapon performance:
Anvil Rarity Adjustment: The fan-favorite Anvil hand cannon was upgraded from Green to Blue rarity to balance its overperforming versatility against both ARC enemies and player Raiders. The Bantam weapon now fills the uncommon hand cannon role previously held by the Anvil.
Anvil Splitter Rework: The Anvil Splitter is no longer a usable mod. It has been reworked into an exclusive upgrade option for the Amplified Anvil, and the base Anvil has had its Tech Mod slot removed. Unused Anvil Splitter items can be sold or recycled into Amplified Fragments for weapon repairs.
Jupiter Damage Fix: Resolved a bug causing double damage propagation on rear ARC parts. The Jupiter now deals improved damage to enemy armor but slightly reduced damage to weak points, making its amplified variant more consistent for heavy armor takedowns.
General Weapon Bug Fixes: Fixed incomplete model displays for the Hullcracker, failed weak point destruction for the Dolabra against Harvester yellow weak points, and missing attachment visuals for looted ground weapons—all improving amplified weapon usability and reliability.
Amplified Weapon Maintenance: Repair & Recycling
Amplified weapons cannot be repaired with standard materials. The exclusive repair resource is Amplified Fragments, which are obtained by recycling unused Amplification Modules, outdated weapon upgrade parts, and leftover amplified crafting materials.
Repairing a fully upgraded amplified weapon requires a significant number of fragments (approximately 54 for standard variants), making material conservation critical. Always recycle excess amplification crafting components to maintain a steady fragment supply for repairs.
