Master ARC Raiders Currencies: Earn Them Fast, Spend Them Smarter

ARC Raiders is not out yet, but we already know how its money works. The game splits your spending into two piles: the stuff you earn by playing, and the stuff you buy with real cash. If you want the premium track and fancy outfits, you will be dealing with Raider Tokens. If you just want to play, craft gear, and move through the core loop, you will be swimming in the regular in-game currency.

What Raider Tokens are (and what they are not)

Raider Tokens are ARC Raiders' premium currency. They are separate from the play-earned money you will see called Raider Coins or Cred in menus. Tokens do not touch your weapon or armor progression. They do not make you stronger. They exist to unlock premium rewards and cosmetics, full stop. That separation matters because it keeps the power curve tied to gameplay, not your wallet.

How you get Raider Tokens

There is one guaranteed source: you buy them with real money. Expect token packs on your platform's store (Steam, Epic, PlayStation/Xbox digital shops) once the game launches, plus an in-game store that sells the same thing.

Right now, there is no way to earn Raider Tokens by playing. The studio could change that later, but as of now, do not count on it. One exception: if you pick up the Deluxe Edition, you start with 2,400 Raider Tokens in your account on day one. That is your only head start without swiping a card.

What you spend Raider Tokens on

This is the premium lane: battle passes (to unlock the paid reward track), cosmetic bundles, Raider Decks, emotes, backpacks, outfits, and other vanity items in the store. None of this is required to finish the story or keep up in combat. It is there if you like collecting looks, gestures, and themed sets.

How the two-currency setup works in practice

ARC Raiders runs a soft currency for gameplay and a hard currency for cosmetics. The soft side (Cred/Raider Coins) comes from quests and general play and goes into gear, consumables, and the normal progression you would expect. The hard side (Raider Tokens) is bought with real cash and fuels optional cosmetics and the premium battle pass. Clean line, no stat creep.

Compared to other live-service games

On paper, Raider Tokens function a lot like Apex Legends' Apex Coins. Both buy cosmetics and unlock the premium battle pass track, and neither gives a gameplay edge. That is the right idea if you are allergic to pay-to-win.

The most recent Battlefield entry the source points to (labeled there as Battlefield 6) uses Battlefield Coins, which you can purchase or earn back via its battle pass. The key difference: Battlefield refunds premium currency through progression, which ARC Raiders does not currently promise. Use-wise, Battlefield Coins are also cosmetic-only, keeping power out of the shop the same way Raider Tokens do.

Then there is Fortnite's V-Bucks. Epic has loosened up over time: you can earn V-Bucks by grinding the battle pass, and Epic runs promo bundles that shuffle prices. If you commit to Fortnite's pass, you can stockpile a fair amount of V-Bucks without paying again. That level of generosity seems unlikely for ARC Raiders based on what we know now, which makes Raiders' monetization a bit stricter by comparison.

The bottom line

If you want premium looks and that paid reward track, Raider Tokens are your lane. If you do not care about cosmetics, the soft currency and regular play will carry you just fine. Personally, I like the clear divide between what time buys and what money buys. It keeps the game fair, even if it is not the most flexible system out there.

So where do you land: grabbing Raider Tokens for the premium goodies, or sticking with the basic Cred/Raider Coins and calling it a day?