If you have been spending time in ARC Raiders, the Forgotten Relics event is one of those limited runs that is hard to ignore, especially if you are still hunting ARC Raiders BluePrints and trying to keep your stash moving in the right direction. It sits neatly inside regular raid play, so you are not forced into a weird side mode or some separate grind. You just play, loot, extract, and watch the progress climb. That said, the event does reward players who are a bit more deliberate about where they go and what they pick up, because Merits are the real currency here, and every run matters more than it first looks.

How Merits Actually Work

The whole event is built around Merits, and the rule is simple enough once you get used to it. Every 100 XP you earn during a raid turns into one Merit after you extract alive. That means the game is not paying you on the spot. You only cash in once you make it out. So yes, it is tempting to stay in a little longer and squeeze out more kills, but the smarter move is usually to leave with a full bag. ARC Raiders has a habit of punishing greed, and this event is no different.

You can earn Merits in two main ways. First, by doing normal raid things like taking out ARC units, fighting enemy Raiders, gathering loot, and getting out in one piece. Second, by collecting Forgotten Relics themselves, which are scattered through Topside and give extra Merit value depending on rarity. The event track has 21 rewards in total, including the Saltwalker outfit set, Raider Tokens, backpacks, emotes, and a few other cosmetics that players will actually notice in the lobby. To clear the whole track, you need 3,150 Merits, which works out to around 315,000 total XP. It sounds heavy, but once you understand the rhythm, it is more manageable than it first appears.

Where the Best Runs Happen

If you want steady progress, Buried City is probably the safest bet. The place is packed with interior loot spots, and that matters more than a lot of players admit. Grandioso Apartments, Santa Maria Houses, the residential blocks nearby, and even the medical areas all have the kind of drawers, lockers, cupboards, and shelves that can spit out relics without making you fight half the map first. It is the kind of route that works because it is simple. You move fast, check a lot of containers, and you do not waste time on fights that do not help the run.

Dam Battlegrounds can also be really good, especially around the Research and Development building. There are enough loot containers there to make a short route feel worthwhile, and you can usually sweep through without too much trouble if you keep your head down. The key thing is that Forgotten Relics do not need some special elite kill or boss condition before they show up. That makes them easier to farm than a lot of other event materials, and it also means you can build a route around speed instead of combat. A lot of players make the mistake of trying to "clear" an area first. Usually, that just slows them down.

Why Rarity Changes Everything

Not every relic gives the same reward, and that is where the event starts to separate casual runs from efficient ones. Common relics help, sure, but the real jump comes from Legendary relics. One good Legendary find can feel like a huge leap because the Merit value is so much higher. In practice, that means a quiet loot run with one or two rare pulls can do more for you than a messy fight-heavy raid packed with XP. People do not always like hearing that, but it is true.

This is also why the event fits so well with other progression systems. The same relics that push your Merit count can also count toward the Converging Paths Project from the update. So if you are already trying to collect materials, unlock more ARC Raiders BluePrints, or just keep your economy healthy, the event sort of pays you twice. You are not only chasing cosmetics. You are feeding other parts of your account at the same time, which is why these raids feel more worthwhile than a standard XP grind.

How to Move Faster Without Burning Out

The best way to finish the event is not to chase every fight. It is to build a loop that you can repeat without thinking too hard. Start with residential or commercial buildings where the container density is high. Check every obvious relic spot. Take the easy ARC kills if they are in your way, but do not stay in a bad position just for a few more points. Then extract while your run still feels under control. That last part matters more than people want to admit. A failed extraction wipes out the value of everything you just did, and that hurts a lot more during an event with a fixed deadline.

If you have only got a little time each day, you can still keep pace. The total requirement works out to roughly 7,500 to 8,000 XP per day across the event window, which is not outrageous if you are making even a few solid runs. You do not need to treat it like a second job. A couple of smart raids, a few relic grabs, and some decent extraction habits will carry you much farther than a long session filled with random fights. That is usually how these events go anyway. The players who stay calm and repeat a clean route tend to finish first.

Final Thoughts

Forgotten Relics works because it gives you a reason to play normally while still making every raid feel like it has a little extra edge. You can chase the Saltwalker set, stack Raider Tokens, and keep building toward better loadouts without stepping away from the rest of your progress. If you keep your route tight, favour high-container areas, and get out alive more often than not, the final reward tier is well within reach, and you will probably end up with a few useful ARC Raiders Items along the way.