Unknown Error ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders Lag Spikes - Network Performance Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-03 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-03 👥 Reports: 10 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Manually select your nearest game server in the Gameplay settings menu instead of using the automatic server selection to eliminate routing-related latency spikes.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

Lag spikes in ARC Raiders are characterized by sudden, severe increases in network latency and/or frame time, causing the game to stutter or freeze momentarily. This problem manifests as a rapid degradation of performance, often during critical combat or movement sequences. The issue is platform-agnostic, affecting PC players regardless of hardware tier, and is tied to the live-service game client version. The severity is high, as these spikes directly compromise gameplay responsiveness. While no specific error code is displayed, the observable symptom is a drastic, temporary reduction in frames per second (FPS) and an increase in on-screen network latency indicators. This behavior indicates a disruption in the smooth flow of data between the client and the game server.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The game client experiences sudden, intermittent freezing or severe stuttering, transforming smooth motion into a slide show for durations of one to several seconds. This occurs most frequently during high-action scenarios involving multiple entities, particle effects, or rapid player movement. The in-game network diagnostic icons, representing packet loss or high latency, may activate during these events. The game world and character movement halt or jump forward in time once the spike resolves. Performance monitoring tools will show a corresponding, sharp spike in frame time (ms) and potentially a drop in the network ping value reported to the game server, followed by a rapid recovery to baseline performance levels.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Non-Optimal Server Routing: Automatic server selection can connect the client to a geographically distant or congested game server, or route traffic through inefficient network paths, introducing variable latency.
Background Network Saturation: Other applications or services on the system (e.g., Windows Update, cloud storage sync, streaming services) consuming bandwidth in bursts, contending with the game's data stream.
Uncapped Frame Rate with GPU Bottleneck: Running the game with an unlimited frame rate can cause the GPU to hit 99-100% utilization, leading to increased frame times and stuttering when the render queue is overwhelmed during complex scenes.
Outdated or Faulty Network Driver: Network interface card (NIC) drivers, particularly for Intel Killer or Realtek chipsets, that contain performance bugs or lack optimizations for real-time traffic prioritization.
Power Management Throttling: Windows or system BIOS power plans limiting CPU or PCIe bus performance to save energy, causing sudden dips in processing capability during load.
Shader Compilation Stutter: The game engine compiling shaders for new visual effects or assets on-the-fly during gameplay, halting the rendering thread.
Antivirus/ Firewall Real-Time Scanning: Security software intercepting and scanning the game's network packets or asset files as they are loaded into memory, adding significant processing overhead.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solutions are ordered from the most targeted and effective fix for the described network-related spike scenario to broader system optimizations.

Solution 1: Manually Select Game Server Region

Difficulty: Easy Time: 2 minutes Success Rate: High Steps:

Launch ARC Raiders and navigate to the main menu.
Open the Settings menu.
Select the Gameplay tab.
Locate the Server Region setting. By default, this is set to "Automatic."
Click on the dropdown menu and manually select the server region geographically closest to your physical location (e.g., "US East," "Europe Central").
Apply the settings and restart the game for the change to take full effect.

Why it works: This bypasses the automatic selection algorithm, which may prioritize server load over lowest possible latency for your specific route. A direct connection to the nearest server minimizes the number of network hops and the potential for congestion points, stabilizing ping.

Solution 2: Implement a Frame Rate Cap

Difficulty: Easy Time: 3 minutes Success Rate: High Steps:

Open ARC Raiders Settings.
Navigate to the Video or Graphics settings tab.
Locate the Frame Rate Limit or V-Sync option.
If using a variable refresh rate (VRR) monitor like G-SYNC or FreeSync, enable V-Sync in-game *and* cap your frame rate 3-5 FPS below your monitor's maximum refresh rate using the in-game limiter or NVIDIA Control Panel / AMD Adrenalin.
If not using VRR, set a fixed Frame Rate Limit to a value your system can consistently achieve (e.g., 60, 120, 144).

Why it works: Capping the frame rate prevents the GPU from reaching 100% utilization, ensuring there is headroom for complex scenes. This eliminates render queue delays and reduces competition for system resources between the game and its network processing threads, smoothing overall performance.

Solution 3: Configure Network Traffic Prioritization via Windows QoS

Difficulty: Medium Time: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps:

Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor. (For Windows Home editions, this requires enabling via a separate script).
Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Policy-based QoS.
Right-click on Policy-based QoS and select Create new policy.
Name the policy "ARC Raiders Priority." Set a DSCP Value of 46. Uncheck "Specify outbound throttle rate."
Click Next. Check "Only applications with this executable name:" and enter ARC Raiders.exe (confirm the exact .exe name from the game's installation folder).
Click Next. Ensure both source and destination IP addresses are set to "Any IP Address."
Click Next. Select TCP and UDP for the protocol.
Click Next and then Finish. A system restart is required for the policy to activate.

Why it works: This policy marks outbound packets from ARC Raiders with a high-priority Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) value. While not all routers honor this, many modern ones and the Windows network stack will prioritize this traffic, reducing queueing delay during bandwidth contention.

Solution 4: Update Network Adapter Drivers and Disable Energy-Efficient Ethernet

Difficulty: Medium Time: 7 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps:

Identify your network adapter model via Device Manager (under "Network adapters").
Visit the manufacturer's website (Intel, Realtek, Killer) or your motherboard manufacturer's support page to download the latest driver. Install it.
In Device Manager, right-click your network adapter and select Properties.
Go to the Advanced tab. Locate and disable the following properties if present:

* Energy Efficient Ethernet * Green Ethernet * IEEE 802.3az Power Efficient Ethernet

Go to the Power Management tab and uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
Click OK and restart your system.

Why it works: Outdated drivers can mishandle high packet rates. Disabling power-saving features for the NIC prevents the adapter from entering low-power states that introduce latency when reactivating to handle game data bursts.

Solution 5: Create Firewall and Antivirus Exclusions

Difficulty: Easy Time: 4 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps:

Locate the ARC Raiders installation directory (typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARC Raiders or within your chosen launcher's folder).
Open Windows Security (Windows Defender) by searching for "Virus & threat protection."
Click Manage settings under "Virus & threat protection settings."
Scroll down and click Add or remove exclusions.
Click Add an exclusion, select Folder, and browse to the ARC Raiders root installation folder. Repeat for the game's .exe file if desired.
If using a third-party antivirus, consult its documentation to add the same folder and process exclusions.

Why it works: This prevents real-time scanning from inspecting every game file as it's loaded and every network packet from the game process. This reduces intermittent CPU and I/O interrupts that can cause micro-stutters and network buffer delays.

Solution 6: Disable Fullscreen Optimizations and Run as Administrator

Difficulty: Easy Time: 2 minutes Success Rate: Low-Medium Steps:

Navigate to the ARC Raiders .exe file in its installation folder.
Right-click the .exe, select Properties.
Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
Check the boxes for Disable fullscreen optimizations and Run this program as an administrator.
Click Apply and OK.

Why it works: Disabling fullscreen optimizations bypasses the Windows 10/11 compositor for a more direct display path, which can reduce latency and remove a layer of potential interference. Running as administrator ensures the game process has priority access to system resources.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain stable performance by conducting a monthly review of graphics and network driver updates from your hardware manufacturer. Before each gaming session, perform a quick check for bandwidth-intensive background processes using Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). Establish a system maintenance routine that includes clearing the DirectX shader cache (via Disk Cleanup tool) after major game updates to prevent shader-related stutter accumulation. Configure your router to use static DNS servers from Google (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) to ensure reliable domain resolution.

SECTION 6: SUPPORT ESCALATION

If all solutions fail and lag spikes persist exclusively in ARC Raiders, contact official Embark Studios support. Provide a detailed diagnostic report including: a continuous ping (ping -t 8.8.8.8) and traceroute (tracert) log during a spike event; the exact model of your network adapter, router, and modem; and a performance graph from a tool like MSI Afterburner showing FPS, frame time, and GPU/CPU usage during the problematic period. This data is critical for identifying client-side issues versus potential server-side problems.