Taking on the Authority, mutants and Gooners spread throughout Rage 2’s Wasteland can be tough, so you’ll want to hit up Arks as soon as you possibly can. Not only do they have plenty of worthwhile supplies, each one comes with either a new weapon or special ability that can radically change how combat plays out.
Locating and gaining access to them can be a tad confusing, though, so here is where all 13 of Rage 2’s Arks are found, and what is inside each one.
How to find Arks in Rage 2
In total there are 14 Arks, with two found in story missions (with the first being an integral part of the tutorial), and the remaining 12 are scattered throughout the open world.
To find an open-world Ark, find an open space and hold down the control key. From there, any Arks within range will be marked with giant, glowing pillars of multicoloured light. Hop in a vehicle (the Icarus is by far the best for Ark hunting, as it helps you skip the troublesome terrain and fly straight to them), and head in the general direction of the pillar.
You’ll need to disembark your vehicle and re-scan every once in a while, but other than that, getting to the Arks is a cinch. Once you’re nearby, Walker will usually shout out about there being an Ark, but if not their round structure sticks out like a sore thumb in most environments.
If you’re having trouble, there are some common elements of the map that hint at an Ark being found there. Many of them are found at the end of short side-roads, in valleys or on plateaus, rather than in more hilly areas. If your pillar of light is in the direction of a suspiciously open, empty area on the map, chances are that’s where your headed.
To unlock an Ark, all you need to do is clear any enemies in the immediate vicinity. You don’t need to do the location objectives that pop up, like finding data pads, Ark chests or supply chests, although these are also incredibly useful and worth picking up regardless. Once you’ve unlocked an Ark and completed its tutorial mission, there is a high chance more enemies will be waiting for you outside. Make sure you’ve taken the spare supplies in the wall chests of the Ark before leaving, because you may well need them.
Rage 2 Ark locations map
If you’re having trouble, there are some common elements of the map that hint at an Ark being found there. Many of them are found at the end of short side-roads, in valleys or on plateaus, rather than in more hilly areas. If your pillar of light is in the direction of a suspiciously open, empty area on the map, chances are that’s where you're headed.
To unlock an Ark, all you need to do is clear any enemies in the immediate vicinity. You don’t need to do the location objectives that pop up, like finding data pads, Ark chests or supply chests, although these are also incredibly useful and worth picking up regardless. Once you’ve unlocked an Ark and completed its tutorial mission, there is a high chance more enemies will be waiting for you outside. Make sure you’ve taken the spare supplies in the wall chests of the Ark before leaving, because you may well need them.
Story Arks in Rage 2
Vineland Ark: Found in the very first mission of the game, you’re required to enter this Ark as part of the story. You literally can’t miss it, and it rewards you with the Dash ability, a short-range teleport.
Gunbarrel Ark: You’ll come across this Ark in the first mission for John Marshall in Gunbarrel, Blackout. It’s another one you can’t miss, and inside it is the Combat Shotgun. It’s not the most damaging weapon in the game, but its knockback is fierce and it can be brutal in close-quarters.
Open world Ark locations in Rage 2
In the Torn Plains region, there are two Arks:
Strongbox: This one is kind of strange, as it’s hidden the end of a highly linear, almost Doom-like city overrun with Gooners. It’s worth it, though, as the Smart Rocket Launcher it rewards is a beauty.
Earthscar: The Earthscar Ark unlocks the Slam accession. Get some height on the enemy before crashing down, and it’ll cause a healthy chunk of damage and some wicked knockback.
In the Dune Sea, there is only one Ark:
Shrouded Vault: This one is a bit more complicated than other Arks. To gain access to it, you’ll have to destroy two nearby Ark Reactor substations that are infested with the Shrouded, some of the most difficult enemies in the game. First head to the door of the Ark, and unlock the two text logs that will point you towards the substations. Once they’re cleared, you’ll gain access to the underground vault where the Ark is being held.
Clear the Shrouded there, and you’ll unlock the Ark and the weapon contained in it—the Charged Pulse Cannon. It's more than worth the effort, because the Charged Pulse Cannon can deal an obscene amount of damage, provided you keep it slightly overheated.
In the Sekreto Wetlands, there are two Arks:
Dealypipe: Dealypipe holds the Rush accession. This is a really handy one, as it boosts your moving speed by a great amount of a short time, letting you run to cover or get a quick advantage over the enemy.
Dank Catacombs: The Firestorm Revolver is the reward here. It’s a really fun weapon to use, although it isn’t the best when it comes to damage output. With some clever aim and use of the Vortex accession, you’ll be able to set fire to whole groups of enemies. It’s also good for dealing with machinery like Sentries, as you can remain in cover while the fire does the work.
The Wilds has two Arks:
Needle Falls: The Needle Falls Ark rewards you with the single most fun weapon in the whole game, the Grav-Dart Launcher. Primary fire sticks the enemy with as many darts as you can land, while the secondary fire button will yank them towards wherever you aim. The more darts in the enemy, the more forceful the pull. For bosses it’s kind of useless, but for enemies like the Shrouded it can be a highly effective sweeper. It’s also fun to watch raiders get turned into Wasteland Jam.
Greenhaven: This is ranked as the most dangerous Ark in the whole game (although, personally, I had more trouble with the Shrouded Vault). It’s swamped with mutants, and the final approach to the Ark itself comes with a Cyber Crusher boss. Inside, you’ll get the Hyper-cannon. It takes careful aim to be effective, but it can peel away armour from enemies in just a couple of shots.
The Broken Tract has three Arks, and these will probably be the first non-story ones you encounter:
Great Crack: The Great Crack Ark rewards you with the Grav-Jump accession, an essential ability that gives you a double-jump. At first, you’ll have to be careful with the fall damage, although later upgrades can negate this, letting you drop from all but the highest heights unharmed.
Canyon Cove: Canyon Cove should ideally be one of the first Arks you hit up, because it unlocks the Defibrillator accession. Taking lethal damage will instead trigger a quick-time event that can restore some health, give you a second wind, and cause damage to enemies close-by.
Spikewind: This ark has the Barrier ability, letting you throw up a forcefield as cover. It's somewhat limited, as you’re more likely to be flanking or jumping than hunkering down, but it can save your bacon in a pinch.
The final two Arks are in the Twisting Canyons:
Quake Hill: This is the most southernly Ark on the map. Inside it you’ll get Vortex, which is a very helpful accession that’ll open up a number of tactical opportunities. For instance, stick an enemy with a Firestorm primer, then group a bunch of enemies together in a single Vortex, trigger the Firestorm, and burn the entire group. It’s also helpful for its extra movement options, although you may find a fully upgraded double jump somewhat more effective.
Junker’s Pass: This is another ark you’re likely to head to early on in the game, as it has the lowest difficulty ranking. Inside you’ll find the Shatter accession, which can push back enemies with a forceful blast. It gets outshone by the other, fancier accessions you’ll likely come across later, but it has a healthy knockback and can strip armour from enemies with ease that makes it great for dealing with the Shrouded.
Finding the Arks is a pain in the ass, but it's worth it
Finding every Ark can be a challenge, but the tools you get from them turn Rage 2 from a bog-standard apocalyptic shooter into a brutal physics playground. It’s well worth sticking around past the first few Arks to see which rewards you’ll gel with most.
