Keys are some of the most valuable items in ARC Raiders. They're single-use, they're rare, and the rooms behind them hold loot you can't get anywhere else. Here's every key in the game, where to find them, and whether the loot behind the door is actually worth the risk.
How Keys Work
Keys drop from containers. Cabinets, drawers, desks, anything you can open in residential buildings has a chance to contain one. You'll also occasionally pick them up off players you kill. The drop rate is low, so when you find one, don't waste it.
Every key is single-use. You open the door, the key is consumed. That's it. The locked room resets between raids, so if you find the same key again you can hit the same room for another round of loot.
If you're farming keys specifically, Dam Battlegrounds is your best bet. The area around Ruby Residence and the Research & Admin Building has the highest concentration of key drops in the game. Just loop through the drawers and cabinets and you'll eventually find something.
One more thing. Raider Hatch keys are in a category of their own. They don't unlock loot rooms. Instead, they let you extract instantly with zero countdown. No alarm, no waiting, no getting shot in the back. If you find one, hold onto it for a raid where you're carrying something you really can't afford to lose.
Find all key door locations on our interactive maps
Every locked door is marked across all five maps. Plan your route before you load in.
Dam Battlegrounds (4 Keys)
Dam is the most beginner-friendly map and it's also the best place to farm key drops. Four locked rooms are scattered across the map, and one of them is genuinely excellent.
Dam Surveillance Key
MediumOpens: Water Treatment Control room
Decent room with a chance for a weapon crate. Not the best key on Dam but not a waste either. If you find this one early in a raid, go ahead and use it. The Water Treatment area is usually quieter than the central buildings.
Dam Staff Room Key
LowOpens: Research & Admin Building, first floor
Honestly kind of disappointing. The loot in here is usually mediocre. You'll get some materials and maybe a weapon, but nothing special. The Research & Admin Building itself has better loot in the unlocked rooms half the time. Use this key if you have it, but don't go out of your way for it.
Dam Testing Annex Key
MediumOpens: Testing Annex, ground floor
The lockers in here consistently have grenades and weapons. If you're running low on throwables, this room will sort you out. Solid mid-tier key.
Dam Control Tower Key
HighOpens: Top of the Control Tower
This is the one you want on Dam. Rare materials and weapons up top, and it's one of the most consistent locked rooms in the game. The catch is the Control Tower is visible from everywhere, so other players will know you're up there. Get in, grab the loot, and get out fast.
Buried City (4 Keys)
Buried City has one of the best keys in the entire game. The vertical layout means some of these rooms are tucked away in places you'd never check without knowing they exist.
Buried City Hospital Key
MediumOpens: Hospital locked room
Good for Medical Station upgrade materials specifically. If you're still building out your workshop, this room is worth hitting. The Hospital area is popular so expect company.
Buried City JKV Employee Access Card
MediumOpens: Space Travel building, 4th floor
Weapon mods and weapons. The Space Travel building is a popular loot spot anyway, so you might as well use this key while you're there. The 4th floor room has better mod variety than most locked rooms.
Buried City Residential Master Key
LowOpens: Grandioso Apartments and Main Street apartments
Mostly trinkets in here. The "master" in the name makes it sound better than it is. You'll get some sellable items but nothing that's going to change your raid. Use it if you happen to be walking past, but don't plan your route around it.
Buried City Town Hall Key
ExcellentOpens: Entire Town Hall building
This is the best keycard in the game, or close to it. Unlike every other key that opens a single room, this one unlocks the whole building. Multiple floors of loot containers, weapon crates, and material spawns. If you find this key, save it for a Night Raid for maximum value.
Blue Gate (5 Keys)
Blue Gate has the most keys of any map. The loot quality varies wildly though. One room is a goldmine, another is barely worth the walk.
Blue Gate Communication Tower Key
MediumOpens: Pilgrim's Peak, ground floor
Electrical components and crafting materials. If you need Wiring Kits or Circuit Boards for workshop upgrades, this room delivers. Not flashy loot, but practical.
Blue Gate Confiscation Room Key
HighOpens: Security Wing, underground
Great loot in here, but there's a problem. The Security Wing underground is one of the hottest PvP zones on Blue Gate. You're basically advertising your position by going down there. If the server feels quiet, go for it. If you've been hearing gunfire, maybe save this key for next time.
Blue Gate Village Key
LowOpens: Village, western room
One weapon crate and some junk. Probably the worst key on Blue Gate. The loot doesn't justify the key cost. If you're standing right next to the door, sure. Otherwise, skip it.
Blue Gate Cellar Key
MediumOpens: West of Ruined Homestead, cellar
Weapons, blueprints, and grenades. Nice mix of loot and the location is off the beaten path, so you'll usually have it to yourself. Good key to use early in a raid when you need to gear up fast.
Patrol Car Key
MediumOpens: Armored vehicles in Traffic Tunnel
This one's different because it doesn't open a room. It opens armored patrol vehicles in the Traffic Tunnel. Nice weapon farming spot with consistent drops. The tunnel location also means you have cover if things go sideways.
Spaceport (4 Keys)
Spaceport keys are all solid. No duds here. The map is more competitive though, so expect to fight for your loot.
Spaceport Trench Tower Key
HighOpens: North and South Trench Towers (entire building)
Like the Town Hall Key, this one gives you access to an entire building, not just a room. Tons of loot spread across multiple floors. Both Trench Towers are stacked, so whichever one you open, you're in for a good time. One of the best keys in the game.
Spaceport Container Storage Key
ExcellentOpens: Upper floor doors in Container Storage
The best key on Spaceport. The upper floor rooms are loaded with high-value items. One important tip: check if the doors are already open before you use your key. Other players might have already hit the room this raid. If the door's already open, save your key.
Spaceport Control Tower Key
HighOpens: Control Tower A6, elevator shaft
Very good loot, but the PvP risk is real. Control Tower A6 is a magnet for fights and the elevator shaft is not a great place to get caught in one. If you're confident in your combat skills, this room pays out well. If not, the Trench Tower or Container Storage keys are safer bets.
Spaceport Warehouse Key
MediumOpens: Shipping Warehouse, 2nd floor
Solid room that gets noticeably better during Night Raids. The quality of drops seems to scale with raid conditions here more than most locked rooms. If you're holding this key and see a Night Raid pop up on Spaceport, that's your cue.
Stella Montis (4 Keys)
Stella Montis is the newest map and its keys are some of the best in the game. If you're going to farm keys anywhere, loop through Dam for the drops and then bring them here for the payoff.
Stella Montis Archives Key
Best in GameOpens: Cultural Archives Storage Room
This is it. The best key in ARC Raiders, arguably. The Cultural Archives Storage Room has insane loot density, regular blueprint drops, and some of the highest value items you'll find behind any locked door. Every time you use this key it feels like a jackpot. If you find one, protect it with your life and save it for the right moment.
Stella Montis Assembly Admin Key
HighOpens: Central Corridor room
Well-stocked room in the Central Corridor. Good variety of weapons, mods, and crafting materials. Not as crazy as the Archives, but it's consistently above average. The Central Corridor is a relatively safe area too, which is a nice bonus.
Stella Montis Medical Storage Key
MediumOpens: Medical Research building, 1st floor north
Weapons and weapon mods, with an emphasis on medical supplies as well. If you're building out your Medical Station in the workshop, this room has the materials you need. Decent key overall.
Stella Montis Security Checkpoint Key
HighOpens: Lobby security bridge
Rich with guns and gun mods. The security bridge room is packed with weapon crates and the mod drops here tend to be higher rarity. If you're looking to kit out a loadout in a single key use, this is one of the best rooms for it.
Top 5 Keys by Loot Value
If you're trying to decide which keys to prioritize and which to burn on a random raid, here's how they stack up. This ranking is based on average loot value per use across many raids.
Stella Montis Archives Key
Cultural Archives Storage Room. Blueprint drops, insane loot density.
Buried City Town Hall Key
Unlocks entire building. Multiple floors of loot.
Spaceport Container Storage Key
Best key on Spaceport. High-value upper floor rooms.
Dam Control Tower Key
Consistent rare materials and weapons. Best key on Dam.
Spaceport Trench Tower Key
Full building access. Tons of loot across multiple floors.
Key Tips That Will Save You Loot
Save your best keys for Night Raid conditions. Loot quality goes up across the board during Night Raids, and that includes locked rooms. A Stella Montis Archives run during a Night Raid is about as good as it gets in this game.
Always check if a key door has already been opened before you use yours. Walk up to it and look. If another player already hit the room this raid, the door will be unlocked and the loot might be gone. Don't waste a key on an empty room.
Don't bring expensive gear just to use a key. The loot inside locked rooms is great, but getting killed on the way out loses everything. Run a budget loadout, use the key, and extract with the profits. The whole point of key rooms is to upgrade your stash, not to risk what you already have.
Take Raidex into your raids
Interactive maps with every key door marked, live event timers so you know when Night Raids are active, weapon stats for every gun, and a loot cheat sheet that tells you what to keep from locked rooms. All free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best key in ARC Raiders?
The Stella Montis Archives Key. The Cultural Archives Storage Room has the highest loot density and the most consistent blueprint drops of any locked room in the game. The Buried City Town Hall Key is a close second because it unlocks an entire building instead of just one room.
Where do keys drop in ARC Raiders?
Keys drop from containers like cabinets, drawers, and desks. Residential buildings have the highest chance. The best area for farming keys is Dam Battlegrounds around Ruby Residence and the Research & Admin Building. You can also pick up keys from players you eliminate.
Are Raider Hatch keys worth keeping?
100%. Raider Hatch keys let you extract instantly with no countdown timer and no alarm. No other players can ambush you while you wait. Save them for raids where you find high-value loot and need a guaranteed way out. They're rare enough that you should never use one casually.