The Rusted Gear drops in the Abandoned Facility on Medium difficulty or higher

The Rusted Gear is a crafting material you need to upgrade weapons and gear in Arc Raiders. You find it by playing the Abandoned Facility mission on Medium difficulty or above — it does not drop on straightforward. The mission takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and the Rusted Gear appears as a loot drop from enemies or in breakable containers scattered through the level.

You do not need to complete the mission to keep the Rusted Gear. Once it lands in your inventory, it stays there even if you leave early or fail the mission. Many players farm this location by running it repeatedly, grabbing the gear as soon as it drops, and restarting when ready.

The drop is not may provide on every run. Some missions will give you the Rusted Gear within the first few rooms, and others will require you to clear most of the facility. This is why farming — running the mission multiple times — is the standard approach rather than hoping for a single lucky drop.

Key Takeaways

  • Rusted Gear only drops in the Abandoned Facility on Medium difficulty or higher, not on straightforward.
  • The gear falls from enemy kills and from breaking open containers throughout the mission.
  • You can leave the mission as soon as you pick up the Rusted Gear — you do not have to finish it.
  • Running the mission multiple times is the standard way to collect enough Rusted Gear for weapon upgrades.
  • Equipping gear that boosts loot rarity can increase your chances of getting the drop on each run.

How to increase your drop rate

Arc Raiders has a loot system that favors certain gear and perks. If you have equipment that boosts rarity or loot find, equip it before you start the Abandoned Facility mission. These bonuses stack, so wearing multiple pieces with the same bonus increases the effect. Check your gear screen to see which items have these perks listed.

Playing with a squad also helps. When teammates kill enemies or break containers, the loot pool is larger, which means more chances for the Rusted Gear to drop. Solo runs work, but group runs tend to be faster for farming because you clear the mission quicker and see more loot events overall. If you are struggling to find teammates, the in-game squad finder or community Discord servers can connect you with other players farming the same material.

What difficulty to choose

Medium is the minimum difficulty that drops Rusted Gear. Hard and Nightmare difficulties also drop it, but they take longer to complete and the enemies hit harder. Unless you are already geared for those difficulties, Medium is the most efficient choice for farming this material because you spend less time per run and can repeat it more often.

Nightmare difficulty has permadeath in some modes, so you lose progress if your squad wipes. Hard difficulty is safer but still slower than Medium for most players. Stick with Medium until you have enough Rusted Gear to upgrade your weapons, then move up if you want to farm other materials or challenge yourself.

Where to look inside the Abandoned Facility

The Rusted Gear drops from any enemy in the Abandoned Facility, but you will see more loot if you break open the metal containers and lockers scattered through each room. These containers are marked with a glint or shine on the screen. Shoot them or melee them to break them open and collect what is inside.

The back rooms and side corridors often have more containers than the main hallway, so take time to explore rather than rushing straight through. You will also find ammunition and healing items in these areas, which you need for the harder fights later in the mission. Some players skip exploration on early runs and focus on speed, then switch to thorough clearing once they understand the layout.

How much Rusted Gear you need

Most weapon upgrades cost between 3 and 8 Rusted Gears, depending on the weapon and the tier of the upgrade. A full weapon loadout upgrade (three weapons) typically requires 15 to 25 Rusted Gears total. Armor upgrades also use Rusted Gear, so plan to run the Abandoned Facility several times if you are upgrading multiple pieces of equipment at once.

Check your upgrade menu before you start farming so you know exactly how many you need. This saves you from running extra missions after you have enough. Write down the number or take a screenshot so you can track your progress across multiple runs.

Farming strategies that save time

The fastest farming route is to run Medium with a squad, equip all your loot-boosting gear, and focus on killing enemies rather than exploring every corner. Once you see the Rusted Gear drop, call it out to your team and extract when ready. This approach gets you in and out in 10 to 12 minutes per run.

If you are running solo, the same strategy works but takes slightly longer because you clear rooms slower. Some players alternate between speed runs and thorough exploration runs — speed runs when they are close to their target number, and exploration runs when they have time and want to gather other materials at the same time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get Rusted Gear on straightforward difficulty?

No. Rusted Gear only drops on Medium difficulty or higher. straightforward difficulty gives you other materials, but not this one. You need to move up to Medium to farm it.

Do I have to finish the mission to keep the Rusted Gear?

No. Once the Rusted Gear is in your inventory, it stays even if you leave or fail the mission. You can extract early if you want to start another run when ready.

What if I am not strong enough for Medium difficulty?

Upgrade your starting gear on straightforward difficulty first. You will get other materials that let you improve your weapons and armor. Once you have better equipment, Medium becomes much easier. You can also run Medium with a squad — teammates make it faster and safer.

Does playing solo or with a squad change the drop rate?

Solo and squad runs have similar drop rates, but squads clear the mission faster and see more enemy kills, so you get more loot events overall. If you have teammates available, squad runs are usually more efficient for farming.

How many runs does it usually take to get enough Rusted Gear?

This varies based on your loot-boosting gear and luck, but most players need 5 to 15 runs to collect enough for a full weapon upgrade. With loot-boosting equipment and a squad, you might need fewer runs. Without any bonuses, expect closer to 15 to 20 runs.