If you have been putting time into ARC Raiders lately, the Forgotten Relics event is one of those activities that just makes sense to run alongside your usual farming. You are not only working through the event track, you are also building toward your stash, your upgrades, and even things like ARC Raiders BluePrints if you keep your routes efficient. That is why so many players are treating this event as more than a side quest. It fits naturally into normal raids, and the rewards are good enough to make each extraction feel worth the risk.

How Merits Actually Work

The whole event runs on Merits, and the system is pretty simple once you see it in action. Every 100 XP you earn in a raid turns into one Merit after you extract successfully. That means the raid only counts if you make it out. No extraction, no Merit. It is a little unforgiving, but it also keeps the event focused on smart play instead of reckless fights. You can earn XP by taking down ARC machines, fighting other Raiders, opening containers, and gathering materials. On top of that, Forgotten Relics can give you extra Merit progress when you pick them up, which is where the event really speeds up.

Where Players Keep Finding Relics

If you want steady progress, you will probably want to lean into dense loot areas rather than wandering all over the map. Buried City is a strong choice because places like Grandioso Apartments, Santa Maria Houses, and the surrounding residential blocks have loads of cabinets, drawers, lockers, and shelves. Those spots tend to give you a lot of chances at relic spawns without forcing you into long fights. Dam Battlegrounds can work well too, especially around the Research and Development building, where you can move through several containers fast and leave before things get messy. A lot of players make the mistake of chasing every gunfight, but with this event, quiet looting often pays better.

Why Rarity Matters So Much

Not every relic is equal, and that is where a lot of people lose time without realising it. Common relics help, sure, but the Legendary ones are the real prize. One good Legendary find can move your Merit total much faster than a few average raids full of basic XP. That is why it makes sense to slow down a bit when you are inside a good loot area. Check the containers properly. Take the extra second. If you are already sweeping rooms for relics, you are also picking up materials that help with other goals in the game, so the raid ends up doing double duty. Players who also care about selling loot for ARC Raiders Coins usually get a lot more value out of these runs than people who just sprint to the fight.

A Smarter Way to Grind the Track

The fastest way through the event is not brute force. It is rhythm. Start a raid by hitting the high-density buildings first. Grab every relic you can find. Take fights only when they are in your path or when ignoring them would put you in a worse spot later. Then extract while the raid still feels clean. That part matters more than some players admit. Since XP only becomes Merits after a successful extraction, surviving is the real gate. You can have a huge run on paper, but if you lose everything at the end, the event barely moves. That is why a calm, methodical route usually beats a loud one. You do not need perfect aim for every encounter. You need to get out with the bag.

Final Thoughts

The Forgotten Relics event is generous, but it still asks you to play with intent. If you keep your runs focused, stick to buildings with lots of containers, and stay disciplined about extracting, the reward track opens up faster than it first looks. The event also lines up well with long-term progression, since you can keep gathering crafting parts, selling extra loot, and pushing toward things like buy ARC Raiders Station while you work on Merits. That is really the appeal here. You are not grinding one isolated system. You are stacking progress in a way that feels useful every single raid.