Hurricane is a dynamic map condition introduced in patch 1.17.0 as part of the Shrouded Sky content update. When active, it transforms any raid map into a low-visibility, high-chaos environment where wind, rain, and environmental hazards fundamentally alter how combat and navigation work. Long-range engagements become nearly impossible, ARC robots are harder to detect, and movement itself becomes more dangerous. Most players avoid Hurricane raids — but for those who understand how to adapt, they offer unique tactical opportunities and enhanced material rewards. This guide covers everything you need to prepare for and profit from Hurricane conditions.
In this guide
What Hurricane Conditions Change
Hurricane conditions apply three major effects to the raid environment. First, visibility drops dramatically — dense rain and fog reduce effective sighting distance to roughly 30 to 50 meters in most areas. This eliminates long-range gameplay entirely. Snipers, scoped weapons, and overwatch strategies that work beautifully in clear weather become useless when you can't see past the nearest building.
Second, strong winds affect player movement and projectile behavior. Moving against the wind slows you noticeably, while moving with it gives a slight speed boost. Projectiles — especially slow-moving ones like certain ARC attacks — drift in the wind. This makes tracking shots harder and adds an element of randomness to mid-range firefights that doesn't exist in normal conditions.
Third, environmental hazards become more dangerous. Waterlogged areas may have rising water levels, exposed areas suffer from periodic lightning strikes that deal damage in a radius, and toxic zones can expand beyond their normal boundaries. The map you thought you knew changes shape during a Hurricane, and landmarks become harder to navigate by. This is why map knowledge alone isn't enough — you need Hurricane-specific preparation.
Loadout Recommendations
Close-quarters weapons dominate Hurricane raids. The Bobcat SMG is the best primary choice — its fast handling, tight hipfire spread, and close-range lethality are perfectly suited for engagements that happen at 20 to 40 meters. The Vulcano shotgun is the aggressive alternative, devastating in the point-blank encounters that Hurricane conditions create when players stumble into each other in the fog.
Skip the Jupiter, Aphelion, and any weapon that relies on range or precision optics. You physically cannot see targets at distances where these weapons excel. The Tempest remains viable because it performs well at medium range, but you're not getting full value from it compared to clear-weather raids. The Renegade is another solid all-rounder that handles the compressed engagement ranges acceptably.
For gear, bring extra medical supplies and stamina boosters. The environmental hazards deal chip damage that adds up over a full raid, and you'll need stamina to navigate against headwinds. Smoke grenades, which are normally excellent for disengaging, lose most of their value in Hurricane conditions because visibility is already so low that the additional concealment is minimal. Replace smokes with frag grenades or flashbangs for close-quarters encounters.
If a weapon needs an optic to be effective, leave it behind in Hurricane conditions. Bring the Bobcat, Vulcano, or an unscoped Tempest. Close-quarters combat is mandatory, not optional, when visibility drops to 30 meters.
- Bring: Bobcat, Vulcano, Tempest (no optic), extra meds, stamina boosters, frags
- Skip: Jupiter, long-range optics, smoke grenades, any sniper-oriented build
Tactical Adjustments
Navigation in Hurricane conditions requires different habits. Use your compass and map constantly — the visual landmarks you rely on in clear weather are invisible in heavy rain and fog. Mark extraction points on your compass before you start looting so you can navigate to them even when you can barely see the next building.
Sound becomes your primary detection tool. With visibility crippled, you'll hear footsteps, ARC machine sounds, and gunfire before you see their sources. Wear headphones and move slowly in areas where you expect player traffic. Sprinting gives away your position through both footstep audio and wind noise — walk whenever possible to maintain the element of surprise.
ARC robots are significantly more dangerous in Hurricane conditions because they detect you at the same range regardless of weather, while you can't see them until they're practically on top of you. Wasps and Hornets that you'd normally spot at distance suddenly appear out of the fog at close range, forcing panic fights. Move carefully through known ARC patrol areas and listen for machine audio cues — the buzzing of Wasps and the heavy tread of Bastions carry further than your vision reaches.
Loot and Reward Considerations
Hurricane raids are worth running specifically for materials. First Wave Caches on Hurricane maps had their blueprint drop rates nerfed in patch 1.18.0, reducing the incentive for players hunting specific weapon or gear blueprints. However, the same patch increased high-tier material drop rates from these caches, making Hurricane raids one of the most efficient ways to farm Advanced Components and rare crafting ingredients.
The reduced player population in Hurricane raids is itself a reward. Many players skip Hurricane conditions entirely, which means less PvP competition for loot spawns. Containers that would be looted within the first two minutes of a normal raid can sit untouched for five or six minutes in a Hurricane instance. If you're comfortable with the conditions, you're effectively getting a less contested version of the map.
The risk-reward calculation favors players who prepare properly. A Hurricane raid with the right loadout and map knowledge generates comparable or better material value than a clear-weather raid on the same map, with lower PvP risk. The danger comes from environmental hazards and unexpected ARC encounters — threats that preparation and careful movement can mitigate, unlike the unpredictability of fighting other players.
Hurricane raids are the most underrated material farming method in ARC Raiders. Fewer players means more uncontested loot, and the 1.18.0 material drop buff makes First Wave Caches excellent for Advanced Components. Accept the weather and profit from it.
Known Issues and Patches
The Electromagnetic Storm lighting bug introduced in the Shrouded Sky update caused Hurricane-like lighting effects to appear far too frequently in normal weather conditions, confusing players about whether they were actually in a Hurricane raid. This was fixed in patch 1.19.0 — weather conditions now display correctly and match the actual raid state. If you thought you were seeing Hurricanes everywhere before 1.19.0, you weren't imagining things.
Patch 1.18.0 rebalanced First Wave Cache contents specifically for Hurricane conditions. Blueprint drop rates were reduced while material drop rates increased, shifting the incentive from blueprint farming to material farming. This was a deliberate design choice by Embark to make Hurricane raids feel distinct rather than being a strictly harder version of normal raids with the same loot table.
Performance during Hurricane conditions has improved steadily since the 1.17.0 launch. Early reports of frame drops during heavy rain and wind effects were addressed in subsequent patches. If you experienced performance issues with Hurricanes at launch, it's worth trying them again — the visual effects run significantly smoother now.
Conclusion
Hurricane conditions are the great equalizer in ARC Raiders. They neutralize long-range advantages, scatter careful plans, and force everyone into close-quarters chaos. But they also thin out the competition, boost material rewards, and create opportunities for prepared Raiders who embrace the storm rather than avoiding it. Bring close-range weapons, extra supplies, and your best headphones. Move slowly, listen carefully, and extract with a backpack full of materials that clear-weather players are too scared to contest. The Hurricane is your friend — if you know how to survive it.