On Deaf Ears is a quest in ARC Raiders that asks you to push a signal into a place where no one is still listening. The mission sits inside the early-to-mid game loop on the Topside, and it leans on the same instincts that the rest of the extraction shooter tests: quiet movement, careful scavenging, and the discipline to back off when a fight stops being worth the risk. If you are new to the game or coming back after a break, the quest gives you a useful reason to learn how the world relays information, how the radio mechanics interact with the patrol routes of ARC machines, and how the local NPCs frame the broader conflict that the rest of the game explores. This guide walks through what the quest wants from you, how to set yourself up before you accept it, and the decisions that tend to decide whether a run is a clean completion or a wasted drop.
ARC Raiders is a co-operative third-person extraction shooter developed by Embark Studios and published on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and on console platforms, and On Deaf Ears is one of the named contracts that players pick up from the traders in Speranza. The game’s hook is that the surface is hostile, ARC machines patrol the ruins, and the only way to make progress is to extract with the things you find. On Deaf Ears slots into that loop neatly: it tells a small story about a signal that has gone silent, asks you to bring a piece of hardware back from the field, and rewards you for staying alive long enough to do so. The rest of this article focuses on the practical shape of the quest, the choices it forces, and the systems you need to understand to finish it cleanly.
On Deaf Ears in ARC Raiders: what the quest is about
On Deaf Ears is a contract that you take from one of the named traders in Speranza, the social hub that sits between drops in ARC Raiders. The quest revolves around a transmitter site that has stopped responding and a piece of hardware that the trader wants recovered. The framing is deliberately quiet: there is no countdown, no obvious ambush trigger, and no guaranteed boss fight. What makes the mission interesting is the way it forces you to balance scavenging against survival in a part of the map where the ARC patrol density is high and the distance to a safe extract is long.
Players who enjoy the extraction shooter genre expect a contract like this to test three things: route planning, resource management, and the ability to disengage. On Deaf Ears hits all three. You choose a drop point, decide how to approach the transmitter area, decide whether to fight the ARC machines that guard it, and then decide what to bring back. The quest does not require you to kill anything specific, which can feel unusual for a shooter mission. Instead, it rewards patience, map knowledge, and a willingness to walk away from a fight that would cost more than it gives back.
Two things make the quest worth paying attention to even if you are still learning the game. First, the quest is a good introduction to how the radio and signal mechanics connect to the wider story. The transmitter in the mission is not just a prop. It is a piece of the world that the traders use to track ARC behavior, and recovering it gives them a window into how the machines communicate. Second, the quest sits at a difficulty tier that is forgiving enough for newer players but punishing enough that careless runs are punished. If you have only completed a handful of drops so far, On Deaf Ears is a reasonable next step after the introductory missions.
Who gives the quest and where you accept it
The On Deaf Ears contract is offered by one of the named traders inside Speranza. When you open your quest log in the hub, you will see it listed under a category that groups signal- and communication-related missions. Acceptance is simple: read the brief, confirm the objectives, and head to the launch console for your next drop. The trader gives you the location of the transmitter site on the in-game map, but not a specific route. You decide how to get there.
The brief is short and is worth reading in full. The trader explains that the site has been silent for an unknown number of in-game days and that the last contact with the operators was cut short. There is no accusation of betrayal or any implication that other Raiders are to blame. The framing is consistent with how ARC Raiders treats the surface: hostile, confusing, and not under anyone’s control.
How the quest fits the early-game loop
For players who are still working through the first few tiers of the trader reputation system, On Deaf Ears is a useful step. It is harder than the introductory contracts, but it does not require advanced gear, mastered movement, or a fully optimized loadout. A standard rifle, a sidearm, and a set of basic healing items are enough to attempt the quest. The main thing the quest tests is whether you can plan a route, scavenge enough on the way in to make the run profitable, and then extract with the transmitter component before a patrol catches you.
Quest objectives and what each step actually means
On Deaf Ears has a small set of objectives that you can read straight off the contract card in your quest log. Understanding each one before you launch a drop saves time, because backtracking across the Topside is expensive and a second drop is rarely free.
| Objective | What the game asks you to do | What success actually looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Reach the transmitter site | Travel to the marked area on the in-game map | Arrive with enough health, ammo, and stamina to scavenge and fight if needed |
| Locate the signal hardware | Find the transmitter component inside or near the site | Identify the correct piece of hardware without grabbing the wrong salvage |
| Recover the signal hardware | Pick up the component and add it to your limited carry weight | Stay under your weight limit so you can still run and extract |
| Extract from the map | Reach an active extraction point before the drop ends | Hand the component to the extraction shuttle without dying on the way out |
| Return the hardware to the trader | Speak to the trader in Speranza | Turn in the quest and receive the contract reward |
The objectives are not hidden, and the game does not change them in the middle of a run. What changes is your ability to complete them depending on the decisions you make before and during the drop. Three practical questions tend to decide the run: how much you carry on the way in, how aggressively you engage the ARC machines, and how you read the patrol routes near the transmitter site.
Locating the signal hardware without a guide
The transmitter site is marked on your map when you accept the quest. The marker is a region, not a precise pin, so the building you need is somewhere inside the highlighted area. The site looks like a small industrial outpost, with a tower, a few concrete buildings, and a fenced compound. The component you need is inside one of the buildings, usually on a table, workbench, or mounted on a wall near the radio equipment. It is not hidden in a secret room, but it is also not on the ground in the open.
If you have already played a few drops, the layout will feel familiar. ARC Raiders uses a small set of site archetypes across the map, and the transmitter site is a variation on the radio outpost pattern. Spend a few seconds scanning the perimeter before you commit. The biggest mistake players make on this quest is rushing in through the front gate, because the ARC machines that patrol the area often hold a position near the obvious entrance.
Why the carry-weight decision matters
ARC Raiders imposes a hard limit on how much you can carry. The transmitter component is heavy enough that it will eat a noticeable slice of your remaining carry weight once you pick it up. If you have already filled your slots with loot, you will not be able to run, you will be slower in combat, and you will struggle to reach an extraction point in time. The cleanest runs come from players who deliberately hold space in their pack for quest items before they accept the mission.
Preparing for the drop: loadout, route, and timing
On Deaf Ears rewards preparation more than raw aim. Because the quest does not require kills, you can plan a loadout that optimizes for movement and survival rather than for damage output. The most common mistake is bringing the same kit you would use for a general scavenging run. The transmitter site is busy, the path to it is long, and the path back is longer. Treat the quest like a delivery mission with hostile traffic and plan accordingly.
| Loadout slot | Recommended choice for On Deaf Ears | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Primary weapon | Mid-range rifle with manageable recoil | Reliable at the engagement distances the site usually produces |
| Sidearm | Light pistol with adequate stopping power | Frees the heavy weapon slot and is useful in tight spaces |
| Healing | Two or three healing items, depending on your weight budget | The site is far from cover, so a single mistake is expensive |
| Stamina consumable | One stamina or movement buff | Useful for the long run to the extraction point with a heavy load |
| Utility | Flare or distraction tool | Can pull an ARC patrol away from the transmitter building |
| Quest item slot | Reserved empty space | Guarantees room for the transmitter component |
The route you take is at least as important as the kit. The map in ARC Raiders is open enough that you can approach the transmitter site from several angles, and the best angle depends on where the active extraction points are spawning. Check the map before you drop, identify one or two safe extract options, and plan a path that loops past the transmitter on the way to one of them. The quest ends when you extract, not when you pick up the hardware, and a clean extraction with a heavy component is harder than a clean pickup.
When to launch the drop
Drop timing in ARC Raiders is partially a function of when other players are also online. On Deaf Ears is a popular quest, and the transmitter site is a popular scavenging location, so the area is busier when the server population peaks. If you have the option, launch during a quieter window. The objective is the same, but the chance of running into another player who wants the same component goes down. The game does not require the component to be unique across runs, but if you are unlucky enough to arrive while another player is fighting ARC machines near the site, the noise will pull more patrols toward you.
How to read the patrol routes near the site
ARC machines have predictable patrol patterns, and the transmitter site sits inside one of the busier patrol rings. The drones and bipedal units that orbit the area are not aggressive by default, but they react to noise, movement, and line of sight. The cleanest runs come from players who move through the outer ring of the patrol, take a position behind cover near the transmitter building, and then wait for the patrol to rotate away before entering. The worst runs come from players who sprint straight at the front door.
Two visual cues help. First, the patrol drones project a wide scanning cone that you can read at distance. If the cone is pointed at your approach vector, stop. Second, the heavier bipedal units emit a distinctive audio cue that you can hear from a long way off. When you hear it, take cover, count the beats, and only move when the unit has passed your line of sight.
Walking the transmitter site step by step
Once you have decided on your entry angle and your kit, the run itself follows a simple shape. The reason to break it into stages is that each stage has a different risk profile, and the mistakes you can make are different at each one.
Stage 1: approach and overwatch
The first stage is the approach. From your drop point, move to a vantage point that gives you a line of sight to the transmitter site without entering the patrol ring. A rocky outcrop, a collapsed overpass, or a ridge on the perimeter of the marked area all work. From there, scan the site, identify the patrol pattern, and pick a window. This stage is the cheapest to fail: you lose time, but not loot, and you can pull back to your drop point and try a different approach without dying.
Stage 2: entry and component retrieval
The second stage is the entry. Move from overwatch to the transmitter building along a path that uses as much cover as possible. The goal is to get inside the building, pick up the component, and exit without triggering a fight. The component is usually on the ground floor or in a small side room, so the time you spend inside the building is short. Do not stop to scavenge extra loot on this pass. The quest reward is the priority, and every extra minute inside the patrol ring is a minute that the patrols have to rotate back.
Stage 3: extract with the component
The third stage is the extract. With the component in your pack, your movement speed drops, your stamina costs go up, and your ability to fight a prolonged engagement drops. The cleanest strategy is to avoid fights entirely on the way out, even if it means taking a longer path to the extraction shuttle. The shuttle is the win condition. Anything that delays you reaching it is a cost.
- Confirm the location of the nearest active extraction point on your map before you leave the transmitter site.
- Drop any low-value salvage if your pack is full and the component does not fit.
- Move along the perimeter of the patrol ring rather than through it.
- Use smoke or a distraction tool to break line of sight if a patrol catches your trail.
- Call the extraction shuttle only when you are within sprint range of the landing zone.
- Defend the shuttle for the short window it is on the ground, then board and leave.
If the extraction shuttle is not in a safe position, do not call it. Wait for the patrol to rotate, move to a better position, and then call. The extraction is a fixed window, and the shuttle will leave without you if you wait too long, but it is much worse to die in a bad position than to miss a shuttle and try again on a later drop.
Where On Deaf Ears sits inside the ARC Raiders world
On Deaf Ears is a small quest, but it is not a throwaway mission. It connects to the wider narrative of ARC Raiders in two ways: it explains a piece of how the surface used to work, and it shows what happens when a piece of that infrastructure goes dark. The transmitter in the mission is a node in a network that the traders used to coordinate with surface teams. The fact that the site has gone silent is part of the larger mystery of how the ARC invasion disrupted human communications.
Players who want the full picture of how On Deaf Ears fits in should treat the quest as one piece of a larger puzzle. Other contracts in the same trader category reference the same network, and the details in those briefs line up with what you see in the field. The quest is not a long narrative arc, but it rewards players who read the briefs in full rather than just clicking accept and heading out.
For players who care about the broader design of the game, On Deaf Ears is also a useful example of how ARC Raiders structures its mission design. The quest is small in scope, it has clear objectives, and it leans on the same systems that the rest of the game uses. There is no custom mechanic, no unique enemy, and no special map. The challenge comes from the way the existing systems interact with the quest’s constraints, and that is the design pattern that the rest of the game follows.
The signal network as a narrative device
The signal network is one of the more interesting pieces of worldbuilding in ARC Raiders. The traders in Speranza use it to track ARC movement, coordinate with the few human outposts that still exist, and warn off Raiders who are about to walk into a hot zone. When a node in the network goes dark, the traders lose a piece of that information. The On Deaf Ears quest is the player’s window into what happens when one of those nodes stops responding. The trader does not panic, because the surface is dangerous and nodes fail all the time, but the trader does want to know why, and the player is the one sent to find out.
How the quest sets up later contracts
On Deaf Ears is not the end of the signal-network storyline. The contract reward opens up follow-up missions that ask you to check other nodes, repair the network, and use it to track ARC behavior. If you are the kind of player who plans ahead, accept the follow-up contracts only after you have extracted with the On Deaf Ears reward, because the later contracts assume you have already done the early ones. The game does not hard-lock the questline, but the briefs make more sense in order.
Common mistakes that cost Raiders the quest
The On Deaf Ears quest is simple, but the simplicity makes it easy to underestimate. The mistakes that cost players the quest are not exotic. They are the same mistakes that cost players in other extraction missions, just concentrated in one short run.
- Launching with a full pack and not leaving room for the transmitter component.
- Approaching the site through the front gate, where the patrols are densest.
- Fighting ARC machines you do not need to fight, because every shot draws the next patrol.
- Scavenging extra loot on the way out instead of moving directly to the extract shuttle.
- Calling the extraction shuttle in a bad position because you wanted to save the last few seconds of the drop window.
- Ignoring the audio cues from bipedal ARC units and walking into their patrol cone.
- Turning in the quest to the wrong trader or skipping the turn-in step and wondering why the reward did not arrive.
Each of these mistakes is recoverable. The cost of recovery is usually another drop, which is not fatal but is annoying. The cumulative effect of avoiding the list above is a much smoother run, and a smoother run is a faster path to the contract reward.
Rewards, reputation, and what to do with the quest reward
The On Deaf Ears quest pays out in the standard extraction shooter currency. You receive credits, a small amount of trader reputation, and a chance at a piece of salvage from the transmitter site itself. The exact values change with patches, and the game does not list them on the contract card, so the right way to think about the reward is as a baseline: enough to matter for a new player, not enough to be a major windfall for an experienced one.
| Reward type | What you get | What it is useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Credits | Standard in-game currency | Buying new weapons, healing items, and utility tools between drops |
| Trader reputation | A small bump toward the next trader tier | Unlocking new contracts and trader-specific gear |
| Salvage from the site | Random loot from the transmitter building | Crafting materials or sellable items for additional credits |
| Follow-up contract | Access to the next mission in the signal-network line | Continues the narrative and unlocks the next reward tier |
The reputation bump is the most useful part of the reward for newer players, because it advances the trader tier and unlocks the next set of contracts. For experienced players, the credits and salvage are a small bonus on top of the experience of running the mission cleanly. Either way, the reward is fair, and the quest is worth doing for the systems it teaches you as much as for the payout.
How On Deaf Ears compares to similar quests in ARC Raiders
ARC Raiders has a long list of named contracts, and several of them look similar to On Deaf Ears on paper. The differences are worth understanding, because they change how you approach the quest and what you bring with you.
| Quest archetype | Typical objective | Risk profile | Best approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| On Deaf Ears (signal recovery) | Find a transmitter component and extract | Moderate, depends on patrol density | Quiet approach, reserved carry space, clean extract |
| Resource scavenging | Gather a set of materials from a marked area | Low to moderate | Bring extra bag space, prioritize material nodes |
| Elimination contracts | Kill a specific ARC unit or a number of units | High, by definition | Bring a combat loadout and plan for sustained fights |
| Escort or defense | Protect an NPC or a point on the map | High and time-sensitive | Build around area control and healing |
On Deaf Ears is in the middle of the risk profile: harder than a pure scavenge, easier than an elimination contract. The reason to compare the archetypes is that the loadout, the route, and the in-field decisions are different for each. Treating every quest like a combat mission is the single most common mistake new players make, and the comparison above is a quick way to avoid that trap.
Practical tips that make the run cleaner
The mechanics of On Deaf Ears are not complicated, but small habits make a big difference. The list below collects the small things that experienced players do without thinking and that newer players often miss. None of them are required, but together they turn a messy run into a clean one.
- Drop with a kit that you can still fight with if your first plan fails.
- Reserve at least one inventory slot for the transmitter component before you leave Speranza.
- Approach the site from a direction that lets you loop straight to an extraction point.
- Use a distraction tool to break a patrol’s line of sight rather than engaging it.
- Drop low-value salvage if your pack is full when you reach the component.
- Read the patrol cone of the drones before you commit to the entry path.
- Call the extraction shuttle only when you are within sprint range of the landing zone.
- Turn in the quest to the right trader as soon as you extract, so the reward is not lost to a session crash.
The tip that matters most is the inventory one. Extraction shooters punish greed, and On Deaf Ears is no exception. If you go in light, you come out light. If you go in heavy, you spend the second half of the drop deciding what to drop, and the decision is rarely the right one.
Troubleshooting the parts of the quest that confuse new players
Most of the confusion around On Deaf Ears comes from small in-game moments rather than from the quest structure itself. The list below collects the situations that players ask about most often, with a short explanation of what is actually happening.
The component is not where the marker points
The quest marker points to a region, not a precise location. The component is inside one of the buildings in the marked area, and which building depends on the map variant and the patrol pattern at the moment you arrive. Walk the perimeter of the site, check the obvious buildings first, and listen for the audio cue that plays when you are close to the component. The cue is the same one the game uses for any high-value salvage, and it triggers when you are within a few meters.
The extraction shuttle is not active
Extraction points in ARC Raiders are not all active at once. The game rotates them, and the rotation does not pause for quests. If the closest extraction point is not lit up on your map, you have two options: move to the next closest active point, or wait for the rotation to bring one back online. The second option is rarely worth the wait, because the drop window is finite and the patrol density is increasing.
The quest does not complete after the extract
The quest completes when you turn the contract in to the trader in Speranza, not when you extract with the component. The extract is the prerequisite, not the final step. If you have extracted with the hardware but the quest is still active in your log, you have not turned it in yet. Open the trader menu in Speranza, find the On Deaf Ears contract, and confirm the turn-in.
The reward feels too small
On Deaf Ears is an early-to-mid game quest, and its reward is calibrated to that difficulty tier. The reward is fair for the difficulty, and the value of the quest is also in the trader reputation bump, which unlocks the next tier of contracts. If the reward feels small, the answer is usually that you are looking at the wrong number. The reputation bump is the part that compounds across many quests.
Frequently asked questions
What is On Deaf Ears in ARC Raiders?
On Deaf Ears is a named contract in ARC Raiders that asks you to recover a piece of signal hardware from a transmitter site on the Topside and extract it safely back to Speranza. The quest is offered by one of the traders in the hub and is part of the early-to-mid game progression path.
Who gives the On Deaf Ears quest in ARC Raiders?
The On Deaf Ears quest is given by one of the named traders in Speranza, the social hub between drops. The contract is grouped with the signal- and communication-related missions in the trader’s quest log, and the brief explains the context for the transmitter site you need to visit.
Do you have to fight ARC machines for On Deaf Ears?
No. The quest does not require kills, and the cleanest runs come from players who avoid fights with the ARC machines that patrol the transmitter site. Engaging the patrols is allowed, but it draws more patrols to the area and costs time and resources that are better spent on the extract.
What level should you be before you take On Deaf Ears?
There is no hard level requirement, but the quest is calibrated for players who have already completed a handful of drops and understand the basics of the extraction loop. A standard rifle, a sidearm, and a small set of healing items are enough to attempt the quest.
Where is the transmitter site for On Deaf Ears?
The transmitter site is marked on your in-game map when you accept the quest. The marker is a region, not a precise pin, and the site is a small industrial outpost with a tower, a fenced compound, and a few concrete buildings.
What does the On Deaf Ears reward include?
The reward includes a credit payout, a small bump to your trader reputation, the salvage you picked up at the site, and access to the next contract in the signal-network questline. The exact values change with patches, and the game does not list them on the contract card.
Can you do On Deaf Ears solo or do you need a squad?
You can attempt the quest solo, but the extraction is easier with a squad because another player can cover your approach to the extraction shuttle. The quest does not require a squad, and there is no in-game bonus for completing it with a full team.
What happens if you die during On Deaf Ears?
If you die during the run, you lose the loot you collected on that drop, and the quest objective resets. You keep the quest in your log, and you can reattempt the mission on your next drop. The transmitter component is not unique across runs, so the quest is recoverable, just slower.
Is On Deaf Ears part of a longer questline?
Yes. On Deaf Ears is the first of a short chain of signal-network contracts that follow the same narrative thread. The follow-up contracts ask you to check other nodes, repair the network, and use it to track ARC behavior. The chain is short, and the briefs reference each other in order.
Does On Deaf Ears change with future patches?
The quest’s location, objectives, and basic structure are stable across patches, but balance changes can affect the patrol density, the weight of the component, and the reward values. Check the patch notes when a major update lands, and treat the numbers in this guide as baseline rather than fixed.