RSVSR: Arc Raiders Bird City Map Modifier Explained

Arc Raiders' Bird City modifier adds a new twist to Buried City by pulling players off the streets and onto the rooftops. Introduced with the Headwinds update on January 27, 2026, it turns familiar buildings into vertical loot zones filled with bird nests that hide valuable rewards ARC Raiders Items . It also caught some players off guard, since early datamining pointed toward a Toxic Swamp modifier instead. Rather than completely changing how the map works, Bird City acts as a standard condition, boosting loot quality without doubling Trial points, while still making Buried City feel more dangerous and unpredictable.

The idea behind Bird City is simple but effective. Birds now gather on rooftops, ledges, and chimneys throughout Buried City, leaving behind glowing loot piles that can include crafting materials, rare items, and sometimes blueprint fragments. These nests are easy to spot from below, but actually reaching them means climbing ladders, scaling pipes, or committing to risky jumps. As you get close, the birds scatter, which can give away your position to anyone watching the rooftops. That alone turns many of these nest locations into natural conflict zones, where multiple players show up expecting loot and end up trading shots instead.

Running Bird City smoothly means adjusting how you move through the map. Mobility becomes more important than raw protection, so lighter armor, grapples, and scouting tools like the Osprey drone shine here. A lot of players start by clearing ground-level containers and husks, then work their way upward toward larger buildings like the Hospital or Galleria, where bird activity tends to be heavier. Chimney nests are especially tempting, since they often hold higher-value loot, but they're also some of the most dangerous spots to linger in if you don't already have an exit planned.

Combat naturally shifts upward too. Rooftop fights reward weapons that handle vertical angles well, whether that's launchers to pressure enemies on nearby ledges or mid-range rifles to hold a nest while you loot. ARC enemies don't take the day off either, with Wasps and Fireballs showing up more often around elevated areas, forcing you to juggle machine threats while keeping an eye out for other players. Solo raiders can play this slowly, using startled birds as a warning sign that someone else is nearby, while squads can lock down ladders and rooftops to control high-value areas.

Risk management matters more than ever in Bird City. Rooftops leave you exposed, falls can end runs quickly, and enemies like Rocketeers become much more dangerous when you're stuck above street level. Carrying extra healing and stamina boosts helps recover from bad landings, and it's smart to always know at least two ways down before committing to a nest. The busiest fights usually break out around central locations like the Parking Garage or Reinforced Reception, where it's common to see several raiders converge at once. Grabbing a big haul and extracting early is often the smarter play than trying to clear every rooftop cheap ARC Raiders Coins .

Bird City fits neatly into Arc Raiders' broader push toward more varied and layered raids. By encouraging vertical movement and turning rooftops into valuable objectives, it gives Buried City a very different feel without rewriting the map from scratch. Alongside other Headwinds additions, it keeps Season 2 fresh while rewarding players who take smart risks and learn the new flow. If you get comfortable reading bird behavior, planning climbs, and knowing when to bail, Bird City turns Buried City into one of the most exciting places to raid right now, with plenty of reward waiting above the streets.