Week 15 Trials challenges push Raiders into intense encounters with flying Hornets, data downloads, and relentless ground-based ARCs. Running from February 2-9, 2026, these five objectives demand strategic loadout choices and map knowledge to reach the coveted 4,000-point threshold for three stars and maximum rewards.
Table of Contents
Complete Week 15 Trials Challenge Breakdown
| Challenge | Target | Best Map | Optimal Condition | Key Strategy | Three-Star Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destroy Hornets | Flying ARCs | Spaceport | Night Raid/EM Storm | Launch Tower farming | 4,000 |
| Download Data | Hidden Bunker terminals | Spaceport | Hidden Bunker event | Solo terminal claiming | 4,000 |
| Damage Ground ARCs | Land-based enemies | Spaceport | Night Raid/EM Storm | Fuel Processing roof | 4,000 |
| Search Field Depots | Red Lakes caches | Red Lakes | Any condition | Balcony POI rotation | 4,000 |
| Free Challenge | Variable objective | Any map | Major events | Resource-light loadout | 4,000 |
Master the Hornet Hunt at Launch Tower
Hornets represent the easiest path to three stars when you exploit their predictable spawn behavior. Head to Spaceport during Night Raid or Electromagnetic Storm for double Trial points—this modifier cuts required kills roughly in half.
Navigate to the Launch Tower point of interest and ascend the internal staircase to the elevated surface. Position yourself with clear sight lines to the surrounding airspace. Use your Renegade to attract distant Hornets, then finish them with the Anvil’s superior damage output.
The game-changing tactic? Deliberately trigger Snitches throughout the area. When spotted, Snitches call reinforcements including fresh waves of Hornets. This respawn mechanism transforms a single run into a continuous farming opportunity, easily pushing you past 4,000 points before extraction.
For more enemy farming strategies, check our Arc Raiders combat tactics guide.
Hidden Bunker Data Download Strategy
This challenge exclusively appears during Spaceport’s timed Hidden Bunker events at 2:00am, 11:00am, and 8:00pm PST. Each event lasts one hour—missing the window means waiting several hours for another opportunity.
According to first-person shooter game design principles, objective-based modes reward map knowledge over raw combat skill—Hidden Bunker exemplifies this perfectly.
Activate all four rooftop antennas scattered across Spaceport’s corners by defeating defending ARCs at each location. Once synchronized, access the bunker west of Fuel Processing. Inside, terminals display color-coded status indicators:
Red Light: Ready to download
Green Light: Currently downloading (by you)
Yellow Light: On cooldown (claimed by another player)
Each terminal awards 800 points once per raid. You need five successful downloads minimum for three stars. Critical tip: Play solo for this challenge. Terminal progress only counts for the individual who activates it, making team coordination worthless while increasing PvP competition dramatically.
Ground-Based ARC Farming: Fuel Processing Method
Spaceport during Night Raid or Electromagnetic Storm doubles as the optimal map for ground ARC damage. Target the Fuel Processing building’s rooftop—it offers defensive advantages and predictable enemy pathing.
Deploy barricades for cover, then engage the two ground-based ARC minibosses guarding the nearby Hidden Bunker entrance. Use Hullcrackers for efficient takedowns if available. After elimination, these bosses respawn, creating a sustainable farming loop.
Join fresh lobbies with 38-39 minutes remaining on the timer. This maximizes your active farming window before extraction becomes necessary. The respawn cycle provides enough opportunities to comfortably exceed 4,000 points across multiple miniboss kills.
Red Lakes Field Depot Efficiency
The Balcony point of interest in Red Lakes contains one Field Depot with multiple cache spawn locations throughout the Balcony and Testing Annex zones. The nearby exit elevator provides emergency extraction if the area’s ARC miniboss becomes aggressive.
Search all available caches methodically. Unlike combat challenges, this objective accepts free loadouts—save your premium gear for harder Trials. The Hidden Bunker map condition also appears this week, making it feasible to combine ground ARC damage and Field Depot searching in the same raid.
For detailed map guides and cache locations, visit our Arc Raiders map guide.
Maximizing Trial Rewards
Reaching 4,000 points per challenge unlocks three-star rating and guarantees an Epic-tier reward—potentially including rare blueprints. These rewards claim automatically upon extraction, but dying before reaching the exit forfeits all progress.
Playing in a party shares Trial scores among all members, tripling your effective farming speed on certain objectives like Hornet elimination. However, data download and Field Depot challenges track individual progress only, making solo play more efficient.
Major map conditions (Night Raid, Electromagnetic Storm, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate, Cold Snap) provide the crucial 2x multiplier. Never attempt serious Trial farming without these active—you’re literally working twice as hard for identical results.
Week 15 Timing and Competition
Season 2 concludes February 22, 2026, making these among the final Trial rotations for exclusive seasonal cosmetics. Your final rank determines which rewards you receive—everything from unique emotes to elite weapon skins.
Finishing in the top 60 of your rank’s 100-player leaderboard earns promotion. Top 30 grants double promotion, jumping two sub-ranks instantly. Conversely, bottom 20 placement results in demotion, so consistent performance across all five challenges matters more than excelling at just one or two.
FAQs
What’s the fastest way to get three stars on Week 15 Hornet challenge?
Farm Launch Tower on Spaceport during Night Raid or Electromagnetic Storm, deliberately trigger Snitches to spawn additional Hornets, and use Renegade-Anvil weapon combo for efficient kills.
Can I complete Hidden Bunker data downloads with my squad?
While you can enter as a squad, only the player who activates each terminal receives credit, making solo play more efficient for reaching 4,000 points across five terminals.
