The Battening Down quest in Arc Raiders is one of Apollo's first assignments set entirely on the new Riven Tides map, and it sends you on a tour of the coastline to document hurricane damage. Three objectives, three different corners of the map, and zero items required in your inventory before you head out. Simple enough in concept, but the exact spots are easy to miss without a clear pointer.
What is the Battening Down quest in Arc Raiders?
According to multiple sources covering the Riven Tides update (including IGN and Polygon), Battening Down is a side quest given by Apollo that tasks you with assessing storm damage across the Riven Tides shoreline. The backstory is that violent hurricanes have battered the Rust Belt coastline, and Apollo needs evidence of the destruction. Your job is to photograph cracked concrete, collect a seaweed sample, and patch a leaking oil pipe.
The three objectives can be completed in any order, and crucially, you do not need to finish them all in a single raid. As noted by Beebom's coverage of the quest, there are no requirements like the Outstanding Balance quest that force you to complete everything in one run. That flexibility makes this one of the more approachable early quests on the new map.
Riven Tides map layout
All Battening Down Objective Locations
Here is a quick reference before diving into each location in detail:
The seawall photograph and the oil pipe repair are close to each other in the northeast, while the seaweed sample sits on the opposite end of the beach near the northwest. If you spawn on the eastern side of the map, knock out the Wavebreaker objectives first. Spawn on the western side, head to Azzurro Beach first.
How to photograph the cracks in the seawall
Head to the Wavebreaker point of interest on the Riven Tides map. This is the large defensive wall running along the northern coastline, built to protect the area from heavy ocean waves. According to Polygon's walkthrough, the crack photograph location sits at the northern tip of the structure, next to a shipping container embedded in the sand.
When you reach the container, look at the wall behind it and you will see the interact prompt to take the photograph. Press E to capture the image. Destructoid's guide notes that a sunken container in the sand is the clearest visual landmark to orient yourself here.
How to fix the leaking oil pipe in the northeast
Stay in the northeast after photographing the seawall. Follow the Wavebreaker all the way to the far eastern end. According to Polygon's walkthrough, two large pipes emerge from the ocean here, running down from the north. Head to the southernmost point where those pipes nearly meet the seawall.
There is no named point of interest marker for this spot, which is why it catches people off guard. Look for the telltale colorful oil spill effect on the water's surface near the pipe base. Stand close to the leak and press E to weld the pipe shut and complete the repair.
Oil pipe repair spot, far northeast
How to sample the shoreline near the hotel beach
This objective is on the opposite side of the map from the previous two. Make your way to the northwest corner and find Azzurro Beach, specifically the area north of the Hotel Panorama Azzurro point of interest. According to IGN's guide, the exact spot is southwest of the Seabed sub-area, right where the sand meets the water.
You are looking for small piles of seaweed washed up on the shore. The interact prompt appears when you get close. Press E to collect the sample. Destructoid's guide adds a funny observation worth noting: the seaweed sample zone technically has no water visible near it, so do not second-guess yourself if the area looks drier than expected.
What are the rewards for completing Battening Down?
Once all three objectives are done, extract from Riven Tides and return to Speranza to speak with Apollo. According to both IGN and Beebom's coverage of the quest, completing Battening Down earns you:
- Riven Tides Hotel Keycard No. 107
- Smoke Grenade Trap (3x)
The Hotel Keycard No. 107 is the more notable reward, as it opens access to a specific room in the hotel complex on Riven Tides. The Smoke Grenade Traps are useful utility items for your next raids.
Do not forget to actually talk to Apollo back in Speranza after completing the objectives. The rewards only unlock after that conversation, not automatically when you finish the last task in the field.
Tips for running Battening Down efficiently
After testing the route across the Riven Tides coastline, the most time-efficient approach depends on your spawn point. Here is the recommended order based on where you land:
- Eastern spawn: Seawall photograph first, oil pipe repair second (both in the northeast), then cross the map to Azzurro Beach for the seaweed sample last.
- Western spawn: Azzurro Beach seaweed sample first, then travel east along the Wavebreaker for the photograph and pipe repair.
Since you do not need to extract with any collected items, a free kit works perfectly here. Gamespot specifically recommends this approach to minimize risk on what is essentially a scouting run. The northern outer section of Riven Tides tends to be less contested than the central areas, but that is not a guarantee.
For more Arc Raiders quest walkthroughs and Riven Tides guides, browse more guides to stay ahead of the update content.