The Vaporizer Regulator is one of the most sought-after materials added in the Arc Raiders Flashpoint update, and for good reason: you need 19 of them for the High-Gain Antenna project alone, plus several more to craft the legendary Dolabra shotgun. The problem? Getting even one requires hunting a heavily armored aerial drone that fires lasers and can spawn in groups. Here's exactly where to find Vaporizers and how to bring them down without burning through your entire loadout.
Where do Vaporizers spawn in Arc Raiders?
Vaporizers are not random world spawns. They only appear during the Close Scrutiny Major Map Condition, which is the first ARC Operation added to Arc Raiders with the Flashpoint update. Outside of this condition, you will not encounter them regardless of which map you load into.
Once you queue into a Close Scrutiny session, open your map and locate the Assessor probe. These breachable probes drop from the sky at the start of a raid, landing either near the center of the map or toward its outskirts. The landing point is randomized each session, so you need to track it actively rather than heading to a fixed spot.
Arc Raiders Guide: How to Get Vaporizer Regulator
Expect to find at least two Vaporizers guarding each Assessor. Breach the probe and more can arrive, so treat every Assessor engagement as a potential multi-Vaporizer fight rather than a clean one-on-one. According to Insider Gaming's coverage of the Flashpoint update, these enemies also patrol in groups separate from the Assessor itself, meaning you can encounter them before you even reach the probe.
How to get Vaporizer Regulators
Killing a Vaporizer guarantees at least one Vaporizer Regulator drop from its destroyed core, along with other rare crafting resources like Heavy Gun Parts and Advanced Electrical Components, as detailed in Deltia's Gaming's breakdown of the drop pool. Loot the wreckage immediately after the kill since other players in the session are likely hunting the same targets.
The Vaporizer Regulator is currently exclusive to the Close Scrutiny map condition. There is no confirmed alternative source beyond ARC Couriers as a low-probability secondary option. If Embark Studios changes this in a future patch, the drop sources will expand, but for now your farming loop is straightforward: queue Close Scrutiny, find the Assessor, kill the Vaporizers, extract.
How to kill a Vaporizer efficiently
The Vaporizer looks like a beefed-up Rocketeer at first glance, but it fights completely differently. It has eight propulsors (two per corner) keeping it airborne, a continuous laser beam for close-range burning damage, and concentrated laser bolts for ranged attacks. It can also deploy an energy shield that blocks all incoming damage, including throwables like Seeker Grenades and Wolfpacks.
Weak points to target
Focus fire on the rotors around its rim to reduce its speed and maneuverability. The core on the underside is the primary damage zone once you've slowed it down. Hitting the propulsors is not just cosmetic: cutting its mobility makes the fight significantly more manageable since a slower Vaporizer is easier to track and harder for it to reposition its laser.
Weapons that work
Bring heavy, high-damage weapons. The Vaporizer is tanky enough that lighter loadouts will run out of ammo before it drops. Recommended options based on testing across multiple sources:
The Vaporizer's energy shield will negate all damage when active, including explosive throwables. Stop shooting the moment the shield goes up and wait for it to drop before resuming. Wasting ammo into an active shield is how solo players run dry before the kill.
Movement and positioning
The Vaporizer's laser takes a brief moment to charge before it fires, giving you a window to break line of sight. Use buildings and large structures to duck in and out of cover, dealing damage during the gaps. When it switches to targeted bolts aimed at multiple players, get behind solid cover before the volley lands rather than trying to dodge in the open.
Spread out if you're running with a squad. The fire damage hits an area, and clustering together means one laser pass burns your entire team simultaneously, draining everyone's healing supplies at once.
What are Vaporizer Regulators used for?
Right now, Vaporizer Regulators feed into two major crafting goals:
- High-Gain Antenna project: Requires 19 Vaporizer Regulators, making it one of the most material-intensive projects currently in Arc Raiders
- Dolabra legendary shotgun: The blueprint for the Dolabra drops from inside Assessors during Close Scrutiny, and the Regulator is a required crafting component
The Dolabra has quickly become one of the most popular weapons since the Flashpoint update launched, which means demand for Regulators is high and competition at Assessors is real. Plan your sessions accordingly.
Tips for farming Vaporizer Regulators efficiently
- Solo or squad? Solo is possible but punishing. Teaming up lets you focus fire the shield phase faster and split the healing burden.
- Gear up before queuing. This is not a fight to enter with mid-tier equipment. High-end weapons and a full supply of consumables are the baseline.
- Check Assessor locations early. The moment a raid starts, pull up the map and move toward the probe before other squads get there first.
- Don't ignore ARC Couriers. While the drop rate is low, running Couriers in the same session as your Assessor hunt adds a secondary chance at Regulators without extra risk.
- Extract safely. Dying to another player after killing a Vaporizer means losing the Regulator you just fought for. Know your extraction route before engaging.
Fore more Arc Raiders, browse more GAMESgg guides to cover the rest of your Flashpoint crafting checklist.