Arc Raiders Headshot Multiplier Guide

Mastering headshot mechanics in Arc Raiders can be the difference between winning and losing a firefight. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about headshot multipliers, including the crucial shield interaction that many players overlook.

What is a Headshot Multiplier?

A headshot multiplier is a damage bonus applied when you successfully hit an enemy in the head. In Arc Raiders, different weapons have different multipliers, ranging from 2.0x to 2.5x.

For example, if a weapon deals 24 base damage and has a 2.5x headshot multiplier:

• Body shot: 24 damage
• Headshot: 24 × 2.5 = 60 damage

That's a massive 150% damage increase for landing headshots!

Arc Raiders Weapon Headshot Multipliers

Here's the complete breakdown of headshot multipliers for all weapons:

2.5x Multiplier (Best)

2.25x Multiplier

2.0x Multiplier (Standard)

The Shield Mechanic: What Most Players Don't Know

This is the most important mechanic to understand:

⚠️ Headshot multipliers do NOT apply to shield damage in Arc Raiders!

When an enemy has shields active:

• Headshots and body shots deal the same damage to shields
• The headshot bonus only activates after shields are depleted
• You're essentially wasting the headshot advantage while shields are up

Why This Matters

Consider fighting an enemy with 100 shield and 100 health using the Anvil (24 base, 2.5x HS):

Always Headshots:

• Shots to break shield: 5 shots (24 × 5 = 120 damage to shield)
• Shots to kill after shield: 2 shots (60 × 2 = 120 headshot damage to health)
• Total: 7 shots

Body Shots for Shield, Headshots for Health:

• Same calculation applies because shield damage is identical

The key insight is that there's no damage advantage to headshots while shields are active.

Optimal Combat Strategy

Based on the shield mechanics, here's the recommended approach:

1. Assess Target's Shield Status

Look for the shield indicator on enemies. Shield health appears as a cyan/blue bar.

2. Initial Engagement (Shields Up)

• Focus on landing consistent shots rather than precise headshots
• Body shots are easier to hit and do the same shield damage
• Use high rate-of-fire weapons to break shields quickly

3. After Shield Break

• Immediately transition to headshot aim
• This is when your precision pays off
• The headshot multiplier now applies to health damage

4. Weapon Selection

• For shield breaking: High rate-of-fire weapons (Arpeggio, Compact SMG)
• For health damage: High headshot multiplier weapons (Anvil, Osprey)

Training Range Warning

Important: The in-game training dummies do NOT correctly reflect headshot multipliers. When testing on training dummies:

• Headshots show the same damage as body shots
• This is a known bug/limitation
• Only real PvP combat shows accurate headshot damage

To truly test headshot effectiveness, you need to engage in actual matches.

Best Weapons for Headshot Damage

Best Overall: Osprey

• 85 base damage × 2.5x = 212 headshot damage
• Can one-shot enemies without shields
• Rewards precision play

Best Versatile: Anvil

• 24 base damage × 2.5x = 60 headshot damage
• Good rate of fire (600 RPM)
• Consistent for both shield breaking and headshots

Best Close Range: Arpeggio

• 18 base damage × 2.5x = 45 headshot damage
• Extremely high rate of fire (900 RPM)
• Great for aggressive plays

Conclusion

Understanding Arc Raiders headshot mechanics gives you a significant advantage:

1. Know your multipliers - Use weapons with 2.5x for maximum headshot value
2. Respect the shield mechanic - Don't waste effort on headshots when shields are up
3. Adapt your aim - Body shots for shields, headshots for health
4. Use our calculator - Check exact damage and TTK for any situation

Use our Headshot Damage Calculator to experiment with different scenarios and find the optimal weapon for your playstyle!