ARC Raiders Players Exploit Smoke + Tagging Grenade Combo as ‘Legal Wallhack’ in PvP

TL;DR

• The Combo: Smoke Grenades blind enemies while Tagging Grenades reveal and track their positions for 30 seconds
• Why It Works: Creates wallhack-like advantage in close-quarters combat scenarios
• Limitations: Less effective in open areas, tags both downed and alive enemies indiscriminately
• Meta Impact: Becoming essential loadout for indoor PvP on maps like Stella Montis
• Community Response: Debate over whether strategy needs nerfing or counter-play development

Quick Read: 3-Minute Strategy Breakdown

ARC Raiders’ PvP meta is evolving rapidly as players discover powerful gadget combinations that blur the line between clever tactics and exploitative gameplay. The latest discovery—pairing Smoke Grenades with Tagging Grenades—has sparked intense community debate about what constitutes fair play in the extraction shooter.

Why This Strategy Matters

In a game where trust is scarce and PvP encounters can determine mission success or complete gear loss, information advantages are everything. This gadget combination provides exactly that: temporary omniscience over enemy positions while rendering them functionally blind.

Smoke + Tagging grenade = Legal cheat in ARC Raiders! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/o3ppIWn5Y5

— ARC Raiders Alerts (@ArcRaiderAlerts) December 5, 2025

How the Smoke + Tagging Grenade Combo Works

The Two-Step Process

Step 1: Deploy Smoke Grenades

• Creates opaque fog barrier blocking line of sight
• Neither side can see through the smoke screen
• Players inside cannot see out; players outside cannot see in
• ARCs (enemy AI) also affected by vision obstruction

Step 2: Follow with Tagging Grenade

• Auto-pings all enemies within 20-foot radius
• Tracks tagged enemy positions for approximately 30 seconds
• Updates enemy location in real-time as they move
• Functions similarly to wallhack cheats in other FPS games

The Result: Attackers gain full awareness of enemy positions and movements while opponents fight blind, creating asymmetric information advantage comparable to actual cheating tools.

Real Combat Application: Team Wipe Demonstration

A viral video circulating within the ARC Raiders community showcases this strategy’s devastating effectiveness. The footage shows a solo player eliminating an entire enemy squad using the following sequence:

1. Enemy team detected approaching
2. Multiple Smoke Grenades deployed to create vision-blocking zone
3. Tagging Grenade thrown into smoke cloud
4. Solo player systematically eliminates disoriented enemies while tracking their exact positions
5. Complete team wipe achieved with minimal risk

The demonstration has led community members to label the technique “legal cheating,” with growing calls for developer intervention through gadget rebalancing.

Strategic Advantages: Why Players Are Adopting This Loadout

Information Warfare

In extraction shooters where death means gear loss, knowing enemy locations provides:

• Pre-fire opportunities around corners
• Ability to flank disoriented opponents
• Reduced risk when pushing contested areas

Close-Quarters Dominance

The combo excels in indoor environments where:

• Smoke effectively fills entire rooms or corridors
• Enemies cannot easily escape the tagging radius
• Close-range weapons guarantee quick eliminations

Psychological Impact

Opponents caught in smoke experience:

• Disorientation and reduced situational awareness
• Inability to coordinate team movements
• Panic-induced positioning errors

Significant Limitations and Counterplay Potential

Tagging System Weaknesses

Indiscriminate Target Acquisition

• Tags both downed and active enemies
• Cannot distinguish between different ARC types
• May provide misleading information in chaotic scenarios

Environmental Dependency The strategy’s effectiveness drops significantly in:

• Open terrain where enemies can reposition outside smoke
• Large rooms where 20-foot tagging radius becomes inadequate
• Areas with multiple entry/exit points allowing escape

Time Pressure Window

30-Second Constraint

• Tagging Grenade effect duration forces rushed execution
• Attackers must engage and eliminate threats quickly
• Delayed action allows enemies to regroup after smoke clears
• Creates risk if initial assault fails

Resource Investment

Players must dedicate valuable inventory slots to:

• Multiple Smoke Grenades (single grenade rarely sufficient)
• Tagging Grenades (limited supply)
• Appropriate close-range weapons to capitalize on advantage

This loadout commitment reduces versatility for other combat scenarios or PvE encounters.

Meta Evolution: Why This Combo Is Gaining Traction

Map Design Favors Indoor Combat

Stella Montis and Similar Environments Current popular PvP hotspots feature:

• Narrow corridors and confined rooms
• Multiple indoor extraction points
• Limited sight lines favoring close-range engagements

These architectural characteristics create ideal conditions for Smoke + Tagging combinations, naturally pushing the strategy into meta relevance.

Existing PvP Detection Methods

Players have already been experimenting with opponent-finding techniques:

Ping Spam Exploit

• Repeatedly using ping function reveals enemies hiding in foliage
• Less reliable than Tagging Grenades
• Provides momentary rather than sustained tracking

Graphics Setting Manipulation

• Lowering visual settings removes foliage
• Exposes camouflaged players
• Controversial practice bordering on exploit territory

The Smoke + Tagging combo offers more legitimate and reliable detection compared to these questionable methods.

Community Reaction and Developer Response Speculation

Player Perspectives

Pro-Strategy Arguments:

• Both gadgets function as designed
• Requires resource investment and tactical execution
• Counters camping and defensive play styles
• Rewards aggressive, skilled players

Anti-Strategy Arguments:

• Creates unfair advantage resembling actual cheats
• Reduces skill expression in PvP encounters
• May discourage newer players from engaging in PvP
• Potentially game-breaking in competitive scenarios

Potential Developer Actions

While Embark Studios has not officially commented, possible responses include:

1. Gadget Rebalancing: Reducing tagging duration, radius, or smoke density
2. Cooldown Implementation: Limiting how frequently gadgets can be deployed
3. Counter-Gadget Introduction: Adding items that detect or neutralize tags
4. No Action: Allowing meta to develop organic counter-strategies

Counter-Strategy Development

As more players adopt this loadout, potential counters are emerging:

Immediate Repositioning

• Exit smoke cloud perimeter quickly when deployed
• Vertical movement (if available) to escape tagging radius
• Retreat to more favorable defensive positions

Audio Cues

• Listen for Tagging Grenade activation sound
• Identify smoke deployment direction
• Coordinate team scatter patterns

Preemptive Gadget Usage

• Deploy own smoke to create confusion
• Use mobility gadgets to escape engagement zone
• Counter with area-denial tools

Loadout Recommendations for This Strategy

Essential Equipment

• 3-4 Smoke Grenades: Ensure adequate coverage
• 2-3 Tagging Grenades: Account for missed throws or multiple engagements
• Close-Range Weapon: Shotgun or SMG for quick eliminations within smoke
• Backup Medium-Range Option: For situations where combo isn’t applicable

Complementary Gadgets

• Healing Items: Extended engagements require sustainability
• Armor Plates: Maximize survivability when pushing through smoke
• Flashbangs: Additional disorientation tools for resistant opponents

Bottom Line: Tactical Innovation or Exploit Territory?

The Smoke + Tagging Grenade combination represents ARC Raiders’ evolving meta where gadget synergies create powerful combat advantages. Whether this constitutes clever tactical play or crosses into problematic exploit territory remains debated within the community.

For now, players serious about PvP should familiarize themselves with this strategy—either to use it effectively or develop reliable counters. As the meta continues developing, expect either community-driven counter-strategies to emerge or Embark Studios intervention through balance adjustments.

The coming months will determine whether this “legal wallhack” becomes a permanent fixture of ARC Raiders PvP or gets relegated to gaming history as an over-tuned combination that required developer correction.

Key Takeaways for Players

✓ Indoor Combat: Strategy dominates confined spaces like Stella Montis
✓ Inventory Management: Requires significant gadget slot commitment
✓ Execution Window: 30-second tagging duration demands quick, decisive action
✓ Learning Curve: Practice grenade placement and timing before high-stakes encounters
✓ Adaptability: Recognize when map terrain makes combo ineffective

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