ARC Raiders’ Lightning Strike Items Explained (Fossilized Lightning)
Some ARC Raiders players may be wondering what the mysterious “Lightning Item” teased in the game’s 1.7.0 patch notes actually is. For those unfamiliar, ARC Raiders‘ Cold Snap patch notes included a line that said, “Lightning strikes sometimes leave behind a valuable item.” The good news is that raiders have already discovered it, and it is something quite extraordinary. The item is called Fossilized Lightning, and it drops as an Epic item.
This guide covers everything you need to know about this unusual drop and also explains how Fossilized Lightning exists in real life, showing that the developers didn’t just make it up.
ARC Raiders Reveals All the Changes Made in Its Last Major Update of the Year
Developer Embark Studios officially releases the highly anticipated Cold Snap update for ARC Raiders, which brings a game-changing new map condition.
What Fossilized Lightning Is in ARC Raiders
ARC Raiders‘ new lightning strike item is based on a real-world phenomenon called fulgurite, or petrified lightning. When lightning hits sand, soil, or certain rocks, it can fuse them into glassy, fossil-like formations. Embark Studios developers appear to have modeled this concept in ARC Raiders‘ Electromagnetic Storm events, which focus on lightning strikes. As in real life, finding one of these fulgurites in the game is rare, but that doesn’t make farming them impossible.
How to Get Fossilized Lightning
To obtain a Fossilized Lightning in ARC Raiders, you need to play the Electromagnetic Storm event. During this event, lightning can strike random locations, and the impact may create a fulgurite.
If you’re wondering how to spot a lightning strike, the game provides some hints. Just before a strike hits, an electromagnetic field appears around the targeted area. While you should initially avoid the spot to survive the strike, you can later investigate the impact zone to see if a Fossilized Lightning has formed.
Keep in mind that this new Epic resource doesn’t appear with every lightning strike. Early reports suggest the drop rate is fairly low, likely under ten to fifteen percent.
Electromagnetic Storm Event Explained
During this limited-time event, maps have a higher chance of spawning ARC Porbes and Couriers. The downside is that there are fewer extraction points, and random areas of the map will be struck by lightning, which can damage both players and the ARC. These lightning strikes are the ones that may drop Fossilized Lightning.
What Fossilized Lightning Does in ARC Raiders
Currently, Fossilized Lightning has no specific function beyond being a collectible. You can recycle it for Explosive Components or sell each one for 4,000 ARC Raiders Credits. No blueprints require it, and it isn’t used in any recipes.
That said, Fossilized Lightning could become useful in future missions or events like Flickering Flames. It’s also possible that upcoming blueprints may require this item, given its explosive properties, as evidenced by the components it provides when recycled.
The Best Way to Use Fossilized Lightning
ARC Raiders players are advised to hold onto their Fossilized Lightnings for now, as they may prove useful in future content. For those who have collected many of these Epic items, selling them is also a viable option, with each one granting 4,000 Credits—nearly as much as the Energy Clip exploit, but without requiring any ingredients or crafting.
- Released
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October 30, 2025
- ESRB
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Teen / Violence, Blood