19 December 2025

Where to Find the Shaker Instrument in ARC Raiders

By newsgame

When ARC Raiders teased the Cold Snap update for December 2025, one of the first reveals was the Guitar instrument. What players didn’t know, however, was that the Guitar wasn’t the only new addition. The update also introduced a percussive instrument called the Shaker, which players could obtain and play for some topside music vibes.

If you’re wondering how to get a Shaker and what this new instrument does, you’re in the right place. This ARC Raiders guide covers everything you need to know about the Shaker and reveals the best locations to pick one up.

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How to Get the Shaker Instrument

The Shaker is a Residential item, which means you’re more likely to find it in apartments. A good spot to check is the Pale Apartments in the Dam Battlegrounds, a relatively calm area that gives players plenty of time to search.

There’s no guaranteed way to get the Shaker right now, as it’s entirely RNG-based. However, focusing on Residential areas does increase your chances of finding one.

Best Locations to Find Shakers

Pale Apartments	Dam Battlegrounds
Ruby Residence	Dam Battlegrounds
Santa Maria Houses	Buried City
Village	The Blue Gate
Abandoned Housing Project	The Blue Gate

This isn’t a definitive list of locations where the Shaker can spawn. The item may also appear in non-residential areas.

How to Equip and Use the Shaker

To play the Shaker in a match, place it in your Quick Use slot. During the match, equip it and hold the left click—or whichever button you use to fire weapons—to start playing a song. To stop, simply release the button.

Each time you start playing the instrument, the tune changes, although the number of available songs is fairly limited.

What Playing the Shaker Does

From the ARC Raiders‘ 1.7.0 patch notes, we know that playing the Shaker applies the Vibing Status to nearby raiders. Early testing shows that this status triggers a small animation, causing nearby raiders to shake or bob their heads to the music.

It’s also been confirmed that when multiple players in the same area have the Vibing Status, their instruments sync, allowing them to play a rhythmic melody together using different items, like the flute and guitar.

In addition to the Vibing Status effect, the Shaker has another guaranteed effect: it attracts nearby ARC enemies. Like other instruments in ARC Raiders, playing the Shaker generates noise that can draw enemies and make the player an active target.