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Arc Raiders' latest update, Riven Tides, brought a ton of new arcs, patches, and gadgets to the extraction shooter, and while most of the changes have gone over well with players there is one part that's proving a little difficult to get a handle on: the powered descender.
This is a new epic gadget which basically works as a parachute for players jumping from heights. Equipped with two thrusters, it'll soften the blow of falling when used, meaning players can be a bit more daring with their jumps. On paper it sounds simple enough, but there are a couple of asterisks to it which have sent some players falling to their doom.
I am extremely disappointed from r/ArcRaiders
"I am extremely disappointed," player lologugus says in a social media post. It's accompanied by an 11-second video clip of them jumping off the dam in Dam Battlegrounds, only to accidentally set themselves on fire when trying to use the powered descender and then downing themself once they hit the ground. Not the smoothest landing.
Article continues belowBut the thing is, it's not necessarily the gadgets issue. There are other clips of players using it just fine, it seems like there is just a limit to how high you can use it to parachute from. You see, the powered descender just reduces fall speed, it doesn't negate it. So if you drop from the top of the dam or Spaceport's tower it won't be able to reduce the speed enough to ensure you get out unhurt.
There's also a charge time before the powered descender will work at full strength, and players need to be wary of the fact that it won't run infinitely—it uses fuel and it will run out. So don't go jumping off every building worry-free without checking up on the gadget first.
But before you can give the powered descender a go you gotta find it first. Its blueprint can be found in valuable lockers across the Riven Tides map. You'll have to be quick, because all the lockers seem to be picked clean almost as soon as a game starts, but maybe you'll get lucky.
