I've been grinding Arc Raiders for a while, and I've learned the hard way that "better gun" doesn't always mean "better plan." While poking through rubble for ARC Raiders Items, I picked up this weird little canister called the Shaker and nearly left it behind. In the menu it looks like nothing. In your hands, though, it's a choice you make in real time. You pull it out, your Raider starts shaking it, and the world suddenly has a new problem: that steady rattle that says "something's here."

What It Actually Does

The Shaker isn't a passive perk and it isn't a panic button, either. It's an active noise source you carry, so you're not just throwing a distraction and forgetting it. You're committing to being loud on purpose. The sound comes in regular pulses, almost like you're tapping on the AI's shoulder over and over. Sure, it can chip a bit of damage if something crowds right up to it, but that's not why it earns space in the wheel. The value is control. If sound gets you killed in this game, then sound can also get you out of trouble—if you're the one steering it.

Using Height And Cover

It clicked for me in a tight urban area with too many sightlines and not enough clean exits. I climbed up to a busted third-floor balcony, looked down into a courtyard full of heavy units, and knew shooting first would be a quick trip back to the lobby. So I shook the canister instead. The patrols broke. Heads turned. Sensors angled up. They started stacking beneath my position like they'd been given a single new objective. You'll notice it fast: once they've "heard" you, they'll keep checking the spot, even when they can't see you.

Simple Plays That Win Fights

Once you trust it, the Shaker opens up cleaner, calmer options. First, you can pull a pack off a route so your teammate can cross without firing a shot. Second, you can drag units into a bad angle where your squad already has cover and crossfire set. Third, you can buy a revive by pinning attention somewhere predictable—up high, behind a wall, or on the far side of a doorway. It's risky, yeah, because you're basically announcing yourself, but the risk is readable. That's the point. When you're calling the tune, you're not just surviving, you're dictating the pace, and that's why I keep it alongside my usual ARC Raiders gear on almost every run.