Where to find steel cables in Arc Raiders

Steel Cables are one of those materials in Arc Raiders that can take a while to collect if you have no idea where to look. 

You need them for upgrading different sections of your Outpost and crafting Ziplines, so having a decent supply is always useful. The good thing is that you don’t have to search the entire map hoping to get lucky.

Let’s go through the best places to find Steel Cables in Arc Raiders and how to get them without wasting too much time.

Where to find steel cables in Arc Raiders

Cielo Sereno Observatory

If I had to pick just one place to farm Steel Cables, I’d go with Cielo Sereno Observatory. It’s in the northeastern part of Pendola Pass, and the underground maintenance tunnels make this location worth checking before heading anywhere else.

Once you reach the Observatory, head inside and look for the tunnels running underneath the building. This is where you want to spend most of your time. There are several breachable steel boxes down here, and they typically contain at least one Steel Cable. Not every box will give you what you need, of course, but the chances are good enough to make this a solid farming spot.

Don’t stop searching after opening the steel boxes, either. Check the toolboxes and storage containers around the tunnels, since these can also spawn Steel Cables. I’d recommend searching the whole area properly instead of rushing through it and missing containers along the way.

With a thorough search, you can usually expect around two to three Steel Cables from this location, although your results will depend on what has spawned and whether another player got there first.

2. Railyard

If the Observatory has already been looted, the Railyard is a good place to check next. You won’t always find Steel Cables here, but there are enough containers around to make a quick search worthwhile.

Head to the large building where the trains are stored and start checking the crates and containers inside. Some of these have a chance of spawning Steel Cables, so take a little time to search the area instead of grabbing the first bit of loot you see and leaving.

I’d focus on the main building rather than spending too much time inside the train cars. Those tend to have more residential items and valuables, which isn’t really what you’re here for.

Railroad Junction

Railroad Junction is another location worth visiting if you’re still short on Steel Cables. The main place to check is the building with the frozen doors.

Getting inside takes a little extra work, but you have a couple of options. You can use fire-based weapons or grenades to melt the ice, or you can hit it several times with your pickaxe. I’d personally use the pickaxe if I wanted to save my grenades and other resources, even if it takes a bit longer.

Once the doors are clear, head inside and look for the breachable containers. These have a chance of containing Steel Cables, so make sure you check them before moving on.

Buy steel cables from Celeste

Not every farming run needs to involve searching every container on the map. If you’d rather save yourself some time, you can buy Steel Cables directly from Celeste.

She sells up to five Steel Cables per day, with each one costing 20 Seeds. That means you can get all five for 100 Seeds, which is a pretty convenient option when you’re trying to gather materials for an Outpost upgrade.

I’d recommend buying them whenever you have the Seeds to spare, especially if you need Steel Cables quickly. You can still search Pendola Pass while exploring, but buying a few directly means you don’t have to depend entirely on random loot spawns.