ARC Raiders' Firefly (Burning Furnace ARC) flips the meta: flying armored flamethrower pressure makes smart peeks, anti-air burst, and cover-first routes essential, especially in PvE/PvP fights.

Spend a few solid sessions in ARC Raiders and you'll feel it: the map isn't just dangerous on the streets anymore, it's dangerous overhead. The Firefly, that Burning Furnace ARC, has changed what "safe" even means. You can't just wing it, take a few hits, and keep striding forward like nothing happened. If you're trying to prep smarter for runs—better kit, cleaner routes, less wasted time—some players even grab extras through U4GM so they can focus on learning the new threats instead of scrounging every match.

Vertical Threat, Real Consequences

The old habit of ego-peeking is basically dead. You hop out for a look, maybe you trade a bit of damage, maybe you win the angle—except now a Firefly can erase you in a second. The flame reach is longer than your brain wants to believe, and the damage ramps so fast you don't get that "I'll heal after this" moment. You learn to stop standing in doorways. You stop re-peeking the same corner. You start treating the sky like a lane that needs respect, the same way you'd respect a sniper sightline.

Loadouts Are Getting Narrower

Generalist builds used to feel fine. Not perfect, but fine. Now they feel like you brought a spoon to a gunfight. Squads need at least one person who can hit precise shots at range, on demand. Marksman rifles, bursty precision weapons, anything that can punish the weak point before the Firefly gets close—those picks have become the difference between a clean clear and a panic sprint. And utility matters more than people admit. Stuns buy you breathing room. Heavy explosives aren't just "nice"; they're an answer when the thing commits to a burn cycle and you need it gone.

When PvP Collides With the Bird

This is where it gets messy, and kind of brilliant. A normal squad fight already stretches your attention. Add a Firefly drifting in and it turns into a three-way disaster. You'll see players hold shots to avoid pulling the ARC in, or do the opposite—bait a rival team into open ground and let the Firefly do the dirty work. It forces real awareness. You're checking rooftops, alleys, and that twelve-high angle every few seconds. If you're still playing like the only threats are at eye level, you're going to get cooked.

Playing Smarter, Not Louder

The best adjustment isn't "shoot harder," it's moving like you've got something to lose. Rotate early. Use hard cover that actually blocks the flame stream. Call out patrol patterns like they're part of the enemy team, because they basically are. The Firefly rewards squads that stay calm, pick a line, and delete it before it starts dictating the fight, and for players who want a faster on-ramp into that new rhythm, browsing ARC Raiders Accounts can be a practical way to jump in ready to practice positioning instead of rebuilding from scratch.