Minesweeper is a specialized skill in ARC Raiders located within the Survival branch of the skill tree. It is primarily designed to allow you to defuse enemy traps and explosives that would otherwise detonate when approached. Core Function: It allows you to approach and disarm enemy mines (like jolt or explosive mines) and other deployables.
Arc Raiders Minesweeper Skill Stats & Perk
Name
Minesweeper
Description
Mines and explosive deployables can be defused when in close proximity
Skill Affected
Explosive Defuse
Known Value(s)
Must be slow-crouch walking to prevent the mines and explosive deployables from triggering.
Max Points
1
Requires
One Raider's Scraps or Three Deep Breaths & 36 Points in Survival.
Mechanics
Mechanic: To use it effectively, you must slow-crouch walk toward the explosive. If you move too fast or stand up, the mine will still trigger.
Result: Disarming a mine typically turns it off; it does not usually allow you to pick up the enemy's mine for your own use.
Why It's Generally Not Worth It
In the current state of ARC Raiders, the Minesweeper perk is widely considered not worth it for most players. While it sounds useful for a PvPvE environment, its mechanical limitations often make it more of a liability than a benefit.
Impractical Activation: You must get extremely close to a mine to defuse it. In many cases, proximity-triggered explosives (like Jolt Mines) will still detonate before you can finish the defuse action.
Safer Alternatives: Most traps can be dealt with more safely by simply shooting them from a distance, which triggers the explosion without risk to you.
Rare Scenarios: Players rarely place traps in spots where they can be easily approached and manually defused. It is often described as a "solution to a problem that barely exists".
Opportunity Cost: It is often the final perk in its tree, and players frequently find more value in alternative skills like Security Breach (which unlocks rare loot) or various Mobility perks.
For most builds, you should skip Minesweeper and invest those points into Security Breach (Survival tree) or Effortless Roll (Mobility tree) to maximize your effectiveness in raids.
Community Sentiment & Effectiveness
Current player consensus often labels Minesweeper as a niche or "useless" perk for several reasons:
Noise: The disarming animation is reportedly loud, potentially alerting nearby enemies to your exact position.
Risk vs. Reward: It is often safer and faster to simply shoot the mine from a distance or bypass it entirely rather than risking a close-range defusal.
Inconsistency: Players have reported issues with it not working on certain items, such as "Trigger Nades" or high-proximity Jolt mines.
Self-Defusal: You do not need this skill to defuse your own mines; you can always disarm and retrieve your own equipment without it.
