Arc Raiders’ Kettle Exploit Turns a Starter Gun Into a PvP Monster

Arc Raiders has barely settled into its extraction‑shooter groove, and already the community has found its first true menace—and it’s not a hulking Arc robot or a squad of sweaty raiders. It’s the Kettle. Yes, the humble starter rifle you get for free has become the game’s most chaotic powerhouse thanks to a macro exploit that’s turning firefights into laser‑beam duels. Sources from both TheGamer and Dexerto confirm that players are leaning hard into this newfound “feature,” and the results are… something to behold.

Below is a breakdown of why this unassuming semi‑auto rifle has become the talk of the community, how the exploit works, and what it means for Arc Raiders’ early meta.

Why the Kettle Was Already a Sleeper Hit

Before the exploit even entered the conversation, the Kettle had a reputation as a surprisingly reliable early‑game weapon. It’s the first gun players encounter, a semi‑automatic rifle that hits harder than its modest appearance suggests. According to Dexerto, it’s always been “an underrated gem,” offering solid damage and consistency without requiring rare materials or high‑tier crafting.

TheGamer also notes that even after the recent progress wipe, players gravitated back to the Kettle because the base weapons remain some of the strongest options in the game. When a free gun competes with gear you have to grind hours for, you know something interesting is happening.

But then came the macros.

How the Kettle Macro Exploit Works

The Kettle’s only real drawback is that it’s semi‑automatic. You’re supposed to click for every shot, which keeps its fire rate in check. That’s the design philosophy—skill‑based trigger discipline, not spray‑and‑pray chaos.

Players took one look at that limitation and said, “What if… no?”

By binding rapid‑fire macros to their mouse or keyboard, players can automate the Kettle’s firing, effectively turning it into a full‑auto rifle with a fire rate limited only by the server’s cap. TheGamer reports that this removes the weapon’s “only real drawback,” making it arguably the strongest gun in the entire game. Dexerto backs this up, describing the macro‑boosted Kettle as a “fast‑killing beast” dominating PvP encountersDexerto.

In other words: the Kettle becomes a bullet hose with the damage profile of a semi‑auto rifle. That’s not just strong—it’s meta‑breaking.

Why the Exploit Is Shaking Up PvP

Arc Raiders’ PvP encounters are already tense. One bad peek, one missed shot, and your extraction dreams evaporate. Now imagine going up against someone whose Kettle fires like a minigun but hits like a rifle.

Players are reporting that macro‑boosted Kettles can delete opponents before they even realize what’s happening. The time‑to‑kill becomes absurdly low, and the recoil—normally manageable—turns into something you can compensate for with a bit of practice.

The result? A starter gun outperforming high‑tier weapons that require hours of grinding. That’s the kind of imbalance that makes competitive players raise an eyebrow and casual players quietly uninstall.

Will Embark Studios Step In?

The community is already buzzing about potential fixes. Some players argue that macros are a “you problem,” not a game problem. Others insist that allowing a free gun to outperform everything else is a recipe for long‑term disaster.

Given how extraction shooters rely on weapon balance to keep progression meaningful, it’s hard to imagine Embark Studios ignoring this for long. Whether they tighten the fire‑rate cap, adjust recoil, or rework the Kettle entirely, something will likely change.

But for now? The Kettle reigns supreme.

The Kettle’s Future in Arc Raiders

Even without the exploit, the Kettle is a solid weapon. With the exploit, it’s a monster. TheGamer highlights that players are already using it as their go‑to loadout weapon, and the macro trick only cements its place at the top of the food chain.

Dexerto’s coverage suggests that the exploit has pushed the gun from “underrated” to “undeniably broken,” and unless the developers intervene, the early meta will continue to revolve around this deceptively simple rifle.

For now, Arc Raiders players have a choice: embrace the chaos or hope for a balance patch. Either way, the Kettle has already made its mark.