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A hard-hitting semi-automatic pistol that blurs the line between sidearm and primary. The Venator fires medium ammo with impressive stopping power and an extremely fast fire rate, making it one of the most dangerous secondaries in the game. Nerfed in the Shrouded Sky update (damage 9 → 8, headshot multiplier 2.5 → 2.0).
Damage × fire rate stat
10 rounds × 16
Base weapon, no attachments
| Shield | Shots | One magazine? |
|---|---|---|
| Light Shield (75 HP) | 5 | Yes |
| Medium Shield (125 HP) | 8 | Yes |
| Heavy Shield (200 HP) | 13 | No — needs a reload |
At 16 damage per shot, the Venator strips a Light Shield in 5 shots and a Heavy Shield in 13. Breaking a Heavy Shield takes more than the 10-round magazine holds, so plan on reloading mid-duel or opening with a different weapon.
Among the 3 pistols in ARC Raiders, the Venator ranks 1st for DPS and 2nd for damage per shot. Its closest performance rivals are Burletta (280 DPS) and Hairpin (180 DPS).
The Venator is a rare pistol in ARC Raiders, currently rated A-Tier tier in the current weapon meta (Frozen Trail 2.0 Update). With 16 damage per shot and a fire rate stat of 36.7, it puts out 587 DPS — placing it in the top damage bracket among all ARC Raiders weapons. The 10-round magazine and 1.6s reload window mean you need to land your shots — this weapon punishes spray-and-pray and rewards precision.
Recoil sits at 38/100, which makes the Venator manageable with short controlled bursts and a steady left hand. Effective range tops out around 48.4/100, so the Venator excels in medium-range fights — open courtyards, Spaceport runways, and Buried City rooftops. It feeds on medium ammo (42.5% armor penetration), so it punches through Heavy shields and lets you contest armored Raiders directly.
For ARC Raiders players asking where to find the Venator, the most reliable spawns are at Spaceport weapon lockers, Buried City mid-tier crates, Dam Battlegrounds officer quarters. If RNG isn't on your side, you can also craft the Venator at the Gunsmith (Level 2) using 2× Adv. Mechanical Components, 3× Medium Gun Parts, 5× Magnet. The blueprint drops as rare loot during raids — keep an eye on Workshop containers and ARC drops.Best paired with shields and augments that complement its aggressive close-range pressure. For a side-by-side comparison against the rest of the ARC Raiders weapon roster, see our weapon tier list.
