U4GM Where To Farm Merits Fast in Arc Raiders Shared Watch

Booting into Arc Raiders this week feels different, like the map's telling you to ease off the paranoia for once. The Shared Watch event (running February 10 to February 24, 2026) sits on top of normal matches, so nothing looks "special" in the menu, but the incentives are. If you've been browsing ARC Raiders Items or just eyeing the new unlocks, you'll clock it fast: picking fights with other Raiders doesn't really get you anywhere right now, and the game's basically daring you to treat randoms like temporary teammates.

How Merits actually stack up

The event currency is Merits, and it's refreshingly simple. You earn 1 Merit for every 100 XP you get from dealing damage to ARC machines, helping with takedowns, or finishing them off. No Merit credit for PvP kills. That one tweak changes everything. You'll see it in the way people move—more pings, more "I'll cover" energy, fewer cheap third-party ambushes. You can still shoot each other, sure, but it's hard to justify when the real progress is sitting in the machine fights.

The reward track and what's worth caring about

The full track asks for 1,050 Merits, with rewards dropping every 50, so you're not stuck staring at a dead bar for hours. The standout is the Slugger outfit, which leans into that scrappy, baseball-adjacent look, and the colour variants make it feel like you're actually building a set rather than grabbing a one-off skin. The smaller bits are fun too—face paints, charms, and a tiny Baseball trinket that's silly in a good way. It's the kind of stuff you'll notice in the hub and think, "Yep, they were here for the event."

Fast progress without burning out

If you're trying to finish before the deadline, your target choice matters more than your aim. Don't spend the whole match farming little drones unless they're literally in your way. Go where the XP is: Bastions and Leapers, plus any big encounter that pulls multiple squads together. The best runs usually happen by accident—someone starts a fight, you tag the same target, and suddenly you're sharing assist XP like you planned it. Bring healing, play a bit safer than usual, and let other people "have" the kill if it keeps the machine dropping faster. And if you're looking to round out your loadout while you're at it, ARC Raiders Items buy fits neatly into that prep-and-grind loop without changing how you queue up.