What to know
- Expired Respirators are rare medical loot needed for Trophy Display Stage 2.
- You need three respirators to complete the stage.
- The Testing Annex in Dam Battlegrounds is the most efficient farming spot.
- Completing the stage rewards Photoelectric Cloaks, which are significantly more valuable.
In ARC Raiders, some progression roadblocks aren’t about combat skill but about knowing where to look. The Expired Respirator is a perfect example. It’s not flashy, it’s not powerful on its own, but it’s a hard requirement for Stage 2 of the Trophy Display project, and many players get stuck simply because they search the wrong locations.
Why Expired Respirators matter in Headwinds
The Trophy Display project is designed to push you into specific map zones and loot categories. Stage 2 asks for three Expired Respirators, which are classified as medical items, meaning they only spawn in areas with medical-themed loot tables. While the masks themselves have limited standalone value, turning them in unlocks Photoelectric Cloaks, a reward that is far more useful for survival and trading.
Because of this imbalance between effort and reward, knowing efficient spawn locations dramatically reduces wasted raids.
ARC Raiders Expired Respirator farming locations
| Location | Map | Risk level | Loot focus | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Testing Annex | Dam Battlegrounds | Low–Medium | Medical | Very high |
| Hospital | Buried City | High | Medical | Medium |
Testing Annex in Dam Battlegrounds
The Testing Annex is widely considered the best location in the entire game for finding Expired Respirators. It’s a compact medical facility located in the southeastern section of the Dam Battlegrounds. What makes it so effective is density. You’re not relying on a single container but on a cluster of medical loot sources packed into a small footprint.
Inside the building, you should thoroughly check filing cabinets, desks, medical shelves, and lockers. These containers all pull from medical loot tables, which dramatically increases the chance of respirator spawns. Because the Annex is small, you can clear it quickly, extract, and repeat without committing to long or risky runs.
Many players report finding all three required respirators within just a few successful runs, making this location ideal even for solo players or lightly geared characters.
Hospital in Buried City
If the Testing Annex isn’t cooperating, the hospital in Buried City serves as a secondary option. Like the Annex, it features medical containers and shelves that can spawn Expired Respirators. However, the environment itself is far more dangerous.
Buried City has higher ARC enemy density, tighter interior spaces, and a much greater chance of encountering hostile players. The hospital is also larger, which means longer exposure time and more opportunities for things to go wrong. While it can still yield respirators, the risk-to-reward ratio is noticeably worse compared to Dam Battlegrounds.
This location is best approached if you’re already comfortable with Buried City routes or if the Testing Annex has been heavily contested during your play sessions.
Location-focused search strategy
When farming Expired Respirators, efficiency matters more than full-map exploration. Enter with a clear goal: reach the medical facility, loot quickly, extract immediately. Avoid unnecessary engagements unless forced, as dying with a respirator delays progress significantly.
If you’re running multiple attempts, it’s better to do short, focused raids rather than one long scavenging run. The smaller footprint of the Testing Annex supports this playstyle perfectly.
Trophy Display Stage 2 rewards
| Requirement | Quantity | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Expired Respirator | 3 | Photoelectric Cloaks |
The reward is the real reason this grind is worth it. Photoelectric Cloaks are more valuable and useful than the respirators themselves, making Stage 2 one of the most efficient progression checkpoints in the project chain.
Farming Expired Respirators
Expired Respirators feel rare until you understand their spawn logic. Once you focus on medical-specific locations, especially the Testing Annex in Dam Battlegrounds, the grind becomes manageable and predictable. Avoid overextending into high-risk zones unless necessary, prioritize fast extractions, and you’ll clear Trophy Display Stage 2 far sooner than expected.
