Finishing The Stench of Corruption in Arc Raiders
The Stench of Corruption is one of those Arc Raiders quests that sounds simple on paper but can easily waste a whole session if you do not know exactly where to go. Between the oddly placed staff locker room and the maze like tunnels under the Spaceport, it is easy to get turned around.
This guide walks you through the full quest in one go. It is written so even new Arc Raiders players can follow along without having every corner of the map memorised.
Finding the Staff Locker Room in the Departure Building
The first half of the quest takes place in the Departure Building near the centre of the map. You are looking for a saboteur and your first objective is to reach the staff locker room and search it for clues.
Here is how to get there without wandering in circles:
- Open your map and locate the Launch Towers in the central area.
- Look just west of the Launch Towers to find the large Departure Building.
- Approach the Departure Building from the south. You are aiming for the southern section that juts out from the main structure.
- Enter through this southern entrance. This is effectively the southwestern lobby of the Departure Building.
Once you are inside this southwestern lobby, the game will update your objective to find the staff locker room. From here:
- Follow the main walkway heading north from the point where you entered.
- Watch the doors on your left side as you move up the corridor.
- Look for a door clearly marked Staff Room.
Step through this door to enter the staff locker room. Your objective now changes to searching the room for any clues about the saboteur.
What you actually need is not lying on a desk or glowing in the middle of the room. Instead, focus on the right hand side as you move deeper into the locker room.
- Continue along the room until you see two hazard suits hanging on a rack to your right.
- Move up close to the suits and look for a yellow interaction prompt.
- Interact with the suits to reveal the Flushing Terminal Key.
Pick up the Flushing Terminal Key and stash it in your inventory. If you have a safe pocket available, use that so you do not lose it if things go badly. The quest needs to be completed in a single round, but even if you die and drop the key you should be able to get it again by repeating this step in a fresh run.
If you want to play it safer, you can also bring a free loadout since this objective does not require any rare or specialised gear. The important part is keeping yourself alive long enough to reach the tunnels and use the key.
Using the Flushing Terminal Key in the Spaceport Tunnels
With the key secured, the next part of The Stench of Corruption moves you to the tunnels beneath the Spaceport. You might recognise this underground area from other quests such as Switching the Supply or The Clean Dream, but you can still complete this quest even if you have never been down there before.
Start from the Launch Towers again, since they sit almost directly above the area you need.
- Head to the area in front of the Launch Towers.
- Look for a damaged section of concrete with a hole leading down into the tunnels.
- Drop through this hole to enter the underground corridor network.
Once you are in the tunnels you are looking for a Flushing Terminal where you can use the key. These terminals are located in small control rooms that branch off from the main walkway.
To finish the quest, you only need to use the key at one terminal, and the objective text specifically states that you can use it on any Flushing Terminal. That means any of the qualifying terminals in these side rooms should work.
Navigate along the main corridor until you spot small control rooms off to either side connected by short walkways. Head into one of these rooms and look for the terminal.
- Enter a control room off the main tunnel walkway.
- Locate the Flushing Terminal inside. It will resemble the consoles you have seen earlier in other quests, and the game should highlight it once you get close.
- Interact with the terminal and confirm you want to use the Flushing Terminal Key.
Activating the terminal with the key completes the main objective for The Stench of Corruption. You do not need to visit multiple terminals. Using the key on a single eligible console is enough to finish the task.
As soon as the terminal interaction is done and the quest tracker updates, you can make your way back to the surface and return to Shani.
Turning in the Quest and What You Get
With the sabotage handled and the system flushed via the terminal, your final step is to head back to Shani. Turn in The Stench of Corruption and you will receive your reward for seeing the job through.
One of the standout rewards for this quest is the Warden outfit, a cosmetic that lets you show off that you braved the Spaceport tunnels and tracked down the saboteur’s trail. Combined with the progress you have already made in other Arc Raiders missions such as Field Depots, Field Crates, Greasing Her Palms, and the various expedition quests, this helps round out both your look and your experience in the game.
By following these steps in a single run, you avoid all the usual pain points that slow players down with this quest. Enter from the south side of the Departure Building, grab the Flushing Terminal Key from the hazard suits in the staff locker room, then dive into the tunnels in front of the Launch Towers and use any qualifying Flushing Terminal. Once that is done, it is just a quick trip back to Shani to claim your Warden outfit and move on to the next challenge.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-the-stench-of-corruption-walkthrough/
