Turnabout Arc Raiders Guide: How to Complete Celeste’s Quest at the Spaceport Trench Tower

If you’ve been running contracts for Celeste in ARC Raiders, you already know her jobs tend to be more about leverage than brute force. The Turnabout quest is a perfect example. Instead of hauling loot or wiping ARC machines, you’re sent to do something far more personal: upload blackmail files against OTTM from deep inside the Spaceport.

On paper, Turnabout looks simple. In practice, a missing key, bad raid timing, or poor positioning can easily turn it into a frustrating run. This guide breaks down exactly how to complete Turnabout in Arc Raiders, where to go, how to deal with the Trench Tower, and what to do if the Spaceport Trench Tower Key refuses to show up.

If you’re newer to ARC Raiders, or just want to get in and out clean without losing gear, this walkthrough will save you time and nerves.

Turnabout Quest Overview in Arc Raiders

Turnabout becomes available after completing Digging Up Dirt, another Celeste quest that introduces you to her style of operations. Once unlocked, Turnabout sends you to the Spaceport map, specifically the North Trench Tower, where a yellow terminal holds sensitive files Celeste wants uploaded.

Your objectives are straightforward.

Go to the North Trench Tower
Locate and upload the blackmail files to Celeste

There’s no extraction item requirement tied to the upload itself, which makes this quest more forgiving than it looks. Once the upload is complete, the progress sticks even if you get knocked out afterward.

That said, surviving the tower still matters if you want to walk away with loot and avoid repair costs.

How to Start the Turnabout Quest

Head to Speranza and talk to Celeste once Turnabout becomes available in her quest list. When you accept the quest, the game is supposed to grant you a Spaceport Trench Tower Key automatically.

Before jumping into a raid, open your stash and check the Keys section. If the key is there, move it into your raid inventory. This step matters. If the key stays in your stash, it won’t come with you into the match.

If the key is missing, don’t panic yet. We’ll cover fixes for that later.

Once the key is in your loadout, queue into a Spaceport raid.

Finding the North Trench Tower on the Spaceport Map

The North Trench Tower sits at the northernmost edge of Spaceport, positioned between the western and eastern hangars. If you’ve played Spaceport a few times, you’ve probably passed by it without realizing how important it becomes later.

As you approach, be alert. The surrounding area can spawn Pops, Fireballs, and occasionally heavier ARC units depending on modifiers. This is not a place you want to sprint through carelessly, especially if another Raider squad is already nearby.

Once you reach the tower, you’ll see a locked door at its base.

Opening the Spaceport Trench Tower Door

Use the Spaceport Trench Tower Key to unlock the door. The key works for both trench towers on the map, so don’t worry about which one you’re standing in front of.

Before heading inside, listen. If you hear ARC movement or projectile fire, enemies are already active within. Clearing the ground floor first is important, because getting staggered while climbing stairs is how most players lose armor here.

Clearing the Tower Safely

Inside the tower, expect tight spaces and vertical combat. Pops and Fireballs can chip away at you fast if you ignore them.

Clear enemies methodically. Use corners. Don’t rush the staircase until the lower floor is quiet.

Once clear, head up the stairs toward the upper level.

Uploading the Blackmail Files in Turnabout

At the top of the tower, look around the upper platform until you spot the yellow terminal. It’s hard to miss once you’re in the right spot.

Interact with the terminal to upload the blackmail files against OTTM. The upload completes quickly, and once it’s done, the Turnabout quest objective is fulfilled.

At this point, the quest is essentially finished even if things go sideways later. Still, extracting successfully is recommended so you can turn it in immediately.

While you’re here, take a moment to loot. The North Trench Tower can spawn a weapon crate on the same floor as the terminal, often tucked into a corner. If RNG is kind, you might walk out with solid gear or weapon parts.

What to Do If the Spaceport Trench Tower Key Is Missing

This is where most players get stuck, so let’s clear it up.

Sometimes, the Spaceport Trench Tower Key doesn’t appear after accepting Turnabout. This is usually due to stash space issues or delayed quest rewards.

First, open your stash and free up several slots if it’s nearly full. Quest keys may not appear if there’s no room.

Next, run one or two raids after accepting Turnabout, then recheck your Keys section. In many cases, the key shows up after a raid refresh.

If it still doesn’t appear, you have alternatives.
You may also like Arc Raiders Flickering Threat Quest Complete Guide

Finding a Trench Tower Key as Loot

The Dam Battlegrounds map is a reliable place to find Trench Keys. One of the best known spawn points is the Ruby Residence on the west side of the map. Check the first floor, specifically the innermost room with shelving near the bed.

Keys don’t spawn every run, so expect some RNG. One or two keys per match is normal.

Once you loot a Spaceport Trench Tower Key, move it to your raid inventory and head back to Spaceport.

Completing Turnabout Without a Key

Here’s a veteran tip a lot of newer players miss.

You don’t actually need to be the one who opens the tower door.

If another Raider has already unlocked the North Trench Tower, the door will stay open for the rest of the match. You can walk right in, climb to the top, and interact with the terminal as usual.

This makes Turnabout possible even with zero keys, as long as your timing is lucky.

Best Time to Run the Turnabout Quest

If you want to maximize value, run Turnabout during night raids or during electromagnetic shock events. These modifiers increase loot density behind locked doors and reduce visibility, which helps solo players avoid detection.

The tower becomes more than just a quest stop during these conditions. It turns into a legitimate farming spot for weapon parts and ammo.

Turnabout Quest Rewards

Once you extract and return to Speranza, open the Trader tab and talk to Celeste to finish the quest.

Your rewards for completing Turnabout in Arc Raiders are:

Two Heavy Gun Parts
Two Medium Gun Parts

These parts are valuable early and mid-game, especially if you’re upgrading weapons or trading for better loadouts. Combined with tower loot, Turnabout punches above its weight for a relatively quick quest.

Why Turnabout Matters in Arc Raiders Progression

Turnabout isn’t just filler content. It teaches several important ARC Raiders habits.

Checking your stash before raids
Understanding shared world interactions
Learning key locations on Spaceport
Managing vertical combat safely

It also reinforces Celeste’s role as a trader who deals in information rather than firepower, which becomes more relevant in later questlines.

If you’re building up your stash, this is also a good point in the game to start thinking about long term gearing. Efficient questing paired with smart trading can reduce the need to grind endlessly, especially if you occasionally supplement your progression with trusted marketplaces for Arc Raiders items such as G4mmo.

Final Tips From a Veteran Raider

Don’t rush the tower. Most deaths here happen on the stairs.
Always clear below before climbing.
Listen for ARC movement above you.
Loot after the upload, not before.

Turnabout is one of those quests that feels trivial once you’ve done it, but it punishes impatience hard. Play it clean, and it becomes one of the smoother Celeste jobs in the game.

If you’re progressing through ARC Raiders and want consistent results without burning gear every run, mastering quests like Turnabout is where that confidence starts.