ARC Raiders Expedition is an optional progression reset system that allows players to leave the Rust Belt in exchange for long-term rewards, permanent unlocks, and temporary buffs that carry into a new Raider. Instead of forcing a global wipe, Expeditions give players a limited departure window where they can choose whether to reset their progress based on how prepared they feel. By investing time and resources into building a caravan and contributing their entire stash, players can earn bonus skill points, extra storage, and account-wide advantages that stack across future Expeditions. The system is designed to respect player investment while still refreshing progression and pacing as the game evolves.
What is the Expedition
In ARC Raiders, an Expedition is an optional progression reset that allows your Raider to permanently leave the Rust Belt and begin a new journey with account-level advantages. Instead of acting as a mandatory wipe for all players, Expeditions run on a set schedule and are built around a 60-day preparation period, where you gather materials and complete a multi-stage caravan project. After the build is finished, a shorter departure window opens, and you decide whether to send your Raider out for good or hold off for a later cycle.
When you undertake an Expedition, your current Raider departs aboard the caravan you have constructed. Once the caravan leaves, most forms of character progression reset, including your level, skill tree, stash, inventory, workshop progression, and blueprints. However, certain unlocks and bonuses carry forward to your next Raider, which helps returning players restart with small but meaningful advantages. These benefits can become stronger if you continue completing Expeditions over multiple cycles, making this system a long-term progression layer rather than a one-time reset.
If you do not depart during the departure window, you are not forced into anything. Your caravan progress is preserved, and you can continue preparing and improving your stash value until a future Expedition window opens. This structure makes Expeditions more flexible than traditional wipes, since participation is based on readiness rather than a fixed, mandatory reset.
Note on Expedition cycles: Expeditions in ARC Raiders run on seasonal schedules, with requirements and rewards that may change between cycles. The information below reflects the current Expedition cycle running from December 22, 2025 to February 18, 2026, unless otherwise stated.
Current Expedition Requirements (December 22, 2025 to February 18, 2026)
Preparing for an Expedition in ARC Raiders takes place over a 60-day preparation period and is divided into six required project stages. Each stage unlocks in sequence and requires specific materials or item value contributions. All progress is account-wide, meaning any Raider can contribute toward completing the caravan.
The second Expedition cycle introduces updated material requirements while keeping the same overall structure. Players must complete all five phases before the caravan is ready to depart.
Stage 1: Foundation (1/6)
This stage focuses on building the base structure and frame of the caravan.
Required materials:
- Metal Parts x150
- Plastic Parts x200
- ARC Alloy x80
- Steel Springs x15
Stage 2: Core Systems (2/6)
This stage installs essential systems such as wiring, ventilation, and power.
Required materials:
- Durable Cloth x35
- Wires x25
- Electrical Components x20
- Cooling Coils x4
Stage 3: Framework (3/6)
This stage builds the walls and roof while defining the interior layout.
Required materials:
- Light Bulbs x4
- Batteries x30
- Shredder Gyros x10
- Exodus Module x1
Stage 4: Outfitting (4/6)
This stage adds storage, workbenches, utilities, and functional upgrades.
Required materials:
- Frequency Modulation Boxes x5
- Advanced Electrical Components x5
- Ion Sputters x3
- Leaper Pulse Units x3
Stage 5: Load Stage (5/6)
Instead of specific items, this stage requires credit value thresholds across several item categories. Any combination of items can be used as long as the total value meets the requirement.
Required item value:
- 200,000 credits worth of Combat Items
(Ammunition, Grenades, Traps, Weapons, Weapon Modifications) - 100,000 credits worth of Survival Items
(Augments, Healing Items, Quick Use Items, Shields) - 150,000 credits worth of Provisions
(Keys, Nature Items, Old World Items, Trinkets) - 300,000 credits worth of Materials
(Basic Materials, Advanced Materials, Recyclables, Refined Materials, Topside Materials)
Stage 6: Departure (6/6)
Once all previous stages are complete, the caravan is ready to leave. When the Expedition departure window opens, you may choose to send your Raider beyond the Rust Belt permanently.
Key details at departure:
- All remaining items in your stash are automatically contributed to the Expedition
- Total stash value, including coins, determines bonus skill points for your next Raider
- 1,000,000 credits of value equals 1 bonus skill point
- Maximum of 5 bonus skill points
If you choose not to depart during the window, all caravan progress is preserved and carries over to the next Expedition cycle.
What are the rewards of the Expedition #2
Completing an Expedition in ARC Raiders grants a mix of permanent account unlocks and temporary gameplay buffs that apply to your next Raider. These rewards are designed to provide long-term progression without creating an overwhelming advantage, especially since each Expedition requires a full reset of character progress.
Permanent rewards
Permanent rewards are unlocked once an Expedition is completed and remain on your account for all future Raiders.
These include:
- Expedition-exclusive cosmetic items (Not yet announced)
- Expedition indicator icon
- Bonus skill points based on stash value at departure
- +12 stash slots
Bonus skill points are calculated using the total value of all items and coins in your stash at the time the departure window closes. For every 1,000,000 credits of combined value, your next Raider earns one bonus skill point, up to a maximum of five. These bonus skill points persist across future resets and stack with additional Expeditions.
Temporary buffs
In addition to permanent unlocks, each completed Expedition grants temporary account-wide buffs that apply to your next Raider. These buffs last until the next Expedition cycle unless another Expedition is completed.
Temporary buffs include:
- 10 percent reduced repair costs
- 5 percent increased experience gain
- 6 percent more materials received from Scrappy
These temporary buffs can stack up to three times if you complete Expeditions in consecutive cycles. However, if you skip an Expedition window and do not depart, all temporary buffs are lost, even though permanent rewards remain.
Overall, the reward structure encourages long-term engagement with the Expedition system while still allowing players to opt out without permanently falling behind.
What happens when you complete the Expedition
When you complete an Expedition in ARC Raiders, your current Raider permanently leaves the Rust Belt, and a new Raider is created to begin the next cycle. At this point, much of your character-specific progression is reset, while certain account-level progress and Expedition rewards carry forward. The reset is immediate and tied directly to your decision to depart during the Expedition window.
Most forms of progression are wiped. Your player level, skill tree, stash contents, inventory items, coins, blueprints, quests, and workshop upgrades are reset. While the workshop itself remains unlocked, it returns to level one and must be rebuilt through normal gameplay. This ensures that every Expedition restart begins from a clean economic and progression baseline.
At the same time, several key elements are preserved. Unlocked maps, workshop stations, codex entries, cosmetics, trials, active leaderboards, personal event progress, and Raider deck progress all remain available. Any bonus skill points and additional stash slots earned through Expeditions are immediately applied to your new Raider, allowing you to invest in the skill tree earlier than usual.
To reduce friction during the restart, the game skips the initial onboarding sequence after your first Expedition. All maps and base workshop access are available right away, meaning you do not need to repeat early unlock steps just to regain access to core systems. While you still begin with no gear or resources, the restart is streamlined compared to a brand-new account.
In practice, completing an Expedition resets moment-to-moment progression while preserving long-term account identity. The goal is not to erase your achievements, but to let experienced players re-enter the game loop with slightly better efficiency and fewer early-game barriers.
Is it worth it?
Whether the Expedition system is worth engaging with depends heavily on how much time a player can commit to ARC Raiders. From a practical standpoint, the immediate payoff is limited. Reaching the maximum reward of five bonus skill points requires a combined stash and coin value of 5 million credits, which represents a significant time investment. For many players, that level of accumulation takes dozens of hours, especially without focusing exclusively on high-value farming.
There is also the cost of lost progression to consider. Completing an Expedition resets all blueprints, which can be a major setback for players who have already collected most or all of them. With more than 70 blueprints available and their locations based on random spawns, rebuilding that collection can take a long time. Losing access to high-tier blueprints after a reset can slow early progression and make the restart feel repetitive rather than rewarding.
For highly dedicated players, the system makes more sense. Hardcore players who regularly invest large amounts of time can benefit from stacking temporary buffs, permanent stash space, and earlier access to skill points. Over multiple Expeditions, these advantages can compound and slightly smooth out future progression cycles. For players who enjoy optimization and long-term planning, Expeditions offer a clear, if gradual, sense of account growth.
For more casual players, however, the value is less clear. The progress wipe outweighs the benefits, especially when the rewards do not meaningfully change early-game difficulty or pacing. In its current form, the Expedition system appears better suited to long-term, highly engaged players rather than those who play intermittently or prefer steady progression without resets.
Conclusion
The Expedition system in ARC Raiders is a thoughtful attempt to address long-term progression without relying on mandatory global wipes. By making resets optional and tying rewards to preparation and commitment, the developers give players control over when and how they start over. The structure respects player choice, even if the current rewards may feel modest compared to the amount of progress that is reset.
As the system evolves through future updates and balance changes, Expeditions may become more appealing, especially if rewards are expanded or blueprint progression is adjusted. For now, it remains a feature aimed primarily at the most dedicated players, while casual Raiders can safely ignore it without falling behind.
If you are planning to invest serious time into ARC Raiders, having the right hardware can make a meaningful difference. The Acer Store offers a wide range of gaming laptops and desktops, including the Predator and Nitro series, built to handle long sessions, fast load times, and demanding combat scenarios. Whether you are grinding materials or pushing into high-risk zones, upgrading your setup through the Acer Store can help you get the most out of every raid.
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