Expeditions

An Expedition is ARC Raiders' optional prestige reset, trading your level, stash, skills and blueprints for permanent bonuses and temporary buffs. Five have run, the last from Sep 8 to 29, 2026. None is running or dated now: Embark says Expeditions return in early 2027 with major changes.

An Expedition is the optional reset of ARC Raiders: you build a Caravan, sign up inside a set window, and depart, giving up your Skill Tree, level, stash, Workshop, crafting and blueprints in exchange for permanent bonuses and temporary buffs. None is running or dated as of Oct 31, 2026. Five windows ran, the last from Sep 8 to Sep 29, 2026, and Embark says that was the last one "until early 2027, when Expeditions will return with major improvements". So the question "should I do the Expedition" has no live answer today: there is nothing to sign up for, and the rewards of the return are unannounced.

High view of a person in a white coat beside a giant metal drum among tools and parts. — A worker reaches into a huge cutaway cylinder of machinery, in Embark's post Preparing for your Second Expedition Embark Studios

Quick facts

Current state	Paused, returning early 2027 (no date)
Last window	Sep 8 to 29, 2026
Required	Finished Caravan, plus a sign-up inside the window
Stash bonus	+12 each, up to 60
Bonus Skill Points	Up to 15 in total
Consecutive buffs	Capped at three levels
Final outfit reward	Zenith, fully unlocked after five
Skippable	Yes, always opt-in

Sources: The 5th Expedition, Aug 21, 2026; The Fourth Expedition, Jun 25, 2026.

What resets and what stays

These rules are as Embark stated them for the windows that ran. It has said the return brings bigger changes, so they may not carry over.

Resets	Stays
Skill Tree	Cosmetics
Level	Raider Deck progress (decks retired Oct 8, 2026)
Stash	Unlocked map regions
Workshop	Leaderboard position and Trials
Crafting abilities	Codex entries
Blueprints	Raider Tokens
Quests, only if you opted in (since 1.45.0)	Trophy Display project

Sources: The Expedition Project is departing soon, Dec 6, 2025; Preparing for your Second Expedition, Feb 5, 2026; Live Update 1.45.0, Sep 8, 2026.

The first-time onboarding is skipped, so all maps and Workshop upgrades are available right after the reset. Expeditions are personal and run in order: a player on a first Expedition gets the first Expedition's rewards, whichever window it is. Finishing the Caravan does not count as signing up. Embark's Expedition steps were: complete the Caravan, wait for the window, sign up, complete the challenge, catch up on missed points, depart.

The five Expeditions

Number	Window	Main challenge	Main reward
First	Dec 17 to 22, 2025	Stash value: 1 Skill Point per 1 million, up to 5	Patchwork outfit, Scrappy Janitor Cap, +12 stash
Second	Sign-up from Feb 25, departure Mar 1, 2026	Stash value: 600,000 per point, 3 million for 5	Patchwork toggles and colors, Scrappy outfit, +12 stash
Third	Apr 28 to May 11, 2026	Damage: 5,000, 10,000, 30,000, 50,000, 100,000 for 5 points	Full Patchwork, Scrappy Turban, +12 stash
Fourth	Jul 7 to 21, 2026	Same damage steps, for Mystery Rewards	First level of Zenith, +12 stash
Fifth	Sep 8 to 29, 2026	Mystery Rewards again	Zenith complete, +12 stash, 60 in total

Sources: First, Dec 6, 2025; Second, Feb 5, 2026; Third, Apr 17, 2026; Fourth, Jun 25, 2026; Fifth, Aug 21, 2026.

First. Stash and Coins were valued as the window closed. Embark's first target was about 5 million for all 5 points.

Second. After complaints, Embark cut the target to 3 million and added catch-up at 300,000 per missed point. A second-timer could reach 85 Skill Points in total, a figure from before the Frozen Trail tree rework.

Third. Skill Points came from damage instead, with any weapon or gadget against any target except the practice range. Embark's scale: 100,000 damage is about 20 Bastions. The post says both "five day" and "13 days"; the extended dates give 13. It also added Last Call, a pop-up offering a late sign-up with no Skill Points.

Fourth. Mystery Rewards replaced Skill Points: one temporary Blueprint and 150 Raider Tokens per objective, with no catch-up. The pool held 25 Blueprints, including the Venator, Bettina, Tempest, Vulcano, Aphelion and Snap Hook; these reset at the next departure, while the tokens are permanent. A bug signed people up automatically on reaching 100,000 damage, and Embark reverted those sign-ups from Jul 17.

Fifth. The window grew from two weeks to three, Last Call went away, and the quest reset became optional. Embark promised the Hullcracker Blueprint, formerly tied to the quest line, other sources. Everyone who finished the fifth got the missing Zenith toggles in 2.1.0.

A poster with three columns of reward text and a Raider in white armor at right. — Embark's chart of the third, fourth and fifth Expeditions and their rewards, beside the Zenith outfit Embark Studios

Bonuses and buffs

Bonus	Kept when	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3 (cap)
Stash slots	Permanent	+12 per Expedition, 60 at the fifth
Bonus Skill Points	Permanent	Up to 5 per Expedition, 15 in total
XP boost	While departing in a row	5%	10%	15%
Scrappy materials boost	While departing in a row	6%	12%	18%
Repair value increase	While departing in a row	60%	70%	80%

Sources: A Triumphant Exit, Apr 17, 2026; The Fourth Expedition, Jun 25, 2026.

One conflict in Embark's own posts: the first Expedition's post lists a 10% repair buff, and later posts give 60% as level one. A missed window pauses the buff for that period and stops it rising, though earlier posts said it would reset. See Stash for slot totals and Skill Tree for points.

The pause

On Aug 21, 2026 Embark said tight departure windows, the reward structure and access for new players "need more than incremental fixes". During the pause:

Embark promised details of the changes in September, but no Steam post through Oct 27, 2026 gives them. Insider Gaming suggested the revamp could arrive with the next major update, which Embark has not confirmed. See What Comes Next.

Frequently asked questions

When is the next ARC Raiders Expedition? Embark says only early 2027, with no date as of Oct 31, 2026. The fifth window closed on Sep 29, 2026.

Should I do the Expedition in ARC Raiders? You cannot right now, since none is open. When they return the deal may differ, as Embark promises major changes. Up to the fifth, the trade was a full reset for up to 60 stash slots, 15 Skill Points and rising buffs.

What do you lose in an ARC Raiders Expedition? Your Skill Tree, level, stash, Workshop, crafting and blueprints. Cosmetics, tokens, map regions and Trials stay. Quests reset only if you choose since Sep 8, 2026.

What are ARC Raiders Expedition rewards? Permanent stash slots and Skill Points, outfits such as Patchwork and Zenith, and buffs to XP, Scrappy materials and repairs for those who depart in a row, as of the fifth Expedition.

Are Expeditions forced in ARC Raiders? No. They are opt-in: if you do not depart, your Caravan progress was saved under the original rules. There are no forced wipes.

Do my ARC Raiders Expedition buffs expire during the pause? No. Embark says consecutive buffs persist during the pause.