Everything that happens when you do an Expedition Project in Arc Raiders

While Arc Raiders doesn't have traditional extraction shooter wipes like Escape from Tarkov, it's not ignoring those who like this kind of 'back to basics' gameplay loop. This is where the Expedition system comes in, letting you reset much of your progress roughly every eight weeks for extra benefits, similar to prestige mode in Call of Duty.

With such high stakes but great rewards on the line, it's important to know what you're getting into if you're contemplating sending your raider on an Expedition. That's especially true since Embark keeps tweaking the system.

Below, I'll go over how to go on an Expedition, everything you'll need to prepare, and what progress is kept and what's lost.

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Rory Norris

I knew Arc Raiders was my jam ever since I played an early preview build and got my arse handed to me by some terrifyingly smart robots. Since then, I've spent well over 100 hours surviving Topside, and plenty more scrawling through the latest patch notes to see what's changed in the meta.

Meanwhile, my brave colleague Sean Martin has embarked on every Expedition since launch, routinely getting back on the loot-chase treadmill.

Arc Raiders Expedition schedule

The third Expedition Project in Arc Raiders runs from March 2 to April 29, where you'll then have until May 11 to fully depart:

• March 2: Caravan construction and supply phases available
• April 29 - May 4: Finalisation phase opens to confirm whether you're going forward with the expedition
• May 11: Completed caravans depart

Latest Arc Raiders Expedition material requirements

The materials you need to donate change based on how many Expeditions you've completed, as each new one has different requirements and associated rewards.

You'll need the following materials to complete the third Expedition Project:

The keen eyed among you will notice that the Loading phase has changed from the first two Expeditions. The bonus skill points you can earn during this phase is now based on dealing up to 100,000 damage, rather than hoarding valuable gear.

Previous Expedition materials

Those who aren't up to date with their Expeditions will have to catch up, so it's handy to know the past material requirements. Take note that if you're playing catch up for any bonus skill points, this will still follow the old system, where you'll need to hoard gear:

• Combat items include guns, grenades, ammo, and attachments
• Survival items include shields, augments, medical items, and other tools
• Provisions include Nature items, trinkets, keys, and other miscellaneous items
• Materials means effectively any crafting resources and recyclables

What happens when you depart on an Expedition in Arc Raiders?

Once you complete the necessary steps to embark on an Expedition, much of your progress will be reset, though you'll keep cosmetics and gain rewards and advantages that carry over to your next character until the following Expedition cycle. If you're a hardcore raider, these advantages can be increased by sending characters on up to three future Expeditions.

When you depart on an Expedition:

Lastly, you'll gain the following permanent benefits by sending a raider on an Expedition, based on how many you've completed so far:

As well as these temporary benefits at the start of the new season, scaling on consecutive completed Expeditions:

• Repair buff
• XP boost
• More materials from Scrappy

Arc Raiders Expeditions explained

Expeditions is Arc Raiders' approach to server wipes, giving you an optional way to retire your raiders and 'prestige' your account, losing most progression in the process.

To begin an Expedition for the first time, you need to reach level 20, then head to the 'raider' section of the main menu and select 'projects', where you'll see the Expedition Project option. Starting this begins the caravan construction process to send your raider beyond the Rust Belt. If you're returning from a previous Expedition, then you can start the new one straight away.

From here, you can commit various materials towards the construction of your Expedition caravan across five stages. Keep in mind that once you've committed materials to the project, they can't be retrieved.

Only once you've completed these preparation steps can you officially send your raider on their merry way, never to be seen again.

Importantly, Expeditions run on a roughly eight-week schedule, so you'll have 60 days to gather resources to build your caravan and supply it, and then just a seven-day window to depart.

Missing a departure window means losing its buffs until the next Expedition cycle, though if your project isn't complete by the time the construction phase ends, your progress will be kept until the next finalisation window. So, plan your contributions and availability in advance to avoid wasting precious time or resources.

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