Embark Studios is overhauling Arc Raiders Expeditions, swapping out a stash-value system that rewarded hoarding for a new model tied to damage dealt during the event week. The upcoming Expedition begins April 28 and runs through May 4, giving players a 5-day window to earn skill points through combat instead of stockpiling gear.
That is a sharp break from past Expeditions, when players earned skill points for every 600,000 credits-worth of gear left in their stash when the event ended. The old setup pushed many players toward free loadouts and away from bringing valuable loot into battle. Embark said the new approach adds damage-based objectives and trials, gives players more freedom in how they complete the Expedition, and encourages them to use loot rather than sit on it.
The timing matters because Arc Raiders Expeditions are not side content. They are recurring events built to reset powerful players back to zero so the gap between higher-powered and lower-powered players does not keep growing. To take part, players must donate a massive amount of resources and valuable gear to help build a caravan that carries their character away from the city of Speranza. When the Expedition ends, they create a new character and start fresh with the items, skill points and buffs they earned from the sacrifice.
Virgil Watkins said in January that he wanted more people to get involved with Expeditions, and the new system appears aimed at doing exactly that. Embark said it knows that grinding for monetary value is not the most exciting experience, and said the goal is to make Expeditions fun rather than an endless grind. The studio also called the planned skill tree changes significant, saying the current tree does not fit the way players are actually playing the game.
The change solves one problem while opening another: whether a combat-based reward system will feel more engaging without losing the pressure that made Expeditions matter in the first place. Embark says it believes the new structure creates a fair and engaging challenge across the full 5 days. Players will find out when the next Expedition starts on April 28.
For readers following the broader reset system, the studio has already been making related adjustments, including recent patch notes that added an Acquire Resources button to speed crafting and another update on Expedition changes that cut grind and reset third-season rewards.
