Embark Studios has announced that the upcoming fifth Expedition for its extraction shooter, Arc Raiders, will be the final iteration of the system until early 2027. The decision comes after careful review of player feedback, which highlighted issues concerning tight departure windows, the reward structure, and accessibility for new players. Embark has stated that these concerns require more than incremental fixes and necessitate larger-scale changes.
Expedition Schedule and Changes
The fifth Expedition is scheduled to open on September 8 and will conclude on September 29, offering a three-week window for players. Unlike previous Expeditions, this period will not feature a "last call" grace period, meaning players must sign up within the defined window. Quest progress, which was previously mandatory to reset, will now be opt-in. However, the Hullcracker Blueprint, typically tied to this quest line, will require an alternative unlock method.
Rewards and Buffs
Completing the fifth Expedition will grant players the full Zenith Outfit, mystery rewards, and an increase of up to 12 stash spaces, bringing the total capacity to 60. Bonus skill points will now cap at 15, with options for players to catch up on any missed points from earlier Expeditions. Consecutive buffs, such as the XP boost, Scrappy materials boost, and repair value increase, are capped at three stacked levels. The studio confirmed that any earned consecutive buffs will persist even during the pause period to prevent progress loss.
Players who have completed all five Expeditions will have the Zenith Outfit fully unlocked. With the reset of Caravans, any partially completed Caravans will be replaced by Ermal Vouchers of equal value. These vouchers can be used to purchase items from Ermal offers, combined with ARC Parts and firearms trade, or sold for Coin.
Trials and Future Updates
In parallel, the game's Trials mode will also undergo a shorter break. The current season concludes on September 22, with the mode set to return on October 8. Embark Studios plans to share more details regarding the specific changes coming to Expeditions in September. Last month, Arc Raiders introduced a long-requested feature allowing players to track their playstyle separately for Solo, Duo, and Trio matchmaking pools.