What Is the Arc Raiders Expedition?
The expedition is Arc Raiders' core seasonal progression system. Every 45–60 days, a departure window opens and players who have built their caravan can send their Raider beyond the Rust Belt. Your character resets, but your account earns permanent rewards — extra stash slots, cosmetics, and most importantly, Skill Points that give your next Raider a head start from day one.
The amount of permanent Skill Points you earn is based on the total stash value (items + coins) you have accumulated when you depart. The more you've accumulated, the more Skill Points carry forward. Everything else — your stash items, coins, and Raider level — is consumed by the expedition itself.
Think of it as the game's prestige system: you sacrifice your current progress in exchange for permanent account-wide upgrades that compound with every expedition you complete.
How the Expedition Works
The expedition runs in three phases over each cycle:
1. Build Phase (~60 days): The caravan project is available from the start of the cycle. Complete all 6 stages by donating specific materials — this is the hands-on part. Stage progress is saved and carries between cycles, so you don't need to finish everything in one go.
2. Sign-Up Window (~5 days before departure): Once Embark opens sign-ups, you register your intent to depart. You can continue accumulating stash value right up until departure day — your coins and items at departure time are what counts.
3. Departure Day: The window opens on a set date (March 2 for Expedition 2 at 08:00 UTC). When you choose to depart, all stash items and remaining coins are converted into your total Stash value. You receive permanent Skill Points based on that value, then your next Raider begins with all permanent rewards already unlocked.
You don't have to depart. The expedition is optional — you can skip any cycle without losing permanent rewards already earned. However, skipping resets your consecutive buff stack (XP boost, Scrappy material bonus, repair value bonus), so there's a meaningful cost to breaking the streak.
The 6 Expedition Stages
The caravan project has 5 material stages followed by a Departure stage. Materials are donated permanently — you cannot retrieve them. Each expedition cycle may change some material requirements, so check the specific guide for the current expedition.
Stage 1 — Foundation
Building the base structure and frame of the caravan. Requires Metal Parts, Plastic Parts (Rubber Parts in Exp 1), ARC Alloy, and Steel Springs. Metal Parts are found in breachable cabinets, metal crates, and car hoods. Plastic Parts drop from cabinets, drawers, and lockers.
Stage 2 — Core Systems
Wiring, ventilation, and power. Requires Durable Cloth, Wires, Electrical Components, and Cooling Coils (Cooling Fan in Exp 1). Electrical Components are common drops in industrial areas. Cooling Coils are rarer — check workshops and utility rooms.
Stage 3 — Framework
Walls, roof, and interior layout. Requires Light Bulbs, Batteries, Shredder Gyros (Exp 2+), and Exodus Modules. Shredder Gyros are the gating item — they only drop from Shredder enemies on Stella Montis (northern/eastern areas: Lobby, Business Center, Assembly Workshop, Cargo Docks). Plan on 10+ kills minimum.
Stage 4 — Outfitting
Storage, workbenches, and utilities. Exp 2 requires Frequency Modulation Box, Advanced Electrical Components, Ion Sputters, and Leaper Pulse Units. FMBs and Ion Sputters are Stella Montis exclusives (Exodus POIs, Medical Research). Leaper Pulse Units drop from Leaper enemies.
Stage 5 — Load Stage (Cash Equivalent)
Unlike the earlier stages, Stage 5 doesn't require specific items — it requires items of a set total cash value across four categories. For Expedition 2 the targets are: Combat Items (200,000 value), Survival Items (100,000), Provisions (150,000), and Materials (300,000) — 750,000 total. Use our recycling calculator on the live status page to plan which items contribute to each category.
Stage 6 — Departure
Once the departure window opens, you choose when to send your Raider off. Your total stash item value plus wallet balance at that moment determines your Skill Point rewards. After departing, your next Raider inherits all permanent bonuses immediately.
For full stage-by-stage requirements with exact quantities: Expedition 1 requirements · Expedition 2 requirements
Arc Raiders Expedition Wipe & Reset — What Carries Over
The following account elements are not affected by the expedition — they stay on your account permanently regardless of how many times you reset:
The following are consumed by the expedition — lost on departure in exchange for your permanent rewards:
Expedition Rewards Explained
Expedition rewards come in two types: permanent (yours forever, stack every expedition) and consecutive (stack only if you depart on back-to-back expeditions — reset if you skip one).
Permanent Rewards (stack each expedition)
Skill Points are the most valuable reward. Each expedition offers up to 5 Skill Points based on your stash value at departure. These are spent in the Skill Tree and give your next Raider access to critical perks immediately on spawn. In Expedition 2, each point costs 600,000 stash value (down from 1M in Exp 1).
Stash Slots expand your storage permanently. Expedition 1 gave +12 slots; Expedition 2 stacks to +24 total. These are permanent even if you skip future expeditions.
Cosmetics — the Patchwork outfit evolves with each expedition, gaining new toggles and color options. New Scrappy cosmetics and an upgraded Expedition Indicator icon are also awarded.
Consecutive Expedition Buffs (reset if you skip)
These increase with each consecutive expedition you complete: XP Boost (5% → 10%), Scrappy Materials Boost (6% → 12%), and Repair Value Increase (60% → 70%). They apply during your fresh Raider's leveling phase, making the early grind noticeably smoother. Skipping one expedition resets all three to zero.
Catch-Up System (Expedition 2+)
Introduced in Expedition 2: if you missed Skill Points from a previous expedition, you can recover them at a discounted rate of 300,000 stash value per missed point — half the standard cost. Your coins contribute to current expedition points first, then roll over to cover missed ones. This system may not be available indefinitely in future expeditions.