ARC Raiders’ fifth Expedition will begin on September 8 and run for three weeks, with Embark Studios introducing several changes based on player feedback before putting the Expedition system on hold until early 2027.
The fifth Expedition window opens on September 8 at 1PM CEST, 11AM UTC and 4AM PT, and closes on September 29 at 10AM CEST, 8AM UTC and 1AM PT. Unlike previous Expeditions, there will be no Last Call period, meaning players must sign up during the scheduled window if they want to depart.
The Expedition window has also been extended from 2 weeks to 3 weeks. Players will still need to complete their Caravan, wait for the window to open and then sign up before completing the required challenge to earn the associated rewards.
One of the biggest changes is that players will be able to choose whether their quest progress is reset. Embark says this change is intended to address feedback that repeating the quest line after every Expedition can become repetitive. Because the Hullcracker Blueprint has previously been tied to the quest line, the developer says alternative ways to obtain it will also be introduced.
The fifth Expedition will offer the complete Zenith Outfit, mystery rewards, up to 12 additional stash spaces and bonus skill points. Expedition skill point bonuses are capped at 15, while players on their second, third or fourth Expedition can catch up on previously missed points.
Consecutive bonuses will also carry over, including the XP boost, Scrappy materials boost and repair value increase. These bonuses are capped at 3 levels.
The fifth Expedition will also be the last for some time. Embark says it has been reviewing feedback about the Expedition system and concluded that issues surrounding departure windows, rewards and accessibility for new players require more substantial changes than incremental updates.
Expeditions will therefore be paused after the fifth Expedition and are scheduled to return in early 2027 with larger changes aimed at addressing some of the system’s biggest player concerns. More information about those changes will be shared in September.
During the pause, players will keep any consecutive bonuses they have already earned. Anyone who has completed all 5 Expeditions will also have the Zenith Outfit fully unlocked.
Caravans will be reset during the pause. Any partially completed Caravans will instead be converted into Ermal Vouchers of equivalent value. These vouchers can be used for Ermal offers, ARC Parts and firearm trades, or sold for Coin.
Trials will also take a short break. The current season ends on September 22, after which Trials will be unavailable for 2 weeks before returning on October 8.
The fifth Expedition will therefore serve as the final opportunity to participate before the system goes on hiatus. Embark says it will use the pause to make broader improvements based on the feedback it has received from ARC Raiders players.
