ARC Raiders Expedition Project Guide: Exploitation of the Wipe System

In the world of online looter-shooter games, the concept of wipes, where players lose progress and start over, often receives mixed reactions. Hardcore players may enjoy the thrill of starting fresh, while casual players can feel frustrated when weeks of effort disappear in a single update. ARC Raiders has introduced a clever solution: the Expedition Project, a voluntary system designed to balance the needs of both hardcore and casual players.

What is the Expedition Project?

The Expedition Project is ARC Raiders unique approach to character resets. Unlike traditional wipes, this system is optional, narrative-driven, and carefully designed to avoid punishing players for the time they invested. The lore explains that the tunnels under Sparenza are vast, and some raiders choose to embark on expeditions beyond the known world, never to return. In gameplay terms, this “expedition” provides an in-universe reason for a reset.

Once a player reaches level 20, the first major expedition becomes available. Completing it allows a character reset, but participation is entirely optional. New expeditions can be undertaken repeatedly, provided all the challenges of each cycle are completed.

How the System Works

The Expedition Project operates on an eight-week cycle:

• Weeks 1 to 7: Players work on personal or community-style objectives to progress through the expedition.
• Week 8: A special window opens, allowing players to finalize the expedition and reset their character if they choose.

If a player is not ready to reset, progress is saved for the next cycle. This flexibility ensures that no one is forced into a wipe at an inconvenient time.

What You Lose and What You Keep

When you reset a character through the Expedition Project, certain elements are lost, while others are retained:

Lost on Expedition Reset

When you complete an Expedition Project and reset your character, the following progression does not carry over to your new Raider:

• Character level and skills — your Raider returns to level 1 and loses all learned skill points.
• Inventory items and gear — all equipment and collected loot are removed.
• Workshop and crafting progress — crafting unlocks, progression, and workshop upgrades are reset.

This reset removes most gameplay progression tied specifically to your current character.

Kept After Reset

The following elements persist across Expeditions and remain tied to your account:

• Cosmetics that you have earned or purchased, including outfits and cosmetic items.
• Achievements, rankings, awards, and other meta progression.
• Purchases made with real money and other account-wide entitlements.
• Early-game tutorials are skipped on subsequent runs, allowing you to move directly into mid-game content.

Account-level progression remains intact, even though your character starts fresh.

Why Participate?

Completing an Expedition and resetting your Raider grants permanent rewards that apply to all future characters on the account.

Each completed Expedition provides a permanent stash space increase of +12 slots. These additional inventory slots stack across Expeditions and remain available after every future reset, allowing you to store more weapons, materials, and valuables for subsequent runs.

You also receive bonus skill points for your next Raider, up to a maximum of 5 points. Bonus skill points are calculated based on the total value of your stash at the moment you depart on an Expedition, using the following conversion:

• 1 skill point per 1,000,000 stash value
• Maximum: 5 bonus skill points
  

These skill points are available immediately when creating your next Raider, allowing you to unlock key abilities much earlier than normal and significantly improve early-game efficiency.

Completing Expeditions additionally unlocks exclusive cosmetic rewards, including items such as the Patchwork Raider outfit and Scrappy’s Janitor Cap. These cosmetics are purely visual and remain permanently tied to your account.

Finally, players receive an Expedition Indicator icon, an account-wide marker that visually represents participation in the Expedition Project and helps distinguish experienced Raiders.

Temporary/ Seasonal Bonuses (Until Next Expedition)

In addition to permanent progression, each Expedition grants temporary bonuses that remain active until the next Expedition is completed.

Players benefit from increased XP gain, enabling faster leveling during early and mid-game progression. Expeditions also improve material gains from Scrappy, resulting in higher resource yields while looting and reducing the overall time required for crafting and upgrades. In addition, gear repair efficiency is increased, lowering material costs and making prolonged raid cycles more sustainable.

These temporary bonuses stack when Expeditions are completed consecutively, meaning repeated resets can significantly accelerate progression and make each new season progressively easier to manage.

When Does the First Wipe in ARC Raiders Come Out?

The first voluntary reset, or “wipe,” for ARC Raiders through the Expedition Project is set for December 22, 2025. Players can choose to reset their progress, rather than it being mandatory, with the cycle occurring roughly every eight weeks—the first window runs from December 17 to 22. The developer clearly outlines what progress and items are retained versus lost after the wipe.

Balance Between Hardcore and Casual Players

Hardcore players enjoy the thrill of a fresh start, the opportunity to earn exclusive rewards, and the chance to show off their achievements. Casual players are not penalized, as their progress remains intact and they can continue playing at their own pace. Overall, the system keeps the world of ARC Raiders dynamic and engaging for all types of players, demonstrating that the developers value players’ time while offering both replayability and meaningful challenges.

Preparing for an Expedition

The Expedition Project is a voluntary prestige or soft-wipe system designed for players pursuing long-term goals and strategic resets. It enables players to start fresh with a new Raider while retaining account-wide benefits and certain rewards. The project becomes available once a Raider reaches level 20 and operates on an eight-week cycle, with approximately 60 days for preparation followed by a seven-day departure window. Missing the departure window delays rewards, but any progress made carries over to the next cycle.

To participate, players must unlock the Expedition Project through the Projects menu in the main interface. They then gather the necessary resources for each stage and plan their contributions carefully, as materials are consumed upon submission.

Expedition Stages

There will be a total of 6 stages, which you can complete gradually. Review everything you will need before deciding to perform a wipe.

Stage 1: Foundation

Objective: Build the base of the expedition. Focus on common loot.

Stage 2: Core Systems

Objective: Outfit the expedition with electronics and wiring.

Stage 3: Framework

Objective: Build structure and obtain the Exodus Module.

Stage 4: Outfitting

Objective: Final assembly of Raider systems.

Stage 5: Loading Phase

Objective: Fund the expedition with credits.

Stage 6: Departure

The objective of this stage is to send the Raider on the expedition. No additional materials are required, and you simply wait for the scheduled departure window, usually the following month. This part of the process emphasizes reflection and closure rather than active farming.

Why It Matters

With +12 stash slots per Expedition and up to +5 bonus skill points per reset, the Expedition Project creates a clear progression loop where each wipe makes the next Raider stronger and more efficient. Combined with stacking seasonal bonuses, Expeditions reward players who plan their departures carefully and focus on long-term account growth rather than short-term character power. For players aiming to minimize grind and maximize efficiency across multiple seasons, participating in the Expedition Project is one of the most valuable progression systems in ARC Raiders. For those interested in learning more about other challenging systems in ARC Raiders, check out our article ARC Raiders Trials: Complete Explanation of the Trials System. The Expedition Project respects player time and keeps gameplay engaging for all types of players. The decision to participate depends on whether players value unique rewards and a fresh experience or prefer to continue grinding their main character. Either way, ARC Raiders provides a satisfying path forward.