The month of December is a busy one for Arc Raiders. The major highlight of the month is the Cold Snap update, which introduces a slew of content to the game and balancing fixes across the board. However, launching right after the Cold Snap update is the first Expedition in Arc Raiders, which is essentially the game's version of a "wipe."
To find out more about Expeditions, including when the first one will begin and the requirements to embark on one, check out the guide below.
For starters, what exactly are Expeditions? If you've played a game like Rust or Escape from Tarkov before, then you can think of an Expedition like a wipe. This involves your character's progress being reset, forcing you to start over from scratch.
Expeditions are a way for players to build their Raider back up
However, unlike in other games, Expeditions in Arc Raiders are not forced upon every player. Instead, players can individually choose whether or not they want to participate in the Expedition. So, if you want to keep grinding out your current character, you don't have to opt into the Expedition and can simply play like you have been since the game launched. Players also have to be at least level 20 for Expeditions to unlock.
If you choose to enter the Expedition, your character isn't totally wiped. While you lose your skills, gear, blueprints, coins, quest progression, stash upgrades, and more, here's everything you keep after entering an Expedition:
For players who want to participate in the Expedition, though, it's not a simple one-click process. While you can choose to send your Raider on an Expedition, you want to ensure you have as much loot as possible in your stash, as the more you have, the more rewards you earn in the Expedition.
You receive one Skill Point for every one million coins of value you have in your stash at the time you enter the Expedition. You can earn a maximum of five Skill Points this way, meaning you only need five million coins or items of equal value in your stash. You can store all of this value away in your Caravan, which you can find in the Expeditions menu in-game. This allows you to save up coins and gear for the Expedition.
In addition to the extra Skill Points, here's a list of other rewards you earn by embarking on the Expedition:
The temporary rewards remain active until the next Expedition in Arc Raiders. To keep the buffs active, you'll have to participate in the following Expedition. Doing so also rewards you with increased buffs, meaning you get an even larger XP boost, materials, and repair times. If you don't participate, the buffs will deactivate.
The first Expedition in Arc Raiders is going live on December 23, 2025. However, you need to register for the first Expedition between December 17-22. If you don't register in time, you won't be eligible for the Expedition.
After Dec. 23, you can expect the next Expedition to begin roughly two months later. We don't have any official dates for the second Expedition as of yet, but mid-February is likely when the next one will open registration.
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To find out more about Expeditions, including when the first one will begin and the requirements to embark on one, check out the guide below.
How Expeditions work in Arc Raiders
For starters, what exactly are Expeditions? If you've played a game like Rust or Escape from Tarkov before, then you can think of an Expedition like a wipe. This involves your character's progress being reset, forcing you to start over from scratch.
Expeditions are a way for players to build their Raider back up
However, unlike in other games, Expeditions in Arc Raiders are not forced upon every player. Instead, players can individually choose whether or not they want to participate in the Expedition. So, if you want to keep grinding out your current character, you don't have to opt into the Expedition and can simply play like you have been since the game launched. Players also have to be at least level 20 for Expeditions to unlock.
If you choose to enter the Expedition, your character isn't totally wiped. While you lose your skills, gear, blueprints, coins, quest progression, stash upgrades, and more, here's everything you keep after entering an Expedition:
- All unlocked maps
- Cosmetics
- Raider Decks
- Raider Tokens
- Cred
- Entries in the Codex
- Workshop Stations
- Trials
- Active Leaderboards
- Personal Event progress
For players who want to participate in the Expedition, though, it's not a simple one-click process. While you can choose to send your Raider on an Expedition, you want to ensure you have as much loot as possible in your stash, as the more you have, the more rewards you earn in the Expedition.
All Expedition Rewards
You receive one Skill Point for every one million coins of value you have in your stash at the time you enter the Expedition. You can earn a maximum of five Skill Points this way, meaning you only need five million coins or items of equal value in your stash. You can store all of this value away in your Caravan, which you can find in the Expeditions menu in-game. This allows you to save up coins and gear for the Expedition.
In addition to the extra Skill Points, here's a list of other rewards you earn by embarking on the Expedition:
- Patchwork Raider Outfit
- Scrappy Janitor Cap
- Expeditions Indicator Icon
- 12 extra stash spaces
- 10% repair buff (temporary)
- 5% XP boost (temporary)
- 6% more materials from Scrappy (temporary)
The temporary rewards remain active until the next Expedition in Arc Raiders. To keep the buffs active, you'll have to participate in the following Expedition. Doing so also rewards you with increased buffs, meaning you get an even larger XP boost, materials, and repair times. If you don't participate, the buffs will deactivate.
What is the release schedule for Expeditions?
The first Expedition in Arc Raiders is going live on December 23, 2025. However, you need to register for the first Expedition between December 17-22. If you don't register in time, you won't be eligible for the Expedition.
After Dec. 23, you can expect the next Expedition to begin roughly two months later. We don't have any official dates for the second Expedition as of yet, but mid-February is likely when the next one will open registration.
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