Embark delayed the first ARC Raiders Expedition in December 2025, moving its departure window to December 17 and giving players six days to decide whether to leave the Rust Belt. That schedule is historical: Embark said the fifth Expedition ended September 29, 2026, and that Expeditions would pause until early 2027 while the studio worked on changes. Its reviewed announcement did not give an exact return date.
What changed in the first Expedition schedule
On December 6, 2025, Embark announced that the first Expedition had hit a “minor delay” and that its window would open on December 17. Players then had six days to choose whether their Raider would leave the Rust Belt. The change shifted the first departure window; it did not make the game’s broader progression system a mandatory wipe. Read Embark’s first-window announcement.
What an Expedition reset meant
In Embark’s October 9, 2025 explanation, completing the Expedition Project made a voluntary character reset available. Embark design director Virgil explained the reasoning: “However, one thing a mandatory wipe does not do is respect the investment of those players who do not have as much time to play overall.”
Under that original design description, departing meant losing character-bound progression: levels, skills, items, inventory, workshop, and crafting capabilities. Cosmetics, awards, achievements, and rankings were retained. Embark described these as the initial system terms and noted that details could change, so they should not be treated as an unchanging rule for later cycles. See Embark’s original Expedition Project explanation.
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How preparation and departure worked
For the first Expedition, preparation meant progressing the Expedition Project and then deciding whether to depart during the limited window. Embark’s October 2025 design article described a cycle expected to run roughly eight weeks, with finalization in its eighth week; unfinished project progress would carry over to a later window. The December schedule update then set the first window’s opening date and six-day choice period. Those timings describe the initial plan and first window, not a guarantee that every later cycle would follow the same schedule.
Later rules clarified that completing a Caravan did not itself sign a player up to depart. Players had to sign up during the specified window. In other words, finishing the challenge and choosing to leave were separate actions. Embark’s fifth-Expedition announcement explains the later sign-up rules.
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Expedition requirements and rewards changed by cycle
Embark adjusted the system over time, so requirements and rewards need to be read in the context of the specific Expedition rather than used as a forecast for the next one.
| Cycle or announcement | Timing or requirements | Sign-up and rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Initial design, October 2025 | Embark expected a roughly eight-week cycle, with finalization in week eight; unfinished project progress was to carry forward. | Completing the Expedition Project made a voluntary reset available. The original description said character-bound progress would be lost while cosmetics, awards, achievements, and rankings remained. Source |
| First Expedition, December 2025 | Window opened December 17; players had six days to choose whether to leave. | Embark’s announcement covered the departure window. Source |
| Second Expedition, February 2026 | Embark set the stash-value requirement for maximum rewards at 3 million Coins for five Skill Points, or 600,000 Coins per Skill Point. Catch-up cost 300,000 Coins per missing Skill Point for that Expedition. | These were second-Expedition figures, not standing requirements for future cycles. Source |
| Fifth Expedition, September 2026 | The window ran September 8–29, 2026. Embark said there was no Last Call feature. | Rewards included a complete Zenith Outfit, mystery rewards, up to 12 additional stash spaces (60 maximum), and consecutive XP, Scrappy-material, and repair-value buffs, each capped at three levels. Expedition bonus Skill Points were capped at 15, with catch-up available for previously missed points until that maximum. Source |
What players should expect now
Embark said the fifth Expedition would be the last until early 2027, while it worked on larger changes to departure-window timing, rewards, and accessibility for new players. The reviewed announcement gives no exact date for the next Expedition, so there is no confirmed current countdown to plan around.
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Embark also said consecutive buffs earned in the fifth Expedition would persist through the pause. Partially completed Caravans would be replaced with Ermal Vouchers of equal value. The studio said vouchers could be used on Ermal offers alongside ARC Parts and firearms trade, or sold for Coin. These statements describe the transition after the fifth Expedition, not guaranteed terms for the next cycle. Read the full fifth-Expedition update.
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