Hey everyone, Elias here, your dedicated guide to the gaming world from Rivalsector.com. If you are like me, you have probably been burned by the dreaded “wipe” in extraction shooters. You spend months grinding, building an untouchable stash, and perfecting your build, only to have it all deleted by a server-side reset. It is a brutal, if sometimes necessary, part of the genre. So, when I heard ARC Raiders would have “wipes,” I was skeptical. But Embark Studios is not doing a traditional wipe. They have built something else entirely, something woven into the very story of the game: The Expedition Project.
Today, I am going to break down exactly how this system works. I have dug through all the info, watched the dev insights, and analyzed the in-game details to give you the complete picture. This is not a punishment, it is a promotion. It is not a reset, it is a rebirth. Let’s get into it.
What is the Expedition Project?
At its core, the Expedition Project is ARC Raiders’ version of an endgame. It is a voluntary, narrative-driven system that allows you to “prestige” your current Raider and start a new one, but with powerful, lasting advantages.
As the in-game overview states, “Undertaking an Expedition means your Raider leaves the Rust Belt for good.” This is your character’s ultimate goal. You are not just surviving day-to-day, you are working toward a permanent escape.
This is a key distinction. The game is not wiping you. You are choosing to wipe your own character. This single choice turns a negative experience (losing your stuff) into a positive, player-driven achievement (beating the game). When you commit to an Expedition, your Raider departs, and you get to create your next one, who will benefit from the legacy you just built.
The 60-Day Countdown: An Expedition Step-by-Step
This whole process is not random, it is a massive, game-wide event that follows a strict schedule. Each Expedition runs on a set 60-day schedule. This gives the entire community a shared long-term goal.
So, how do we get from Day 1 to Day 60? By building a massive caravan.
The project is broken down into five distinct stages for the community project:
- Lay the foundation
- Install the core systems
- Construct the framework
- Outfit the caravan for travel
- Load it with as many supplies as it can carry
This is a true community effort. Each stage requires specific resources from the community. Players must collectively donate thousands of Metal Parts, Rubber Parts, Arc Alloy, and Steel Springs. You run raids, extract these materials, and then “Commit Resource” to the project. Once committed, those resources are gone, but they push the community’s progress bar forward.
After the 60 days of building and loading are complete, a 7-day “departure window” opens. This is your chance. You walk up to the finished caravan and “enlist,” locking in your Raider for departure. If you miss this window, do not panic. You do not lose your progress, but you will have to wait for the next cycle to depart and claim your buffs.
The Reset vs. The Reward: What You Lose and What You Keep
This is the big one. What actually happens when your Raider leaves? This is where Embark has struck a brilliant balance. They are resetting your character progress while preserving your account progress.
Here is a simple breakdown of what is reset and what is kept, so you can plan your departure.
| THIS WILL BE RESET (Your Raider) | THIS WILL BE KEPT (Your Account) |
| Stash Upgrade Progress | Unlocked Maps |
| Inventory Items (Your entire stash) | Unlocked Workshop Stations |
| Blueprints | Codex Entries |
| Coins (Standard currency) | Raider Tokens |
| Player Level | Cred (Premium currency) |
| Skill Points | Raider Decks Progress |
| Raider Den | Active Leaderboards |
| Workshop | Trials |
| Quests | Cosmetics (Skins, etc.) |
| Personal Event Progress | |
| Bonus Skill Points Earned From Expeditions | |
| Bonus Stash Slots Earned From Expeditions |
Let’s analyze this. Yes, losing your entire stash, all your blueprints, and your level feels like a classic wipe. You will be starting your new Raider from scratch in that regard.
But look at the “KEPT” column. This is massive. You keep all map and workshop station unlocks. You do not have to re-grind the basic infrastructure of the game. You keep all your cosmetics, all your Raider Tokens, and all your premium currency. More importantly, you keep all “Bonus” skill points and stash slots from previous Expeditions.
This means every new Raider you create starts stronger than the last. Your first Raider might start with 0 bonus skill points. Your second Raider might start with 5, plus a few extra rows of stash space. Your third Raider starts with 10. It is a prestige system that rewards you for completing the loop.
The Payoff: Why This “Wipe” is an Upgrade
So, why go through all this trouble? For the rewards and buffs, of course. Completing an Expedition is not just for bragging rights, it provides permanent, account-wide buffs for your next Raider.
These buffs include:
- Increased XP gain
- Extra Scrappy materials
- Cheaper weapon repairs
- More stash space
These are not just minor boosts. They are fundamental quality-of-life improvements that make every subsequent run, every new Raider, a more streamlined and rewarding experience.
But here is the most exciting mechanic of all: “You can also earn bonus skill points based on the value of the items in your stash upon departure.”
Think about that. This completely changes the end-game meta. In the last few weeks of the 60-day cycle, do you run your best gear and risk losing it? Or do you start hoarding every high-value item you find, stuffing your stash to the brim? The more “valuable” your stash is when you depart, the more bonus skill points your next Raider gets. This is a genius resource sink. It encourages you to “cash out” your wealth for permanent power, which also keeps the in-game economy from inflating out of control.
My Final Take
As I look at this whole system, I am genuinely impressed. Embark has taken the most-dreaded feature of the extraction genre and turned it into a core, positive, and narrative-driven gameplay loop. This is one of the most innovative ARC Raiders game systems I have seen in a long time.
It solves the “gear fear” problem by giving you a clear goal for your gear. It solves the “end-game” problem by giving max-level players a meaningful resource sink. And it solves the “wipe” problem by making it a voluntary, rewarding choice that respects both casual and hardcore players.
I am all in. I will be grinding those resources, hoarding my treasures, and I will be one of the first in line to send my Raider off to glory.
What do you think of the Expedition Project? Is this the best way to handle wipes? What valuable items will you be stashing for that skill point bonus? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments.For more deep dives and guides on ARC Raiders, be sure to stay locked on Rivalsector.com and check out our ARC Raiders category. I’ll see you in the Rust Belt.
