Arc Raiders Developers Commit to Enhancements for Expeditions Following 1 Million Reset Feedback

Embark Studios, the team behind the development of Arc Raiders, has recognized the necessity for adjustments to the Expedition reset rewards system. This acknowledgment follows the news that over a million players participated in the game’s inaugural optional wipe.

The studio provided insights into player engagement during the first reset cycle of Expeditions. This feature allows players to voluntarily reset their accounts in exchange for both permanent and temporary progression bonuses.

Despite the high level of involvement being above expectations, Design Director Virgil Watkins shared in an interview with PCGamesN that certain aspects of the system led to confusion and unexpected player behaviors.

Over 1 million players wiped their accounts during the first Expedition Project — that’s about 8% of the total player base opting in for a fresh run and buffs. Embark says the grind for full rewards was steep, and they’re looking at ways to improve the Expedition loop for future… pic.twitter.com/vu8SPGfFP6

— ARC Now (@ArcRaidersNow) January 11, 2026

Understanding Expedition Rewards Participation

Expeditions serve as Arc Raiders’ solution to the reset mechanics traditionally found in extraction shooters. Rather than enforcing obligatory resets, players are encouraged to complete a series of objectives by donating loot and increasing their stash value to qualify for rewards. The base incentives feature cosmetic items, additional stash space, and temporary XP buffs, while the higher-tier rewards grant valuable bonus skill points.

“One significant topic in player feedback was the criteria set for the final stage to obtain skill points, ” explained Watkins.“We realize now we may have released that information later than optimal, as we aimed to calibrate it based on the actual player economy instead of speculation.”

The final requirement mandated players to achieve a stash value of five million credits to access the full rewards. Watkins clarified that this target was envisioned as an aspirational goal rather than a strict necessity.“We wanted it to be a number that some players could realistically reach, ” he noted.

Watkins reported that approximately one million players undertook the first Expedition and subsequently wiped their accounts, with around 35% to 40% achieving the maximum skill point bonus. Despite viewing this engagement as promising, the team at Embark recognizes the need for enhancements to improve the overall experience.

“We fully admit that simply grinding for currency is not the most engaging approach, ” remarked Watkins. He further noted that this setup has the potential downside of discouraging players from utilizing their gear, which is often a highlight for many towards the conclusion of a reset cycle. Consequently, he confirmed that they are “exploring revisions” for upcoming Expeditions.

Expeditions in ARC Raiders (@ARCRaidersGame) have a weird incentive problem. Yes, the skill points are permanent. You keep them. But to earn them, you need to hit 5, 000, 000 value during an Expedition… while your stash/loot gets reset in addition. And that combination drives… pic.twitter.com/l5gBouxS0j

— Lance (@LancesEmporium) December 15, 2025

Evaluating Player Strategies for Better Engagement

Embark is currently investigating how different player segments approached the reset process. Watkins mentioned that the studio aims to identify patterns among players who progressed more slowly, enabling them to introduce more variety to Expeditions, thus ensuring that all players feel included and not sidelined.

The studio is also assessing player feedback related to the rewards themselves.“We can track contributions down to individual items, ” Watkins stated, highlighting the extensive data being leveraged to inform future revisions.

Although the upcoming second Expedition will follow a similar format to the first, Embark has indicated that they are open to modifying the concluding stage in future resets. With the next reset window anticipated to open in just over six weeks, the studio has an opportunity to implement adjustments based on player feedback before the next Expedition begins.

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