ARC Raiders' second Expedition opens for sign-ups on February 25, 2026, with departures beginning on March 1, 2026. The Stash value requirement for maximum Skill Points has been reduced from the original 5 million Coins down to 3 million Coins, and a new catch-up system lets returning Raiders recover Skill Points they missed during the first Expedition at a steep discount.
Quick answer: You need 3 million Coins in total Stash value (600k per Skill Point) to earn all 5 new Skill Points from the second Expedition. If you participated in the first Expedition but missed some Skill Points, you can reclaim them at 300k per point on top of that 3 million, for a maximum possible cost of 4.5 million to earn all 10 bonus Skill Points.
Who Gets What — First Expedition vs. Second Expedition
The Expedition system is tied to your personal Expedition count, not the global calendar. If you never departed during the first Expedition window, departing now counts as your first Expedition, and you receive the first Expedition's reward tier. You cannot skip ahead to the second tier's bonuses.
| Scenario | Reward Tier | Max Skill Points | Stash Value Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Never departed before | 1st Expedition rewards | 5 | 3 million Coins |
| Departed once, got all 5 points | 2nd Expedition rewards | 5 (new) | 3 million Coins |
| Departed once, missed some points | 2nd Expedition rewards + catch-up | 5 new + up to 5 missed | 3M + 300k per missed point (max 4.5M) |
Community Manager Birdie confirmed on Discord that the catch-up mechanic is exclusive to Raiders who actually departed during the first Expedition. If you skipped it entirely, you cannot access catch-up Skill Points — your maximum from this departure is 5.
How the Catch-Up Mechanic Works
When you depart, your Coins are applied to the current Expedition's Skill Points first. Each of the 5 new points costs 600k, so the first 3 million goes toward those. Only after all 5 current points are secured do remaining Coins roll over into recovering missed points from the first Expedition at 300k each.
For example, if you earned only 2 Skill Points during the first Expedition, you missed 3. To fully catch up, you would need 3 million (for the new 5 points) plus 900k (3 × 300k), totaling 3.9 million. A Raider who earned zero points the first time would need 4.5 million to claim all 10.
Embark has noted that the rewards and requirements may change for future Expeditions, and bonus Skill Points will not be available indefinitely. A cap on total bonus Skill Points is expected eventually, so Raiders who fall behind should be able to close the gap once the early adopters hit that ceiling.
Permanent Rewards for the 2nd Expedition
Raiders departing on their second personal Expedition earn a distinct set of permanent unlocks that stack on top of what they received the first time.
- Stash spaces increase from 12 to 24 total. The notation "12→24" means 12 were granted for the first Expedition and another 12 are added now, for a cumulative 24 bonus slots. First-time departures still receive only 12.
- Up to 5 additional Skill Points (plus any catch-up points), bringing the theoretical maximum to 85 total for a Raider completing their second Expedition with full value.
- Patchwork outfit (evolved) with four additional toggles and two new colour options, plus a new Scrappy cosmetic set and an upgraded Expedition Indicator icon.
First-time departures receive the original Patchwork outfit, the base Expedition Indicator, 12 Stash spaces, and up to 5 Skill Points — the same reward package that was offered during the first Expedition window.
Consecutive Buffs and What Happens If You Skip
Buffs stack for Raiders who depart on back-to-back Expeditions. After two consecutive departures, the numbers look like this:
| Buff | After 1st Expedition | After 2nd (Consecutive) |
|---|---|---|
| XP boost | 5% | 10% |
| Scrappy materials boost | 6% | 12% |
| Repair value increase | 60% | 70% |
These buffs only stack if you depart on consecutive Expeditions. If you choose to sit one out, the consecutive buffs reset. Permanent bonuses like Stash spaces, Skill Points, and cosmetics are never lost, even if you skip future Expeditions.
What Resets and What Stays
Departing on an Expedition resets your Raider's level, workbench upgrades, blueprints, quests, and inventory. This is the main trade-off for the permanent bonuses. Losing blueprints remains the most common reason players choose not to depart, especially for hard-to-find items like the Tempest or Anvil.
The following are not affected by the Expedition and carry over intact:
- Trophy Display Project progress
- All cosmetics and Raider Deck progress
- Unlocked map regions
- Leaderboard position and Trials
- Codex entries
- Raider Tokens
2nd Expedition Project Item Requirements (Phases 1–5)
Before you can depart, you need to complete the Expedition Project by donating specific items across five phases. The material requirements escalate in rarity as you progress.
Phase 1 — Foundation: 150 Metal Parts, 200 Plastic Parts, 80 ARC Alloy, and 15 Steel Springs. These are common crafting materials found through regular scavenging and enemy drops.
Phase 2 — Core Systems: 35 Durable Cloth, 25 Wires, 20 Electrical Components, and 4 Cooling Coils. Wires and Electrical Components drop more frequently in tech-heavy zones and from robotic enemies.
Phase 3 — Framework: 4 Lightbulbs, 30 Batteries, 10 Shredder Gyros, and 1 Exodus Module. The Exodus Module is the bottleneck here — it drops from rare bosses and high-level zones. Shredder Gyros come from defeating higher-tier ARC enemies.
Phase 4 — Advanced Components: 5 Frequency Modulation Boxes, 5 Advanced Electrical Components, 3 Ion Sputters, and 3 Leaper Pulse Units. All of these are end-game materials tied to difficult encounters and specialized zones.
Phase 5 — Final Thresholds: Rather than fixed item counts, this phase requires you to meet Coin value thresholds by donating Combat Items, Survival Items, Provisions, and Materials. This is also where your overall Stash value determines how many Skill Points you earn upon departure.
Practical Tips for Hitting 3 Million
With the threshold lowered to 3 million, many active players will already be there or close. Your total Stash value includes both Coins on hand and the sell value of items in your Stash. Friendly raids on Stella Montis can net 60–70k per run in under 10 minutes if you know the loot paths, though Buried City offers more consistent returns for players who prefer a less rushed approach.
If you are already past the 3 million mark, you can freely spend or use your excess gear without worrying about the threshold. Players who had been hoarding toward the old 5 million target now have significant breathing room to actually enjoy their stockpiles in combat.
The second Expedition represents a meaningful improvement over the first, particularly the reduced Stash value requirement and the catch-up system for returning Raiders. The core trade-off remains the same — you lose blueprints, quests, and workbench progress in exchange for permanent Skill Points, Stash space, and cosmetics. Whether that trade is worth it depends on how attached you are to your current loadout and how much you enjoy the early-game progression loop.
