Embark Studios overhauled the reward structure for ARC Raiders' second Expedition, which departs on March 1, 2026. The headline change is a dramatic reduction in the Stash value needed to earn maximum Skill Points, dropping from 5 million Coins down to 3 million. A new catch-up mechanic also gives returning Raiders who fell short during the first Expedition a discounted path to reclaim those missed points.
Quick answer: You need 3 million Coins in total Stash value (Coins plus item value) for the full 5 Skill Points this Expedition. If you participated in the first Expedition but didn't max out, you can reclaim missing Skill Points at 300,000 Coins each, on top of the 3 million.
Lowered Stash Value Requirement
The first Expedition asked players to accumulate 5 million Coins in Stash value — effectively 1 million per Skill Point. Embark acknowledged this created what design director Virgil Watkins called "a dark pattern," where players hoarded wealth instead of using their gear. For the second Expedition, each Skill Point costs 600,000 Coins, bringing the total to 3 million for all five. The reward itself hasn't changed: you still earn up to 5 bonus Skill Points based on your Stash value at departure.
Stash value includes both your held Coins and the sell value of every item in your stash. If you've already crossed the 3 million threshold, you're free to spend the surplus on gear without worrying about losing points.
How the Catch-Up Mechanic Works
The catch-up system is specifically for Raiders who completed the first Expedition but didn't earn all 5 Skill Points. Each missing point from the first Expedition can now be reclaimed for 300,000 Coins. Coins are applied to the current Expedition's 5 Skill Points first, then any remaining value goes toward recovering missed points from the previous one.
If you earned 2 Skill Points during the first Expedition, you'd need 3 million for the new batch of 5 points, plus 900,000 (3 × 300,000) to recover the 3 you missed — totaling 3.9 million. To max out everything, a returning Raider who earned zero points the first time would need 4.5 million Coins for all 10 Skill Points across both Expeditions.
Note: The catch-up mechanic is only available to players who actually departed on the first Expedition. If you skipped it entirely, you cannot use this system. Embark community manager Birdie confirmed on Discord that first-time Expeditioners can earn a maximum of 5 Skill Points, not 10.
First-Time Expeditioners Get First Expedition Rewards
Players departing for the very first time — whether they joined ARC Raiders after the first Expedition window or simply chose not to participate — will receive the rewards from Expedition 1, not Expedition 2. That means +12 Stash spaces, up to 5 Skill Points (at the new 3 million threshold), the Patchwork Raider outfit, the Scrappy Janitor Cap, and the first tier of temporary buffs.
You must complete Expedition 1 before you can progress to Expedition 2. The system is sequential: each Expedition Journey must be finished in order.
Second Expedition Rewards Breakdown
For Raiders embarking on their second consecutive Expedition, the permanent and temporary rewards stack on top of what was earned previously.
| Reward Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Stash Spaces | +12 additional (24 total across both Expeditions) |
| Skill Points | Up to 5 new, plus catch-up on missed first Expedition points (85 max possible) |
| Cosmetics | Evolved Patchwork outfit (4 new toggles, 2 color options), new Scrappy outfit, upgraded Expedition Indicator icon |
| XP Boost | 5% → 10% |
| Scrappy Materials Boost | 6% → 12% |
| Repair Value Increase | 60% → 70% |
Permanent bonuses like Stash spaces, Skill Points, and cosmetics are kept forever, even if you skip future Expeditions. Temporary buffs (XP, Scrappy materials, repair value) stack for consecutive departures but reset if you sit one out.
What Gets Reset and What Stays
Departing on an Expedition wipes most of your account progress. Your inventory items, Blueprints, Coins, player level, Skill Points (except bonus ones from Expeditions), Workshop upgrades, Raider Den, Quests, and Stash upgrade progress all reset to zero.
Several things survive the wipe. Unlocked map regions, Codex entries, Raider Tokens, Cred, Merits, Raider Deck progress, leaderboard positions, Trials, cosmetics, personal event progress, and the Trophy Display Project all carry over untouched. Bonus Skill Points and Stash slots earned from Expeditions are also permanent.
Blueprints remain one of the most contentious losses. They're wiped completely, including any earned through the Trophy Display Project. Some players work around this by trading valuable Blueprints to friends who aren't resetting, then retrieving them afterward — though everyone departs simultaneously, so the recipient must be someone who isn't participating.
Key Dates and Sign-Up
The current Expedition window runs from December 22, 2025 through March 1, 2026. Sign-ups open on February 25, and all registered Raiders depart together on March 1. You need to have completed all six stages of the Expedition Project — committing various crafting materials and item categories across each stage — before you can sign up.
The caravan construction stages require resources like Metal Parts, Plastic Parts, ARC Alloy, Batteries, and Leaper Pulse Units, among others. The fifth stage demands you commit Coin-value equivalents in combat items (250,000), survival items (100,000), provisions (180,000), and materials (300,000). These committed resources cannot be retrieved.
Skill Point Cap and Future Expeditions
Embark has warned that bonus Skill Points from Expeditions won't continue indefinitely. The expected cap sits around 20 bonus Skill Points total, spread across roughly four Expeditions. Once that ceiling is reached, players who started later should eventually close the gap as early adopters stop gaining additional points.
The studio also noted that rewards and requirements may change for future Expeditions. The wealth-hoarding model drew significant criticism after the first cycle, and Watkins acknowledged the system needs further revision. Whether future Expeditions shift away from Stash value entirely remains to be seen, but Embark has signaled willingness to experiment with the format.
