The Shared Watch event in ARC Raiders launched on February 10, 2026, and runs through February 24, 2026. It applies to every trip topside during that window, making it impossible to opt out. The core idea is straightforward: fight ARC enemies, earn merits, and unlock a track of 21 sequential rewards. PvP is not disabled, but engaging in it will not generate any merits, which means players who want the event loot need to focus entirely on the mechanical ARC units roaming each map.
Quick answer: Earn 1 merit for every 100 XP gained by damaging, destroying, or assisting in the destruction of ARC enemies. You need 1,050 total merits to claim all 21 rewards, unlocked in 50-merit increments.
How merits and XP conversion work during Shared Watch
Merits are the event-specific currency that drives your progress through the reward track. Every 100 XP you accumulate from ARC combat converts into 1 merit. XP is awarded for three activities: dealing damage to ARC units, landing the killing blow, and assisting another player's kill. No other XP source — including PvP kills or quest completions — counts toward merit generation during this event.
Because the event is active on every map and during every visit topside, it stacks with existing map conditions. Joining maps with higher-intensity ARC spawns, such as those rated at four or five stars, will naturally produce more targets and faster merit accumulation. Map conditions like Bird City, Electromagnetic Storm, and Night Raid tend to feature denser ARC populations, making them strong choices for grinding. Bombardiers, Rocketeers, Bastions, Leapers, and Shredders are particularly efficient targets because of the XP they yield when damaged and destroyed.
Full Shared Watch reward track
All 21 rewards unlock sequentially — you must claim each one before the next becomes available. Every tier costs 50 merits, bringing the total to 1,050 merits for the final item.
| Tier | Merits required (cumulative) | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 | Slugger (outfit) |
| 2 | 100 | 20 Raider Tokens |
| 3 | 150 | Vita Spray |
| 4 | 200 | Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing) blueprint |
| 5 | 250 | Grenades — Slugger (outfit variant) |
| 6 | 300 | Baseball (backpack charm) |
| 7 | 350 | 20 Raider Tokens |
| 8 | 400 | Grey Yellow — Slugger (outfit color) |
| 9 | 450 | Snap Hook |
| 10 | 500 | Hand Signals (emote) |
| 11 | 550 | 20 Raider Tokens |
| 12 | 600 | Chest Piece — Slugger (outfit variant) |
| 13 | 650 | 20 Raider Tokens |
| 14 | 700 | Sport — Blue (face paint) |
| 15 | 750 | Blue Glow — Slugger (outfit color) |
| 16 | 800 | Vita Spray blueprint |
| 17 | 850 | 20 Raider Tokens |
| 18 | 900 | Headgear — Slugger (outfit variant) |
| 19 | 950 | Acoustic Guitar |
| 20 | 1,000 | 50 Raider Tokens |
| 21 | 1,050 | Batting Helmet (Scrappy outfit) |
The standout cosmetic is The Slugger set, a baseball-themed outfit that arrives in multiple pieces and color variants spread across the track. The final reward is a Batting Helmet for Scrappy, the companion rooster. Functional items include a Snap Hook, a Vita Spray (plus its reusable blueprint at tier 16), and the Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing) augment blueprint. Raider Tokens are distributed in batches of 20 throughout the track, with a larger 50-token payout at tier 20.
PvP is still possible — but the incentive structure discourages it
Embark Studios has not flipped a switch to disable player-versus-player combat. You can still shoot other raiders, loot their gear, and extract with it. The catch is purely economic: none of that activity generates merits. If you spend your topside time hunting players instead of ARC, you'll make zero progress on the event track.
Community reaction has been mixed. Some players worry the event creates a perverse incentive — eliminating other raiders means less competition for ARC kills, potentially speeding up merit farming for whoever survives. Others point out that PvE-focused players may drop their guard while fighting machines, making them easier targets for opportunistic PvP attackers. The event is, in effect, a trust exercise built into an extraction shooter, and how it plays out depends entirely on each lobby.
Tips for faster merit farming
Prioritize high-star maps where ARC density is greatest. The later you stay in a session, the more ARC units tend to spawn and push toward extraction points, creating target-rich environments near the end of a run. Grouping with other players — even strangers — lets you take on tougher ARC enemies like Bastions and Bombardiers more safely, and assist XP counts toward merits just like direct damage does.
At roughly 50 merits per reward tier, you're looking at earning about 5,000 XP from ARC combat per unlock. Spreading your runs across the full two-week window makes the grind manageable, but players who want to finish quickly should chain runs on the most ARC-heavy map conditions available each day.
What comes after Shared Watch
The event ends on February 24, 2026. One day later, on February 25, sign-ups open for ARC Raiders' second Expedition — the prestige system that resets your progress in exchange for permanent bonuses. The second Expedition itself begins on March 1, 2026. Embark has adjusted the requirements compared to the first Expedition, lowering the stash value threshold for maximum rewards and introducing a catch-up system that lets players purchase missed Skill Points for 300,000 coins each. Completing the second Expedition doubles stash space from 12 to 24 slots and can grant up to 5 additional Skill Points, along with upgraded XP boosts, Scrappy material bonuses, and increased repair value.
If you're planning to sign up for Expedition 2, the loot and tokens earned during Shared Watch could give you a head start — though keep in mind that an Expedition reset will wipe most of your inventory. The cosmetics and blueprints from the event track, however, persist regardless.
