Resetting your skill points in Arc Raiders does not work like a classic respec button. Instead, the game ties any full reset of your build to a long-term feature called Expeditions, which function more like a prestige or seasonal wipe than a quick redo of a few skills.
This guide explains what “resetting” your skills really means in Arc Raiders, how Expeditions work, what you lose and gain, and how to plan your build so you are not stuck with a setup you dislike for weeks.
Arc Raiders skill resets vs classic respeccing
Arc Raiders treats your skill tree as a long-term, mostly permanent progression system. You invest skill points into three categories—Conditioning, Mobility, and Survival—and normally cannot pull those points back out one by one.
The only way to reset your skill points is to participate in the Expedition Project, a scheduled wipe that sends your raider back to level 1 and clears your stash while granting long-term bonuses. This is closer to a prestige system than a traditional respec menu.
Key points to understand before you look for a reset button:
| Aspect. | How it works in Arc Raiders. |
|---|---|
| Standard respec option. | No simple menu to refund and reassign individual skill points. |
| Skill allocation. | Points are spent along the skill tree paths and stay locked unless you do a wipe. |
| Reset mechanic. | Expedition Project, a voluntary full account wipe on a fixed cycle (about every eight weeks). |
| Result of a wipe. | Level reset, stash reset, skills reset, plus permanent account bonuses for the next cycle. |
This design means you should think of “resetting skill points” as opting into a fresh season with extra long-term rewards, not a quick fix for a few bad choices.
How Expeditions reset skill points in Arc Raiders
Expeditions are the official way to reset your skill tree in Arc Raiders. They are periodic projects that let you voluntarily wipe your character progression in exchange for account-wide boosts such as extra skill points, larger stash capacity, or improved income in later cycles.
What an Expedition wipe does
When you complete an Expedition Project and the wipe actually happens, you can expect several major changes:
| What changes. | Effect after an Expedition wipe. |
|---|---|
| Character level. | Resets to level 1 so you level again from the start. |
| Skill points and tree. | All spent skill points are cleared; you reallocate them from scratch during the new cycle. |
| Stash and gear. | Stash is wiped, and you rebuild your loadouts over the new run. |
| Account bonuses. | You gain permanent bonuses such as extra skill points beyond the original cap, more stash slots, and better income rates. |
This structure is why many players describe Expeditions as a prestige system. You start over, but each cycle your account grows stronger and more flexible than the last.
How to reset skill points with Expeditions
Because Arc Raiders does not offer a normal respec menu, the “method” to reset your skill points is essentially the method to prepare for and trigger an Expedition wipe. The exact menu labels can change with updates, but the core flow remains the same.
Method 1: Use the Expedition Project wipe
Step 1: Level your character to the point where Expeditions become relevant.
Players typically talk about Expeditions in connection with reaching around level 20 and beyond, though the long-term cap goes much higher. At lower levels, focus on learning the game and building up gear rather than rushing into a wipe, because you will be resetting everything anyway.
Step 2: Open the Raider or Projects tab from the main hub UI.
In the hub, there is a section dedicated to your raider and ongoing projects. The Expedition Project entry is listed there, along with its requirements and stages. You will find a description of what the Expedition does, including that it resets your level and skills at the end of the current cycle.
Step 3: Review the Expedition stages and resource requirements.
An Expedition is divided into several stages, often six, and each stage asks you to turn in a large quantity of different resources you gather while playing. This acts as the “cost” of the reset and ensures you commit to the wipe rather than triggering it casually.
Step 4: Farm the needed resources during your current cycle.
Play normal raids and extraction runs specifically with these resource requirements in mind. Prioritize missions, loot routes, and containers that line up with what the Expedition wants, so you do not waste time collecting unnecessary materials.
Step 5: Turn in resources to progress each Expedition stage.
Return to the Expedition Project entry after you have enough of the requested resources and submit them to clear each stage. You need to complete all stages for the Expedition to be ready. If the Expedition season has not officially started yet, you may be able to finish the preparation stages but still have to wait for the scheduled start date before the wipe can occur.
Step 6: Confirm the Expedition wipe when the project is active.
Once all stages are done and the Expedition is live, the game will offer a way to commit to the wipe. Read the confirmation carefully: it will warn you that your level, stash, and skills will be reset. When you accept, the wipe is processed, and your skill points are effectively refunded for the new cycle.
Step 7: Rebuild your skill tree in the new cycle.
After the wipe, level up again to earn skill points and rebuild your skill tree from the ground up. This is your chance to correct earlier choices, try different paths, and use any bonus skill points you gained from previous Expeditions to go beyond the original tree cap.
How often you can reset skill points
Expeditions do not run constantly. They follow a regular schedule, roughly every eight weeks. That means you cannot reset your skills on demand; you need to time your reset with the Expedition cycle.
Important timing details:
| Timing factor. | Impact on resets. |
|---|---|
| Cycle length. | Expeditions are planned around an ~8-week schedule, so your full respec opportunities are spaced out. |
| Preparation window. | You can work through Expedition stages and resource turn-ins before the actual wipe date. |
| Activation date. | Even if you finish all stages early, the actual wipe usually only happens once the Expedition officially starts. |
This cadence is why players sometimes feel “locked” into a build: you may need to wait until the next Expedition window to fully reset your skills.
What to expect after resetting skill points
The main benefit of using an Expedition to reset your skill tree is that you do not simply return to zero; your account gets stronger for future cycles. This makes subsequent runs faster and more flexible and gives you more room to experiment.
Post-wipe benefits
After you complete an Expedition and start the next cycle, you can expect some or all of the following improvements:
| Benefit. | What you notice in play. |
|---|---|
| Bonus skill points. | You receive extra skill points that push you beyond the original tree cap, allowing deeper or wider builds. |
| Bigger stash. | Your storage grows, letting you keep more weapons, armor, and resources between raids. |
| Improved income. | You gain more resources or currency per run, making progression faster in the new cycle. |
Combined, these upgrades turn each Expedition into a way to refine your build and progression speed. By your second or third cycle, you will usually have much more freedom to try different skill combinations without feeling as constrained.
Planning your build when you cannot respec freely
Because you cannot freely refund individual skill points, it helps to plan your tree with a few priorities that feel good across most playstyles and do not depend on a specific weapon or strategy.
Skill tree basics you should know
The skill tree in Arc Raiders works with a few simple rules:
| Element. | How it works. |
|---|---|
| Skill categories. | Three branches: Conditioning, Mobility, and Survival. |
| Progression path. | You start near the bottom of each branch and move upward, unlocking connected skills. |
| Skill cost. | Most regular skills take several points to fully max out; major skills often cost a single point. |
| Major skills. | Some powerful skills require a certain number of points already invested in that category. |
| Skill points. | You gain one skill point per level and spend them from your profile screen. |
Since the tree is permanent for the duration of a cycle, choices early on will stick with you until the next Expedition. Fortunately, the impact of any single skill is generally modest, so you do not “break” your character by trying something different.
Safe early skills that work for almost everyone
Some skills are broadly useful regardless of your preferred weapons or role. These are strong picks early in a cycle, especially if you are worried about being stuck with bad choices:
| Skill. | Category. | Why it is a safe choice. |
|---|---|---|
| Nimble Climber. | Mobility. | Makes climbing and vaulting faster, which speeds up traversal and escape in every raid. |
| Marathon Runner. | Mobility. | Reduces stamina cost while moving, so you sprint and reposition more often without running out of stamina. |
| Youthful Lungs. | Mobility. | Increases maximum stamina, improving movement, dodging, and general combat flexibility. |
| In-Round Crafting. | Survival. | Allows you to craft ammo or healing while topside, solving resource shortages mid-mission. |
Movement and stamina-focused skills are particularly valuable because they affect every encounter. Better mobility makes it easier to reposition, avoid damage, and control engagements, which benefits both solo and squad play.
Common questions about resetting skill points
Can you respec individual skills without a wipe?
No. There is no built-in option to unassign a few skill points while keeping the rest of your character intact. The only supported reset is the Expedition wipe, which resets your entire level, stash, and skill tree at once.
Can you prepare an Expedition but not wipe yet?
Yes. You can work through the Expedition Project stages, including turning in resources, before the actual wipe date. In earlier cycles, players could reach the final stage but still had to wait until the Expedition officially started before the wipe became available.
Is it possible to ruin your character with bad skill choices?
The numbers on most skills are deliberately moderate, so even if you invest in less optimal options, your raider remains playable. Over time, you gain more and more skill points, and later Expeditions grant bonus points above the starting cap, so you eventually cover most of what you want.
Resetting skill points in Arc Raiders is really about timing your Expedition wipe rather than pressing a respec button, so treat each cycle as a full run and save complete rebuilds for the next Expedition window.
