ARC Raiders Expeditions are paused until early 2027, so no one can earn new Expedition skill points, Patchwork pieces or Zenith pieces right now. Everything an account already earned stays, and the October 8, 2026 Frozen Trail update added content without wiping anyone.
Key facts at a glance
| Item | Status in October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Last Expedition | Fifth Expedition, September 8 to 29, 2026 |
| Next Expedition | Early 2027, after a rework (not guaranteed) |
| Consecutive buffs | Kept through the pause |
| Unfinished caravans | Converted into Ermal Vouchers of equal value |
| Frozen Trail (October 8, 2026) | No wipe, new map Pendola Pass, Skill Tree rework |
| Cred | Replaced by Reward Points |
| Old Raider Decks | Moved into the free Legacy Pass, unlocked rewards kept |
What Expeditions were and why they mattered
An Expedition is an optional reset. You build and supply a caravan in six stages over roughly eight weeks, then send your Raider away during a departure window. Your character progress resets, and you keep account level rewards in exchange.
Embark designed the system so that a reset should never give a combat advantage over players who skip it. The rewards are cosmetics, permanent account unlocks, quality of life bonuses and stacking buffs instead of raw power.
What a departure reset
- Player level and skill tree progress
- Inventory items and stash upgrades
- Blueprints and Raider Deck progress
- Active leaderboards
What a departure kept
- Cosmetics, earned or bought
- Achievements, Raider Tokens and coins
- Unlocked maps and workshop progress
- Trials and quests, with an optional quest reset
Our complete Expedition guide covers the caravan stages and load requirements in detail. This page focuses on what the pause changes.
Why Embark paused Expeditions
Embark announced in August 2026 that the fifth Expedition would be the last until early 2027. The studio said player feedback called for bigger changes than small patches could deliver, so it needed to pause the system for a while.
The three problems Embark named were tight departure windows, the reward structure and accessibility for newer players. A one week window to finalize a run was easy to miss for anyone without a lot of free time.
Coverage of a later interview reported that the studio did not rule out dropping Expeditions entirely. We could not confirm the exact wording, so treat a 2027 return as the plan, not a promise.
Expedition rewards you can no longer earn
According to the community wiki, the five Expeditions handed out these permanent rewards. Nothing on this list can be earned again until the system returns.
| Reward | Where it came from | Why it matters now |
|---|---|---|
| Patchwork Raider outfit and variants | Expeditions 1 to 3 | Each variant marks a specific departure |
| Zenith Raider outfit | Expeditions 4 and 5, full set for all five | Shows a complete run of every Expedition |
| Bonus skill points | Up to 5 per departure, from the damage challenge | Extra points that survive a reset |
| Stash slots | 12 per Expedition | More room on top of the normal stash cap |
| Consecutive buffs | Up to 3 stacks | Up to 30% repair, 15% XP, 18% Scrappy materials |
The damage challenge paid skill points at five thresholds, from 1 point at 5,000 damage to 5 points at 100,000 damage. That is why many veteran accounts list totals like +10 or +15 skills.
A paused reset system quietly changes what is scarce. Before September, any player could earn Patchwork and bonus skill points in eight weeks. Now the only accounts with them are the ones that already did the work, and that supply stays fixed until Embark ships the rework.
What Frozen Trail changed for existing accounts
Frozen Trail launched on October 8, 2026 as the biggest update since release. It did not wipe characters. Level, stash, blueprints and workshop upgrades all carried over into the new content.
- Pendola Pass: a frozen Italian village map with a train depot, observatory and the Frigate zone.
- New ARC: the Bully, the Skulker and the Hydra turret.
- Amplified Weapons: a fifth quality tier with branching upgrade paths for 15 weapons.
- Outpost: a customizable base extension with a Research Workstation.
- Skill Tree rework: new layout and binary choice nodes. Invested points are not lost, and you can change choices by resetting the tree.
- Reward Passes: a 60 level Frozen Trail pass with free and premium tracks, plus a free Legacy Pass that holds the old Raider Decks.
Patch notes also say the stash gains two upgrade tiers, up to 328 slots before Expedition rewards or extra space from other sources. Expedition stash slots stack on top of that.
What this means if you are buying an account
With Expeditions paused, the useful questions are about what an account can prove it owns, not how much loot sits in the stash. Coins and blueprints can be farmed again by anyone. Locked rewards cannot.
- Check the cosmetics screen. Patchwork variants and Zenith pieces confirm which Expeditions the account finished.
- Check bonus skill points. Compare spent points against the level cap to see how many came from departures.
- Look for early exclusives. The G-Suit came only with Deluxe pre-orders, and the Server Slammer backpack only went to Server Slam players who confirmed an Embark ID.
- Confirm the license. Embark links every account on a shared license for enforcement, so a ban on one can lock the license for all of them on that platform.
- Ask about duped items. Embark bans for exploiting bugs, and duped throwables have been reported in player stashes.
Remember that Embark's terms prohibit account sales, and bans for cheating, boosting or farming can extend to hardware level. Buy accounts with a clean history and keep the email you receive secure.
Frequently asked questions
When will ARC Raiders Expeditions return?
Embark says early 2027. The fifth Expedition, which ended on September 29, 2026, is the last one until then. No exact date has been announced.
Did Frozen Trail wipe my progress?
No. Frozen Trail on October 8, 2026 kept level, stash, blueprints and workshop upgrades. The Skill Tree layout changed, but invested points were not lost.
Do I keep my Expedition buffs during the pause?
Yes. Embark confirmed that consecutive buffs earned so far stay active while Expeditions are paused.
What happened to unfinished caravans?
Partially completed caravans were converted into Ermal Vouchers of equal value, so materials you loaded were not simply lost.
Can I still get the Patchwork or Zenith outfit?
Not right now. Both came only from Expedition departures. Players who completed all five Expeditions received the full Zenith outfit.
What happened to my Raider Decks?
Old Raider Decks moved into the free Legacy Pass. Rewards you already unlocked stay unlocked, and new Reward Points can advance the Legacy Pass if you select it.
Sources
- Embark: Expedition Project
- Embark: Frozen Trail First Look
- Embark: Server Slam info
- ARC Raiders Wiki: Expedition
- eXputer: Arc Raiders Pauses Expeditions Until 2027
- PC Gamer: Arc Raiders Expeditions may not come back
- ARCRaiders.gg: Frozen Trail 2.0 patch notes
- Embark Help Center: Ban and Enforcement Policy
- Embark Help Center: Shared License Restrictions
Want an account that already holds Expedition rewards and early exclusives? Browse ARC Raiders accounts on MetaMMO. Every account is hand-checked before listing and comes with a lifetime warranty against recovery by the previous owner.
