Arc Raiders devs promise Expedition improvements after 1 million resets

by

Embark Studios, the team behind Arc Raiders, has said they’re looking at improving the rewards players get after each Expedition reset. This comes after over a million players participated in the game’s first optional reset, giving the developers valuable data on what needs adjustment.

After the first reset period for Arc Raiders, the studio revealed details about how players used Expeditions. This reset allowed players to start over with their accounts, earning both lasting and short-term rewards for doing so.

I was so excited to jump into the recent Embark test, and it sounds like a lot of people did too – they said participation was higher than they expected! But, I also read an interview with their design director, Virgil Watkins, and he was honest about some issues. He admitted that parts of the system were a little confusing and didn’t always work as intended. It’s good they’re acknowledging it, honestly.

During the initial Expedition Project, over a million players intentionally reset their progress – roughly 8% of all players. Embark Studios acknowledges that earning all the rewards was very challenging and is planning improvements to make future Expeditions more enjoyable.

— ARC Now (@ArcRaidersNow) January 11, 2026

Only 40% of Expedition participants earned max rewards

Arc Raiders uses Expeditions as a way to avoid punishing players with full resets. Instead of losing everything, players complete goals by contributing gear and building up the value of their storage. Completing Expeditions earns rewards like cosmetic items, more storage space, and a temporary boost to experience gains. The best rewards even include extra skill points to help players progress.

Players gave us feedback that the requirements for earning skill points at the end of the game weren’t clear enough. Watkins explained they waited to share that information because they wanted to base it on how players were actually using the in-game economy, instead of making assumptions early on.

The last challenge asked players to collect five million credits worth of items to get the best reward. However, according to Watkins, this goal wasn’t meant to be mandatory. He explained that the five million credit target was simply a high goal for dedicated players to aim for.

Watkins shared that just over one million players finished the first Expedition, and then deleted their accounts. Of those players, roughly 35 to 40 percent achieved the highest possible skill point bonus.

He said the initial interaction was positive, but Embark thinks the overall experience could be even better.

Watkins admitted that focusing solely on earning money isn’t very exciting. He also explained that the system could discourage players from using their best equipment, which is something they usually enjoy doing as they progress through the game’s cycle.

As a result, he confirmed the team is “looking at revisions” for future Expeditions.

There’s a strange issue with how rewards work in ARC Raiders expeditions. You permanently earn skill points, which is good. However, to get those points, you need to collect 5,000,000 worth of loot during an expedition, even though all your collected items are then reset. This creates a frustrating situation…

— Lance (@LancesEmporium) December 15, 2025

Embark is also looking into how players of different skill levels experienced the game’s reset. According to Watkins, the studio is studying players who progressed at a slower pace to find ways to make Expeditions more engaging and rewarding, ensuring everyone feels included and doesn’t fall behind.

The team is also carefully looking at how players are responding to the rewards. According to Watkins, they’re even tracking details like each individual item players contributed, which shows how much data Embark is using to improve things going forward.

Currently, the second in-game season is very similar to the first. However, the developers, Embark, have indicated that future season resets might be different. The next reset is anticipated to happen in a little over six weeks, giving them time to make changes before the next season starts.

Read More

2026-01-11 19:49