ARC Raiders Expedition Project – Voluntary Reset System

Embark Studios introduces Expedition Project – a voluntary reset system in ARC Raiders that I had the opportunity to consult on from a UI/UX and functionality perspective. At level 20, you can reset your progress every 8 weeks in exchange for permanent rewards, cosmetics, and account buffs. You keep achievements, cosmetics, and rankings. You lose levels, items, and workshop. As a consultant for the caravan build system, I can tell you: this is a revolutionary approach to wipe mechanics.

My Perspective From an Insider Position – Why I'm Writing This Differently

Before diving into details, I need to tell you something. This article isn't just another report about a game feature. I had the opportunity to work with Embark Studios as a consultant for the UI/UX department during development of the caravan build system for Expedition Project. I also provided consultations regarding the functionality of the entire project from a player experience perspective.

Why is this important? Because I can provide you with an inside perspective you won't find elsewhere. I saw how this system evolved, discussed player experience with designers, and tested early builds during development.

Even though I had access to development and provided feedback, this article remains an objective analysis of the system. I won't hide problems or exaggerate advantages.

What Is Expedition Project and Why Is It Revolutionary? 🚀

Expedition Project is Embark Studios' answer to the biggest dilemma of extraction shooters: mandatory wipes vs. player investment.

Traditional extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov use mandatory wipes every few months. This resets the economy and gives veterans a fresh start, but devastates casual players who don't have time to invest hundreds of hours every 3-4 months.

The Problem It Solves

Virgil, ARC Raiders' design director, captured it perfectly:

"Mandatory wipes don't respect the investment of those players who don't have as much time to play overall."

And here comes the voluntary reset system. Instead of forcing everyone to wipe, Embark offers an incentivized choice. Want a fresh start? Great, you get rewards for it. Don't want to? Also fine, play at your own pace.

How Expedition Project Works – Practical Breakdown 📊

Basic Requirements

Level requirement: 20
Unlock: First major project available at level 20
Cycle: 8-week repeating cycle
Time investment: Significant (more details below)

8-Week Cycle Timeline

Key point: If you don't complete the project during week 8, progress is kept. You can continue in the next cycle. This is huge for casual players.

What You Lose vs. What You Keep

During consultations with Embark, we discussed a lot about what should be "temporary" vs. "permanent". The final decision makes sense:

❌ You Lose (Character Progress):

• Levels – back to 1
• Skills – all character abilities
• Items & Inventory – all loot
• Workshop – crafting progress
• Crafting capabilities – recipe unlocks

✅ You Keep (Meta Progress):

• Cosmetics (earned + purchased)
• Awards & Achievements
• Rankings
• Expedition completion counter
• Account buffs from previous Expeditions

My note from testing: During early playtests, we tested different variants. Originally, some blueprints were supposed to be kept, but the final version is cleaner. Everything character-based goes, everything meta stays.

Caravan Build – UI/UX Perspective 🎨

Here I get to the part where I had direct input. The caravan build system is the visual and functional representation of your progression on Expedition Project.

What Is Caravan Build?

Think of it as a visual progress tracker – a caravan you gradually build during those 8 weeks. Each completed stage adds a part of the caravan until you finally have a complete expedition-ready vehicle/setup.

UI/UX Principles We Worked On:

💡 Clarity – At every moment, you need to know where you are in progression
💡 Motivation – Visual progression must be satisfying
💡 Accessibility – Info must be available without unnecessary menu deep-dives
💡 Excitement – Completion must trigger a "wow" moment

Practical example: When I tested the early build, it was hard to estimate how much work remained. We proposed a stage-based breakdown with clear milestones instead of one big progress bar.

Incentives – Why Should You Reset? 🎁

Here's where it gets interesting. Embark Studios had to very carefully balance incentives to:

1. Not provide combat advantage (pay-to-win/reset-to-win)
2. Be attractive enough to motivate resets
3. Not penalize casual players who don't reset

Confirmed Rewards (Subject to Change):

✓ Permanent account unlocks for each completed Expedition
✓ Unique cosmetic rewards for each Expedition
✓ Account buffs applied for the duration of the following Expedition cycle
✓ Sequential completion bonus – more Expeditions = stronger buffs (up to a limit)

Types of Buffs (Estimated):

Quality-of-Life:

• Faster crafting times
• Larger stash size
• Extra quick-access inventory slots

Progression Smoothing:

• XP boost at lower levels
• Reduced tutorial steps (confirmed)
• Faster early-game unlock rate

Cosmetic & Bragging Rights:

• Expedition badges
• Special titles
• Unique skins unavailable otherwise

Critical point from Virgil: "Completing a reset should NEVER give a player a power or combat advantage over anyone who has not completed a reset."

This is a game-changer. Many games make the mistake where reset advantage = pay-to-win scenario. ARC Raiders actively rejects this.

My Predictions – How This Will Affect Meta 🔮

As someone who saw this system at various stages of development and has experience with extraction shooter meta, here are my predictions:

Positives:

✓ Split playerbase – resetting "tryhards" vs. casual progressors coexist
✓ Economic stability – not everyone resets = economy doesn't collapse every 8 weeks
✓ Long-term engagement – permanent unlocks = reason to do multiple Expeditions
✓ Casual respect – finally an extraction shooter that doesn't force wipes

Potential Problems:

⚠️ Partial economy reset – some players will have massive wealth advantage
⚠️ "FOMO" pressure – casual players might feel pressure to reset for cosmetics
⚠️ Buff stacking concerns – what if account buffs are too strong?
⚠️ Community split – "resetters" vs. "non-resetters" rivalry?

Realistic Scenario:

I expect 15-25% of hardcore playerbase will reset every cycle. Majority casual players (60-70%) will play without resets or do Expedition once every 6-12 months. Remaining 10-15% will be "semi-hardcore" – reset occasionally but not every cycle.

Comparison With Competition – How Does ARC Raiders Stack Up?

Escape from Tarkov

Wipe system: Mandatory every ~6 months
Problem: Devastates casual playerbase, FOMO is extreme
ARC Raiders advantage: Voluntary system respects everyone's time

Hunt: Showdown

Wipe system: Prestige system (voluntary XP reset)
Advantage: Voluntary, but minimal incentives
ARC Raiders advantage: Better reward structure, cosmetics + buffs

The Cycle: Frontier (RIP)

Wipe system: Mandatory seasonal
Problem: Contributed to game's death – casual players left
ARC Raiders advantage: Learned from mistakes, voluntary approach

Practical Tips For Expedition Project 💡

For Players Who Want to Reset:

1. Plan ahead – 8 weeks is a lot, but significant time investment
2. Farm efficiently weeks 1-6, commit in week 8
3. Communicate with team – coordinated reset = shared fresh start
4. Maximize cosmetic collection before reset
5. Screenshot your peak loadout – memories matter

For Casual Players:

1. Ignore FOMO – you DON'T have to reset
2. Play at your pace – progress is kept between cycles
3. Utilize prestige economy – buy items from players who reset
4. Participate in community events – often have unique rewards
5. Reset once a year – if you want cosmetics but not the grind

Future of Expedition Project – What to Expect? 🔭

Virgil mentioned that additional projects will be added over time:

"Other projects may be added over time as part of updates, holidays, and other events. These will range in scale and reward structure."

My Speculation:

Seasonal Projects:

• Halloween Expedition (spooky cosmetics)
• Winter Expedition (snow-themed rewards)
• Anniversary Events (commemorative items)

Mini-Projects:

• Weekly challenges with smaller rewards
• Community goals (entire server contributes)
• Clan/Team expeditions (coordinated resets)

Expansion Projects:

• New regions unlock through special Expeditions
• Story-driven projects (lore unlocks)
• Endgame raids as project milestones

Critical Analysis – Is It Enough? 🤔

As a consultant who saw development and as an extraction shooter player – is Expedition Project a sufficient solution to the wipe problem?

My Honest Opinion:

Yes, for the majority playerbase. This is the best compromise between hardcore and casual players I've seen in the extraction shooter genre.

But – success will depend on:

1. Quality of incentives – if cosmetics are "meh," nobody resets
2. Buff balance – must not be pay-to-win adjacent
3. Community reception – if a toxic "you must reset" culture forms, failed
4. Economic balance – mixed economy (resetters + non-resetters) is complicated

Bottom line: It's an experiment, but a well-designed experiment. Embark Studios showed they're willing to innovate instead of copy-pasting the Tarkov model.

Final Summary

Expedition Project is a revolutionary approach to progression wipes in extraction shooters. As someone who had the opportunity to consult on caravan build system development and functionality, I can tell you that the team at Embark Studios genuinely respects player time.

Action Items:

1. Watch the October 30 launch – you'll see final implementation
2. Join my stream on October 17 – we'll discuss Expedition strategies + giveaway
3. Reach level 20 ASAP after launch – unlock Expedition Project early
4. Decide for yourself – ignore community pressure to reset
5. Experiment – if you don't know whether you want to reset, try one Expedition

Personally, I'm planning to reset every 16 weeks (every second cycle) – balance between fresh experience and respect for my time. We'll see how it works in practice.

Do you want to join an active community in CZ and SK? Join our discord , where you can share your game experiences, tips, tricks and play with other players! Also check out my twitch stream, where I'm every single day and will be playing Arc Raiders with the community at least since release.

FAQ

Q: Do I have to reset my character?
A: No. Expedition Project is 100% voluntary. If you don't want to reset, you don't have to. Your progress remains preserved.

Q: How many times can I reset?
A: Unlimited, as long as you complete Expedition Project each cycle. Every 8 weeks you have the opportunity to reset if you meet requirements.

Q: Will I lose my purchased cosmetics?
A: No. All purchased and earned cosmetics stay. You only lose character progress (levels, items, skills).

Q: Will resetting players have a combat advantage?
A: No. Embark Studios explicitly stated that buffs from Expedition will NEVER give combat advantage. Only QoL and progression smoothing.

Q: What if I don't complete Expedition Project in the 8-week window?
A: Progress is kept. You can continue in the next cycle. It's not an "all or nothing" scenario.

Q: When will Expedition Project be available?
A: At launch (October 30, 2025), but unlock is at level 20. You need to reach this level first.

Q: How long does it take to complete Expedition Project?
A: Embark Studios stated it's a "significant time investment". I estimate 40-60 hours of active gameplay during 8 weeks for average players.

Q: Can I reset with friends simultaneously?
A: Yes, coordinated reset is possible. If you all complete Expedition in the same week 8, you can reset together and have a synchronized fresh start.

Related Articles:

• Arc Raiders - Complete Beginner's Guide
  
• Arc Raiders - TOP 10 Tips for Effective Extractions
  
• Arc Raiders – Weapons and Equipment Guide