Embark Studios has shared new details about ARC Raiders' second Expedition, and it's clear they took player feedback from the first one seriously. The next run starts with sign-ups on February 25, with departure set for March 1. Like before, it's completely optional. You only reset if you choose to send your character out by building an Expedition Caravan using your stash value, so anyone who wants to keep their progress can just ignore it and keep playing normally ARC Raiders Coins.

A lot of the changes come from complaints about how grindy Expedition 1 felt. Previously, hitting the top reward tier required 5 million stash value just to earn five Skill Points, which many players felt wasn't worth the effort. This time, the numbers have been adjusted. Each Skill Point now costs 600,000 stash value, bringing the total for max rewards down to 3 million. That's a pretty big reduction and makes participation more realistic for mid-to-late-game players instead of only hardcore grinders.

There's also a catch-up system for anyone who skipped the first Expedition. If you didn't earn those earlier Skill Points, you can now buy them at a discounted rate of 300,000 stash value each. In total, players could walk away with up to 10 Expedition Skill Points if they invest enough, which helps close the gap between veterans and newcomers without forcing everyone through the same grind twice.

Rewards still focus heavily on permanent unlocks rather than temporary boosts. Players who missed the first run can get the evolved Patchwork outfit, while returning participants unlock extra cosmetic options like new toggles, color variants, and the Scrappy set. There's also an upgraded Expedition icon to show participation. One of the more practical upgrades is stash space increasing from 12 to 24 slots permanently, which is a huge quality-of-life improvement in a game where inventory management is always tight.

Stat bonuses are back too, and they scale if you've already completed the first Expedition. Players going in for their second run get stronger buffs than before—10% bonus XP, increased Scrappy material gains, and higher repair value efficiency. Since these stack with previous Expedition rewards, repeat participants end up with noticeably faster progression and better resource flow during raids.

If you're planning to join, you can already start preparing by building stash value. High-tier loot runs, event zones like Bird City, and efficient farming routes will help you hit the new thresholds faster. The qualification window runs February 17 through 24, so there's still time to grind if you're aiming for max rewards. Embark also clarified that Coins you invest count toward current Expedition progress first, then toward any catch-up rewards, which makes planning a bit easier.

This second Expedition is part of ARC Raiders' broader 2026 roadmap under the Escalation storyline. More environmental hazards, new ARC enemy types, and evolving map conditions are expected to roll out alongside or shortly after the reset. There's even talk of new weather effects and zone variants tying into the Expedition cycle to keep fresh runs feeling different.

Lower requirements, catch-up rewards, and stronger long-term bonuses make the reset system feel less punishing and more like a meaningful progression choice ARC Raiders Battle pass. Whether you're chasing stacked buffs or just want the cosmetics and stash upgrades, March 1 is shaping up to be a good moment to start fresh in the Rust Belt—if you decide the journey's worth it.