Embark Studios is considering scrapping ARC Raiders’ Expeditions system entirely as it rethinks the extraction shooter’s controversial approach to progression resets. Executive producer Aleksander Grøndal said during a Gamescom interview with PCGamesN that abandoning the system altogether is one of the options currently being considered. No final decision has been made, and Embark is still determining what should replace or reshape Expeditions after the current cycle ends.
Expeditions function as ARC Raiders’ optional answer to traditional extraction-shooter wipes. Players build up a Caravan by investing resources and eventually choose to depart, resetting major parts of their character progression in exchange for permanent and consecutive rewards. Completing an Expedition can reset player level, skills, inventory and workshop progress, making the decision a significant commitment rather than a routine seasonal refresh.
The system has been adjusted repeatedly since launch, but Embark acknowledged in August that some of its problems could not be solved with small changes. The studio specifically highlighted tight departure windows, the reward structure and accessibility for newer players as issues requiring bigger revisions. As a result, the fifth Expedition will be the last one before the feature is paused until at least early 2027.
Grøndal has now made clear that the planned redesign could go much further than simply improving rewards or extending deadlines. He acknowledged that the current implementation is imperfect and said Embark wants to make significant changes to how Expeditions work. He then said that scrapping the entire system is also “on the table,” while emphasizing that the team is still working out what the next step should be.
That leaves Embark in a noticeably different position from its August announcement. At the time, the developer said Expeditions would return in early 2027 with major improvements aimed at addressing the biggest player pain points. The more recent comments suggest even that return is not guaranteed in its current form, with the studio apparently willing to reconsider whether ARC Raiders needs the Expedition structure at all.
The fifth Expedition opened on September 8 and runs until September 29. For this final pre-pause version, Embark made several concessions based on player feedback, including allowing players to opt out of resetting quest progress and extending the departure window by an additional week. The usual last-call period has also been removed, meaning players must sign up before the window closes if they intend to depart.
Embark has said consecutive Expedition buffs already earned by players will remain active during the pause. Players who complete all five Expeditions will fully unlock the Zenith Outfit, while partially completed Caravans will be converted into Ermal Vouchers once the system goes offline. Those details remain intact regardless of what Embark ultimately decides to do with Expeditions in 2027.
The discussion is also tied to a broader rethink of ARC Raiders’ long-term progression and retention. Grøndal told PCGamesN that Embark is trying to understand what actually gives players a reason to return and has been moving away from smaller monthly additions toward larger, less frequent updates. He also pushed back against treating ARC Raiders as a game with a conventional “endgame,” instead describing an ambition to create progression loops that feed back into one another.
The next major step in that strategy is Frozen Trail, which launches October 8. Embark has described the update as a substantial expansion featuring a new map, a new ARC Operation, additional ARC enemies and the Outpost system. The studio appears to be using Frozen Trail as a broader test of how larger updates can sustain the game while it simultaneously reconsiders systems such as Expeditions.
For now, players should not assume Expeditions will return unchanged in early 2027. Embark originally committed to bringing the system back with major improvements, but Grøndal’s latest comments leave open the possibility that the studio may replace it with something fundamentally different or remove it altogether. A final decision has not been announced, making the fifth Expedition potentially the last version of the system in its current form.
