ARC Raiders to Pilot Voluntary Progression Wipes via a New Expedition Project
ARC Raiders, the forthcoming extraction shooter from Embark Studios, is experimenting with a new approach to progression that aims to respect players’ time while preserving long-term game health. The studio has announced a system of voluntary progression wipes, implemented through what it calls the Expedition Project. This strategy seeks to balance the benefits of a reset—fresh economies and level playing fields—with a more flexible, player-led cadence that avoids alienating those who can’t log extensive hours.
What is the Expedition Project?
According to Embark Studios, the Expedition Project will debut in the full game at level 20. It operates on an eight-week cycle during which players contribute to a shared progression goal. When the cycle completes, players will have the option to trigger a progression reset for their account. If a player doesn’t complete the cycle, they can carry unfinished progress into the next finalisation window. Importantly, some elements of progress are treated differently from others: a reset wipes character levels, skills, inventory, and crafting capabilities, but cosmetics, earned awards, and purchased items remain intact.
How the resets work in practice
The core idea is not to erase everything a player has accumulated but to refresh the playing field in a controlled, opt-in manner. Portraits of progress such as cosmetics and certain non-utility rewards persist, while the practical aspects—levels, skills, and inventory—are reset to baseline. The ambition is to prevent a mandatory, global reset from punishing players who lack time to grind while still offering a meaningful reset for those seeking a fresh start.
Benefits and Intentions
Embark Studios stresses several benefits of the Expedition Project. A global wipe, they argue, can make veteran players feel like their time investment is devalued. The voluntary system aims to preserve a sense of fairness by letting players decide when a reset makes sense for them, while also keeping the economy reset to a baseline to avoid ongoing inflation or imbalance.
Incentives for Participation
To encourage participation, completing a reset will grant players permanent account unlocks, unique cosmetics, and buffs tailored to the next Expedition cycle. The studio is careful to note that these perks are designed to avoid giving participants a direct combat advantage over others who haven’t reset. Early benefits are focused on cosmetics, quality-of-life improvements, and smoother progression transitions rather than power scaling.
<h2 How this fits into ARC Raiders’ broader design
The Expedition Project is envisioned as a gradual, repeated cycle that adds a layer of longevity to ARC Raiders. By letting players opt into resets on their own timelines, the game seeks to reduce pressure on endgame activities while maintaining a sense of newness through repeated cycles. This approach is a middle ground between the hard reset of a traditional wipe and the status quo of enduring progression, potentially appealing to players who value both progression continuity and periodic fresh starts.
<h2 Community reception and future updates
ARC Raiders’ plan to blend voluntary wipes with cosmetic-based rewards is likely to spark discussion within the community. Some players will welcome a less punitive approach to resets, while others may question the long-term balance implications. Embark Studios has acknowledged the complexity of the topic and promises ongoing dialogue as the Expedition Project unfolds. A free public network test is scheduled later this month, offering a chance to evaluate how the system feels in practice before the game’s release on 30 October.
Conclusion
ARC Raiders’ Expedition Project represents a thoughtful attempt to value players’ time while keeping progression meaningful. By offering voluntary resets with careful limitations and cosmetic incentives, Embark Studios aims to maintain equitable play without sacrificing the excitement of starting fresh. As the test phase approaches, players and observers will be watching closely to see how well this model translates into player satisfaction and game longevity.
