5th Expedition – What to expect?
Embark Studios has confirmed the 5th Expedition in ARC Raiders, and it comes with the three changes players have asked for since the system launched. It is also the last Expedition you will see until early 2027.
The window runs for three weeks rather than two, the “last call” mechanic is gone, and resetting your quest line is now optional. If you have been sitting out Expeditions because of the reset, this is the run designed for you.
What is changing in the 5th Expedition
Three adjustments separate this Expedition from the previous four. All three respond directly to feedback about how restrictive the system had become.
- Opt-in Quest reset: You are no longer forced to reset your quest line to depart. Choosing not to reset means finding an alternative route to the Hullcracker Blueprint.
- No last call: The last call step has been removed from the departure flow entirely.
- Extended window: The departure window grows from two weeks to three.
The opt-in reset is the significant one for returning Raiders. Losing quest progress was the single biggest reason to skip an Expedition, and that trade is now yours to make.
5th Expedition window dates and times
Sign-ups and departure both sit inside the same three-week window. Times are published in CEST, UTC, and PT.
| Milestone | Date | CEST | UTC | PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expedition window opens | September 8 | 1pm | 11am | 4am |
| Expedition window closes | September 29 | 10am | 8am | 1am |
| Trials season ends | September 22 | Time not stated | Time not stated | Time not stated |
| Trials returns | October 8 | Time not stated | Time not stated | Time not stated |
Note the overlap. The current Trials season ends September 22, a full week before the Expedition window shuts, so you have a stretch where neither system is competing for your play time.
How to complete the 5th Expedition
The flow is unchanged apart from the removed last call step. Work through it in order.
- Complete the Caravan: Fill your Caravan before the window opens. An unfinished Caravan cannot depart.
- Wait for the window: Nothing can be signed up before September 8.
- Sign up: Register during the window rather than waiting for a grace period, because there is none.
- Complete the challenge: Finish the Expedition challenge attached to this run.
- Catch up on skill points: You can recover a maximum of 5 missed skill points per Expedition.
- Depart: Leave before the window closes on September 29.
The catch-up cap is the detail most people miss. If you have skipped multiple Expeditions, five points per run means you cannot recover everything in a single departure.
Rewards and where the caps sit
Every reward on offer has a ceiling, and several of those ceilings are close enough that a fifth departure may be your last meaningful one.
| Reward | Cap | What it means for a fifth departure |
|---|---|---|
| Zenith Outfit | Full set | Completing this Expedition unlocks the outfit in full |
| Stash space | 60 total | Each departure grants +12, so five runs reaches the ceiling |
| Skill points | 15 total | Catch-up is limited to 5 per Expedition |
| Consecutive buffs | 3 levels | XP boost, materials, and repair value each stop at level three |
| Mystery rewards | Not stated | Contents unconfirmed until the window opens |
The stash cap of 60 is worth doing the arithmetic on. Five departures at +12 each lands exactly on the ceiling, which makes this Expedition the one that finishes the job for anyone who has run all four prior windows.
What happens when Expeditions pause
Embark has been explicit that nothing is stranded during the break. Three things carry over.
- Consecutive buffs persist: Buffs you have earned stay active, so no progress is lost during the pause.
- Completed Expeditions pay out: A completed run unlocks the full Zenith Outfit rather than holding it back.
- Incomplete Caravans convert: Unfinished Caravans become Ermal Vouchers of equal value, usable on Ermal offers alongside ARC Parts and firearms trade, or sold for Coin.
That conversion is the safety net. Partial Caravan progress is not wasted if you cannot reach a departure before September 29.
The stated reasons for the pause are tight departure windows, the reward structure, and accessibility for new players. Those are structural problems rather than tuning problems, which explains a break measured in months rather than weeks.
How the pause lines up with Frozen Trail
The two-week Trials pause ends October 8, and that is the same day Frozen Trail arrives. Embark has called that update the biggest since launch.
Frozen Trail brings a new frozen settlement at the edge of the Rust Belt, a large-scale ARC Operation, new ARC enemies, and the Outpost as a new player space. It also adjusts the Skill Tree and Raider Decks.
Those last two are the connection worth drawing. Expeditions hand out skill points, and Frozen Trail changes the Skill Tree those points feed into, which is a plausible reason the system needs a rebuild rather than a patch.
Is a fifth departure worth it
Two illustrations of how the maths lands, based on the published caps rather than on projected outcomes.
Example Scenario 1: You have completed all four previous Expeditions. You are sitting at 48 stash space and up to 15 skill points, so a fifth departure takes stash to the 60 ceiling and closes out the Zenith Outfit. With buffs already at level three, stash and the outfit are the entire remaining upside, and both are permanent.
Example Scenario 2: You have never finished a Caravan. The opt-in reset removes the reason most new Raiders skipped previous windows, and three weeks is the longest runway the system has offered. You will not reach the 60 stash ceiling from one departure, but consecutive buffs start accumulating and they persist through the pause to early 2027.
For everything else on the current build, the live game is running on Live Update 1.42.0 as of August 18. Our ARC Raiders hub tracks patch changes as they land.
Frequently asked questions
When does the 5th Expedition start and end? The window opens September 8 at 1pm CEST and closes September 29 at 10am CEST. That is three weeks, up from two in previous Expeditions.
Do I have to reset my quests for the 5th Expedition? No. The reset is opt-in for the first time, though skipping it means sourcing the Hullcracker Blueprint another way.
What happens to my Caravan if I do not depart? An incomplete Caravan converts to Ermal Vouchers of equal value. You can spend those on Ermal offers, use them alongside ARC Parts and firearms trade, or sell them for Coin.
How much stash space can I have in total? Stash space caps at 60. Each Expedition departure grants +12, so five completed departures reach the ceiling.
When do Expeditions return? Early 2027. Embark is pausing the system to address departure windows, the reward structure, and accessibility for new players.
Does the pause affect Trials? Trials pauses separately for two weeks after the current season ends September 22, returning October 8 alongside Frozen Trail.
