After hitting Level 20 in Arc Raiders, most players rush into their first Expedition without understanding the system—and lose everything for minimal gain. I’ve completed multiple Expeditions and tracked exactly what happens to your resources, skills, and progression. Here’s how to actually prepare for the prestige system.
Table of Contents
- Quick Answer
- What Is Expedition (Prestige)?
- What Gets Reset vs. What You Keep
- Resource Strategy: Quests vs. Expedition Investment
- When to Start Your Expedition
- Expedition Rewards Breakdown
- Pro Tips
- FAQ
Quick Answer
- Expedition unlocks at Level 20 and resets your progression every 60 days
- You keep: Skill points earned, cosmetics, and account-wide unlocks
- You lose: Levels, stash contents, inventory, gear, and coins
- 1 million Coins = 1 skill point when invested in Expedition
- Best strategy: Complete essential quests first, then dump excess resources into Expedition in the final 2 weeks
What Is Expedition (Prestige)?
Expedition is Arc Raiders’ prestige system. Once you hit Level 20, you can register for an Expedition Project—essentially sending your Raider on a 60-day mission that resets your character when it completes. In exchange, you earn permanent skill points that carry across all future characters.
Think of it like New Game+ in other games, except the reset happens on a fixed schedule. Every 60 days, an Expedition window opens. If you’ve registered and contributed resources, you’ll prestige at the window’s end.
What Gets Reset vs. What You Keep
Reset Completely
- Character level (back to 1)
- All skills and skill tree progress
- Stash contents
- Inventory and equipped gear
- Coins
- Quest progress
Kept Permanently
- Expedition skill points (earned through contributions)
- Cosmetic items and skins
- Account-level achievements
- Blueprints you’ve learned
- Social progress (friends, crew)
The key insight: skill points are the only permanent progression that matters. Everything else resets, so hoarding gear at the end of an Expedition window is pointless.
Resource Strategy: Quests vs. Expedition Investment
Here’s where most players mess up. They either spend all their resources on quests and gear upgrades (gaining nothing permanent), or they dump everything into Expedition early and can’t complete content.
The Optimal Split
First 40 days: Focus on quests, gear progression, and learning the game. Complete quest chains for their unique rewards. Build up a comfortable stash of resources.
Final 20 days: Start contributing to Expedition. Convert excess Coins into skill points at the 1 million = 1 point ratio. Sell gear you don’t need.
Final 3 days: Liquidate everything. Sell all stash items, gear, and materials. Convert every Coin into Expedition contributions. You’re losing it all anyway.
Expedition Contribution Requirements
Each Expedition stage requires specific resources:
- Stage 1: Basic materials (scrap, components)
- Stage 2: Refined materials and Coins
- Stage 3: Rare materials and high Coin investment
- Stage 4: Premium materials and massive Coin dump
You don’t need to complete all stages—each contribution adds to your skill point total. But hitting milestones gives bonus rewards.
When to Start Your Expedition
Register for Expedition as soon as you hit Level 20, but don’t contribute heavily until the final third of the window. This gives you:
- Time to enjoy current progression
- Ability to complete quests for unique rewards
- Maximum resource accumulation before converting
- Flexibility if you find gear you want to use
If you’re a new player, consider skipping your first Expedition window entirely. Use those 60 days to learn maps, mechanics, and economy. The skill points will come faster on subsequent Expeditions when you know what you’re doing.
Expedition Rewards Breakdown
Besides skill points, completing Expedition milestones grants:
- Exclusive cosmetics (varies by Expedition)
- Title unlocks showing your prestige count
- Starting bonuses for your next cycle
- Leaderboard position if you’re competitive
Skill points unlock passive abilities that persist across resets—extra health, damage bonuses, resource efficiency, and more. These compound over multiple Expeditions, making each cycle easier than the last.
Pro Tips
- Track the Expedition calendar. Know exactly when the window ends so you don’t get caught with a full stash.
- Join a crew for bonus contributions. Crew Expeditions pool resources and give everyone better returns.
- Focus skill points on survivability first. Health and stamina upgrades make early-level content trivial on repeat playthroughs.
- Don’t hoard blueprints. Learn them immediately—they persist through Expedition.
- Sell gear to vendors, not players. The player market crashes in the final week of each Expedition as everyone liquidates.
- Complete Expedition-specific quests. These offer bonus contribution rewards that stack with your normal investments.
FAQ
Do I have to participate in Expedition?
No. If you don’t register, you keep playing normally. However, you’ll miss out on permanent skill points, and eventually, you’ll hit a power ceiling that prestiged players won’t have.
What happens if I register but don’t contribute?
You still reset when the Expedition ends, but you’ll earn minimal skill points. You need contributions to maximize your return.
Can I skip an Expedition after registering?
No. Once registered, you’re committed to that Expedition cycle. Choose wisely.
Is it worth rushing to Level 20 for Expedition?
Not necessarily. Reaching Level 20 with poor gear and no game knowledge means weaker contributions. Play at a comfortable pace, then commit fully to Expedition prep in later cycles.
Do skill points carry to all characters?
Yes. Skill points are account-wide. Create a new character, and they’ll have access to all your unlocked passive abilities.
Related Guides
Summary
Arc Raiders’ Expedition system rewards long-term planning over last-minute scrambles. Spend the first two-thirds of each window enjoying the game normally, then liquidate everything into Expedition contributions at the end. Skill points compound across cycles, so even modest contributions now will pay dividends in future playthroughs.
