Embark Studios has rolled out significant modifications to the Expedition system in Arc Raiders, leaving many players who had diligently saved millions of credits feeling sidelined. In a blog post today, the developer detailed adjustments to the prestige feature, which lets players reset with bonuses based on their achievements. Previously, attaining the maximum bonus skill points required a stash value of 3 million credits, but for the third Expedition, Embark is scrapping the credit requirement entirely. Instead, rewards will now be tied to the amount of damage dealt during the event.
The studio justified the shift by stating that 'grinding for monetary value isn’t the most exciting experience,' a sentiment echoed by numerous fans. However, there's a catch: players only have a five-day window from April 28 to May 4 at midnight to tackle the challenge and secure all five available skill points. Those utilizing the catch-up mechanic for past Expeditions will still earn points through stash value, but participants in the third window who have been gathering resources since March 1 might find their efforts wasted.
'Above all, we want expeditions to be fun and not an endless grind,' Embark emphasized. 'We believe these changes create a fair and engaging challenge that keeps everyone active across the full 5 days.' Yet, the abrupt nature of this overhaul has sparked outrage, compounded by a lack of clarity on the damage thresholds needed to earn the skill points. Players are left guessing whether they can achieve the maximum rewards in time.
On Reddit, one user vented, 'Sure is nice that every time an expedition comes around, they wait until the last possible second to let people know what to expect and what has changed.' Another lamented, 'My friends and I will coincidentally be on vacation for 4 of the 5 day window. Are we cooked?'
Community concerns largely revolve around the tight timeframe, with some suggesting the damage-based system should have been introduced in Expedition four instead. A player proposed, 'I really dont get why they cant just do the same as previous expedition for this one, and then next expedition it tracks damage for the entire season to get the skill points. This seems like they wanted to get rid of the 3 mil requirement, but decided it too late and now put this half ass 5-day requirement in.'
Others criticized the execution, noting, 'It’s also very strange not knowing how much damage you need to dish out. Will that be announced right before the expedition closes? Good idea, bad execution.' A frustrated player added, 'I saved up 3 million credits throughout this entire season to 'chill' on the last phase of the expedition. It’s practically worthless now because of the lack of communication. I do like the new change but this needed to be implemented in the BEGINNING of the season… People have lives, on vacation, or have important stuff scheduled… like wtf, Embark. A 5 day window is absurd.'
This controversy emerges as Arc Raiders approaches a critical juncture with the upcoming Riven Tides update, slated for release later this month. Promised to be the game's largest content drop yet, it includes the first new map in months, according to a roadmap shared earlier this year. Embark has not yet addressed the backlash over the Expedition changes.
In our review at launch in October 2025, Arc Raiders earned a 9/10 score. Recent updates have introduced new enemies, map conditions, and balance tweaks for dominant PvP weapons. For more insights, follow the BAFTA Game Awards 2026, where Embark secured a win for Multiplayer, or check out our interview with CEO Patrick Söderlund.
