⚡ Quick Read

• Embark Studios is overhauling Arc Raiders’ Expedition system starting April 28, 2026
• Skill Points will now be earned by dealing damage over the five-day window — not by accumulating stash value or coins
• Any weapon or gadget counts toward damage (PvP and PvE both apply, practice range excluded)
• The Catch Up mechanic for returning players remains tied to stash value at 300,000 coins per Skill Point
• Players must still sign up separately — completing the Caravan does not automatically register them
• The third Expedition Window closes May 4, with automatic departure at 09:00 CEST
• The window launches alongside the massive Riven Tides update, the biggest content drop Arc Raiders has seen

Arc Raiders Is Changing Up Expeditions — Skill Points Now Come From Damage Dealt, Not Stash Value

If you’ve been grinding Arc Raiders with your nose buried in your stash, calculating coin values and hoarding loot like a paranoid crow, Embark Studios has some news for you: that approach won’t cut it anymore.

The developer has announced a significant overhaul to the Expedition system, going live with the third Expedition Window on April 28, 2026. Instead of grinding to hit a monetary stash value threshold to earn Skill Points, players will now need to deal damage over the five-day window. It’s a meaningful shift in philosophy — and honestly, a pretty welcome one for anyone who found the old system more accounting spreadsheet than extraction shooter.

What’s Actually Changing

In a blog post titled “A Triumphant Exit,” Embark laid out exactly what’s different. “Skill Points will be earned by dealing damage over the five-day window, NOT stash value,” the team wrote. Five Skill Points are on the table per Expedition, and all five can be earned by hitting the damage threshold — regardless of whether it’s your first, second, or third time departing.

The damage challenge unlocks automatically for any player who has completed their Caravan, no additional sign-up required just to see it. And the target types are deliberately broad: any weapon or gadget works, and both PvP and PvE engagements count toward your total. The only carved-out exception is the practice range, so you can’t cheese your way there in a safe environment.

Players have the full five-day window — Tuesday through Sunday — to get it done.

The Catch Up Wrinkle

Here’s where it gets slightly more layered. The Catch Up mechanic — designed for players on their second or third Expedition who missed Skill Points from a previous window — is staying tied to stash value rather than damage. But there’s a gate: if you’re in catch-up territory, you have to complete the new damage challenge first before the coin-based catch-up unlocks. Once it does, each missed Skill Point costs 300,000 coins or stash value.

This split system means returning players need to stay active in the damage challenge before they can tap into the catch-up option — which keeps even veteran Raiders engaged throughout the full window rather than logging in once, doing a quick stash calculation, and logging out.

Why Embark Made the Switch

The studio didn’t bury the reasoning — they were pretty direct about it. “We know that grinding for monetary value isn’t the most exciting experience,” the team wrote. “By introducing damage-based objectives and trials instead of stash value, we’re providing more freedom and variety in how you can complete the Expedition, encouraging the use of loot rather than hoarding it throughout the 5-day window.”

That last part is the crux of it. The stash value system inadvertently rewarded players for not using their good gear — saving the expensive stuff because losing it on a run would hurt their Expedition score. The damage system flips that incentive. Use your best gear. Fight. That’s the point of an extraction shooter anyway.

“Above all, we want expeditions to be fun and not an endless grind,” Embark added. “We believe these changes create a fair and engaging challenge that keeps everyone active across the full 5 days.”

The studio also acknowledged this is an ongoing process. They’ve confirmed that Expeditions will continue to evolve based on feedback, including revisiting what rewards look like and what progress gets reset versus what carries over between wipes. Neither of those things feels fully solved yet, and Embark seems to know it.

How to Join the Third Expedition

Here’s the step-by-step breakdown, straight from Embark:

Step 1 — Complete the Caravan. You can start contributing as soon as the previous Expedition ends. First-timers can jump in right away.

Step 2 — Wait for the Window. It opens April 28 at 13:00 CEST / 11:00 UTC / 04:00 PT and closes May 4 at 09:00 CEST / 07:00 UTC / 00:00 PT.

Step 3 — Sign Up. This is easy to overlook: finishing your Caravan does not register you for the Expedition. You have to sign up separately once the window opens.

Step 4 — Complete the Damage Challenge. Deal the required amount of damage using any weapon or gadget against any target (except the practice range) within the five-day window to unlock all five Skill Points.

Step 5 — Catch Up (if applicable). Second and third Expedition players who missed Skill Points previously must complete the damage challenge first, then the coin-based catch-up becomes available at 300,000 coins per Skill Point.

Step 6 — Depart. Everyone who signed up departs automatically on Monday, May 4 at 09:00 CEST / 07:00 UTC / 00:00 PT.

One thing worth noting: Embark is also introducing a “last call” feature this time around, though full details on that will arrive closer to launch.

The Bigger Picture — Riven Tides

The third Expedition Window isn’t arriving in a vacuum. April 28 is also when the Riven Tides update drops — widely expected to be the largest content release Arc Raiders has seen since launch. The update brings a brand-new coastal map set in the bottom-left of the Rust Belt (south of Buried City), a new large ARC threat, a new Map Condition, and a fresh batch of Trials that will run concurrently with the Expedition window for the first time. Completing the third Expedition will also unlock the full Patchwork outfit, with consecutive Expedition runners earning stacking buffs across XP gains, material boosts, and repair value increases.

It’s a busy few days of Arc Raiders content across the board. If you’ve been on the fence about jumping back in, or trying your first Expedition, the combination of a major update and a reworked reward structure is probably the best entry point the game has had.

Looking for more to dig into while you wait? Check out Roblox’s biggest May 2026 game drops, get the full breakdown on Metro 2039’s story, gameplay, and Winter 2026 release, or see what Apex Legends is doing with its April 2026 matchmaking overhaul.