Embark Studios has listened to the intense feedback from players during the first "Expedition" (account reset) phase and introduced major changes for the second Arc Raiders expedition window. The previously tough requirements like "5 million Coins" and mechanics that encouraged hoarding valuable items instead of using them—known as "dark patterns"—have been completely overhauled.

Here are the details of the new system announced on 5 February 2026 and launching on 25 February:

Arc Raiders: Second Expedition and the Reward Overhaul

Developers acknowledged complaints that "hoarding coins ruins the fun" by lowering requirements and introducing a "catch-up" system for those who missed out.

Major Reductions in Reward Requirements

Previously, each Skill Point cost 1 million Coins, but this has been significantly reduced:

• New Target: To get the maximum of 5 Skill Points, you now need a total stash value of just 3 million Coins.

• Cost Per Point: Instead of 1 million, each point now costs only 600,000 Coins.

Catch-Up Mechanism

A discounted catch-up system is available for players who missed the first expedition or didn’t collect all their points:

• Cheaper Skill Points: If you missed points in the first round, you can reclaim them for just 300,000 Coins per point.

• Total Point Potential: With this system, a player joining the second expedition can reach up to 85 skill points in total.

Second Expedition Rewards and Buffs

Joining the expedition brings not just points, but also permanent and temporary benefits:

• Permanent Stash Space: Storage capacity increases from 12 to 24.

• Cosmetics: The "Patchwork" outfit gets new colour options and add-ons, plus the new "Scrappy" outfit joins the rewards.

• Stackable Buffs: Players participating in multiple expeditions get up to 10 percent XP bonus, 12 percent Scrappy material bonus, and a 70 percent repair value boost.

Key Dates