first arc raiders Wipes are just around the corner, but the good news right off the bat is that they aren’t required. Many of the progression wipes in games like Rust and Escape From Tarkov affect all players, but Embark Studios has decided to give you the choice to participate in the reset and send your current raiders out to pasture, or continue with everything you’ve already unlocked. But it just confirms what we can gain by taking the leap, and honestly, it’s going to be a hard temptation to resist.
“Perhaps Speranza was too small for you,” the Arc Raiders team writes in a new blog post. “Perhaps it’s the thrill of danger, the feel of fresh air on your skin, or the promise of riches that can only be earned topside. Whatever the reason, all raiders have one thing in common: a spirit of adventure.” According to the magazine, the multiplayer game’s planned expedition has had some delays, with the period to leave the Rust Belt for good opening on Wednesday, December 17th, and lasting six days in total.
Selecting Restart will reset everything related to your current progress. “This means your skill tree, levels, stash, workshop, crafting abilities, and blueprints.” Make no mistake. You will be going back up from almost ground level. What gets skipped is the initial onboarding. This means all maps and potential workshop upgrades will be available from the start.
However, it offers a variety of benefits. You can earn up to 5 skill points based on the combined value of your stash and coins (conversion rate of 1 million coins per skill point). You also get an additional 12 slots for hidden spaces, a Patchwork Raider Outfit, a Scrappy Janitor Cap, and an Expeditions Indicator icon. In addition to this, you will be granted three temporary boosts: a 10% repair buff, 5% bonus XP, and 6% additional materials from Scrappy.
These bonus buffs will expire if you choose not to embark on your next expedition, but you can keep all other unlocks forever. Personally, the skill points and hidden spaces are too delicious to resist. Embark also confirmed that the combined value of the stash and coins will be calculated when the departure window closes, “so don’t stop looting before then.”
If you’re not ready to try out your current character, you don’t have to. “The optional Expedition project is our solution to some of the problems that inevitably arise with mandatory wipes,” Embark explains. “Specifically, by respecting your investment of time into the game. We want to give you choices.” If you choose to stay, your caravan-building progress will be saved and you can continue working until it’s time for your next departure in a few months.
The Ark Raiders Expeditions window opens on Wednesday, December 17th and ends on Monday, December 22nd. You must sign up during this period, and all registered players will automatically depart as soon as the window closes. “For now, you can write the story,” says the developer. “We look forward to seeing what you decide.”
