Is ARC Raiders Really Dead Now? The Real Reason behind the Summer Update Silence: October Might Bring More Surprises

Category: ARC Raiders Posted: Jul 03, 2026 Views: 17

Posted: Jul 03, 2026

Source: IGGM

Unlike single-player games that might go years without updates, most online games schedule new content for the summer, a time when many people take their vacations. Even if a major update isn't on the roadmap, developers often roll out limited-time modes.

Yet ARC Raiders, a rising star that enjoyed great popularity for most of its first months, has left the entire summer season completely void of new content.

In fact, this lull began as early as late May, when the developers announced there would be no official updates until Frozen Trail update arrived in October.

This decision led to a drop in player numbers, followed by a surge in rampant cheating; now, one frequently sees players declaring that ARC Raiders is already dead.

However, considering that from its launch last October through April, the game outperformed its rivals, and even won Best Multiplayer Game at TGA late last year, you might wonder: surely its lifespan can't be that short?

To answer this question, we will examine various factors and analyze, as objectively as possible, the likely future trajectory of ARC Raiders.

Is ARC Raiders Really Dead Now? The Real Reason behind the Summer Update Silence: October Might Bring More Surprises

ARC Raiders earned its existing popularity

Unlike some new entries in established franchises that rely solely on past glory or nostalgia, ARC Raiders carved out its own success thanks to a solid foundation: high-quality visuals, innovative map designs, unique ARC units, and more. Even if you are a seasoned shooter veteran, it is hard not to be captivated by the game.

More importantly, while ARC Raiders utilizes PvPvE format, a genre that is no longer novel, it executes the mechanics with a unique flair that sets it apart.

Whether you prefer PvP, PvE, or chaotic all-out brawls, ARC Raiders offers a playstyle to suit your tastes. Furthermore, the unpredictable nature of each raid, where you might find yourself cooperating with or fighting against others, keeps the experience fresh and exciting.

Regarding the gear system, arguably the most critical element of any shooter, ARC Raiders employs a distinctive blueprint mechanism.

Rather than relying on direct drops, the most efficient strategy for acquiring top-tier weaponry is to obtain the corresponding ARC Raiders blueprint and craft the item in the workshop.

This not only enhances the sense of accomplishment when acquiring various pieces of gear but also enriches the game's item system, ensuring that every designed item has a purpose, especially since crafting requires the addition of other materials.

When did the player count start to decline?

Building on a strong performance in the final quarter of last year, ARC Raiders team announced a roadmap for 2026 back in January. However, it is worth noting that this roadmap, dubbed Escalation, only covered content up to April of this year.

Subsequently, ARC Raiders largely met expectations by releasing monthly updates. While later updates began to feel somewhat formulaic, the introduction of new maps and ARCs ensured a consistently fresh experience throughout those four months.

Yet, the situation was complicated by frequent bugs, cheaters, and rats, players intent on ruining the experience for others. This caused ARC Raiders player base to fluctuate like the tides: while new updates attracted fresh players, a steady stream of others abandoned the game.

Unfortunately, after the announcement that there would be no official updates until October, and the possibility of moving to just two major updates per year, the number of players leaving began to far outpace those joining, making it appear as though the game was effectively dead.

Why did ARC Raiders change its update strategy?

As previously mentioned, the updates released between January and April essentially followed a repetitive formula, creating a sense of false prosperity: once the novelty wore off, the month's update lost its value.

ARC Raiders development team certainly understands the importance of maintaining player engagement, but they were clearly not aiming for this kind of bubble economy. Instead, they sought to improve the game's overall quality, a goal that a one-month development cycle simply could not achieve.

Consequently, as stated in the announcement released on May 13, the team is focusing on a broader and long-term Speranza, rather than letting the game become a Frankenstein's monster cobbled together from meaningless updates.

Ongoing optimization efforts

Although the schedule of major updates paused after Riven Tides, anyone still playing or following ARC Raiders would notice that the development team remains committed to optimizing the game through weekly patches and Expedition updates.

While these optimizations may not offer the flashy, headline-grabbing surprises players often crave, they are crucial to every combat encounter and trade you experience in ARC Raiders. It is clear that the promise to deliver a better experience in the future was not just empty talk.

Bottom line: Don't type RIP too soon!

In a market saturated with shooters, pausing updates inevitably causes the game to lose some player attention. After all, some people only care about what they can play right now and aren't willing to wait for a game to undergo fundamental improvements.

So, if you care more about the game's long-term direction than short-term gratification, don't be too quick to sound the death knell! This period of silence is merely a prelude to a spectacular comeback.

We can simply wait for Frozen Trail update (which might be renamed by then) to launch in October and judge whether the game is worth playing based on that experience.

Even if you find it uninteresting right now, you can just put it aside for the time being, there is no need to rush to criticize it.

However, there is a tricky situation ahead: the highly anticipated GTA 6 is set to launch this November, which will undoubtedly impact ARC Raiders to some extent. Fortunately, ARC Raiders certainly won't be the only game affected!

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ARC Raiders June 29-July 5 Season 4 Trials Guide: Your Last Chance to Hit Cantina Legend

Raiders, our chance to take on Cantina Legend in ARC Raiders has arrived! If you're still fighting for this goal, every point this week is crucial, and you need at least a Hotshot to have a chance to advance to Cantina Legend next week.

We'll be providing detailed strategies for this crucial final week of trials, so players aiming for that final push should definitely take it seriously.

Highest Score Trial

Damage ARC enemies using Light Impact Grenades is one of the highest score trials in this final week, reaching approximately 56,000 points with good teamwork.

The best map condition to explore is Hidden Bunker under Spaceport. The reason is simple: Hidden Bunker provides an extra 10 minutes of game time, and Bastion and Bombardier have the highest health under this map condition.

Higher health for ARC enemies means we need to deal more damage, which means we get more trial points.

However, the biggest mistake players make during this mission is bringing pre-crafted Light Impact Grenades into the map.

The correct approach is to bring the necessary materials and craft them on-site. Three sets of chemicals and two sets of plastic parts only take up five backpack slots, yet allow you to craft 50 Light Impact Grenades during the raid, effectively doubling your usable grenade count.

You can stay near the entrance to Hidden Bunker, as Bastion and Bombardier spawn there, and Shredder spawns inside the building.

Once you arrive at your destination, immediately begin crafting grenades, and continue crafting while waiting for ARC enemy spawn abbreviation.

If you're playing solo, consider using Stella Montis map as an alternative strategy.

Importantly, note that this trial requires direct hits on enemies, not rapid throws; the damage progress bar increases with each hit.

Also, if you're overloaded, remember to temporarily store the materials for crafting Light Impact Grenades in containers.

The Second Highest Scoring Trial

This trial, Open Containers Inside the Traffic Tunnels, can earn approximately 53,000 points. The optimal map condition is Locked Gate in Blue Gate - the extra 10 minutes of game time are valuable, but more importantly, the density of containers inside the tunnels increases significantly during this event.

Time management is crucial for completing this trial, as Locked Gate should open with approximately 33 minutes remaining. If Locked Gate hasn't opened by 32 or 33 minutes, especially when playing solo, it's recommended to reset the raid. Otherwise, you won't have enough time to loot the entire traffic tunnel.

It's best to bring Blue Gate Confiscation Room Key, Patrol Car Key, and plenty of Adrenaline Shots. If you lack these, you can buy ARC Raiders items from IGGM.com to ensure an efficient completion of this trial.

This trial is relatively friendly to solo ARC Raiders players and is one of the few solo challenges that remains competitive this week.

Damage Hornets

This trial can yield approximately 42,000 points. The optimal map condition is Hidden Bunker, which increases Hornet spawn rate for an extra ten minutes.

You can use a Jupiter paired with an Osprey or Renegade, along with a Snap Hook, to reach high positions like Control Tower A6.

If you can form a three-man squad, you can employ a three-pronged strategy. Have one player guard the guard tower between Arrival Building and Shipping Warehouse, one on top of Control Tower A6, and another at the antenna near Rocket Assembly or Fuel Control.

The rest of the squad covers specific areas, eliminating all Hornets.

If you're playing solo, you can choose several guard positions based on your gear, or you can set up a Zipline between South Trench Tower and Arrival Building, extending to the antenna near Fuel Control.

However, it must be acknowledged that this Damage Hornets trial does offer a significant advantage to three-man squads.

Damage Leapers, Bastions, and Bombardiers

A serious bug in this ARC Raiders trial: Bombardiers currently don't count towards your progress, so don't waste time chasing them.

Without Bombardiers, you can expect around 40,000 to 50,000 points in this trial, and it's better suited for team play.

You can run this trial on any map with Close Scrutiny map condition, and bring Wolfpacks, Jupiters, and a Raider Hatch Key.

For solo players, Buried City is recommended because the map is smaller, allowing for faster cycling of Assassin spawn points. For equipment, it's suggested to only bring Wolfpacks and two Jupiters, as ammo can be picked up from Vaporizers.

Search Kitchen Cabinets

This final trial, Search Kitchen Cabinets, has the lowest estimated score; you might only reach around 7,000 points, so it's the lowest priority.

Choose Buried City and avoid Close Scrutiny map condition.

If you have few kitchen cabinets when exploring the first few buildings, don't rush to use your Residential Mastery Key; save it for the next game.

If you've already reached around 4000 points through the regular buildings, it means your RNG is good. Using the key to enter locked rooms at this point might push your score even higher.

In short, Light Impact Grenades Trial, Traffic Tunnels Trial, and Hornet Trial are the three highest priority trials this week. This is your last chance this season in ARC Raiders, so give it your all!
ARC Raiders Expedition 4 Window is arriving later than you might think! | How to unlock Blueprints and Raider Tokens as the New Permanent Rewards?
After weeks of speculation, the official start and end times for ARC Raiders Expedition 4 window, along with the rewards available for participating, have finally been revealed!

Perhaps to fill the gap left by the recent lack of major updates and to win back players who had drifted away, ARC Raiders has once again optimized the expedition rewards. This time, completing objectives will earn you blueprints and Raider Tokens!

So, when exactly does the event take place, and how can you participate? Let's break it down!

Expedition 4 window will last two weeks

Expedition 4 window is scheduled to open at 4:00 AM PT on July 7, 2026, and will run for approximately two weeks, concluding at 1:00 AM PT on July 21.

A new round of expeditions (a new season) will begin shortly thereafter, allowing you to use your newly acquired permanent rewards to progress even faster.

So, as of this writing, if you still have unfinished business in the Expedition 4 preparation phase, there is still time to make progress! Even if you don't have the time to gather the necessary materials yourself, you can simply buy ARC Raiders Expedition Materials on IGGM!

How to earn the new permanent rewards?

Prior to the third expedition window, ARC Raiders overhauled the method for obtaining permanent skill point rewards: shifting from collecting items of a specific total value to dealing a specific total amount of damage to enemies.

For Expedition 4, the requirements remain unchanged, it is still all about dealing damage to enemies. There are five cumulative stages of damage targets, ranging from low to high; completing each stage unlocks the corresponding reward:
- Level 1: Deal 5,000 damage
- Level 2: Deal 10,000 damage
- Level 3: Deal 30,000 damage
- Level 4: Deal 50,000 damage
- Level 5: Deal 100,000 damage
It is worth noting that Expedition 3 window lasted two weeks, whereas Expeditions 1 and 2 lasted only about one week each.

We previously speculated that the extended duration for Expedition 3 was due to the changes being announced so close to the event's launch, necessitating more time for players to adjust.

However, this event window still lasts for two weeks; perhaps a single week was indeed insufficient to deal the required 100,000 damage.

What are the permanent rewards for Expedition 4?

In the first three Expeditions, the permanent rewards unlocked by completing specific tasks were skill points: one skill point per objective completed, up to a maximum of five.

Expedition 4 changes this formula: completing an objective now grants one random blueprint and 150 Raider Tokens. This means that if you complete all objectives, you will start Expedition 5 with five ARC Raiders blueprints and 750 Raider Tokens already in your possession.

Note that these blueprints are only valid for the next Expedition cycle; they will be reset according to the rewards structure of Expedition 5 window. Raider Tokens, however, are truly permanent; theoretically, you can keep them indefinitely if you choose not to use them.

Additionally, there are permanent rewards you receive immediately upon signing up for Expedition 4 window, such as a piece of Zenith Outfit and 12 extra stash slots.

It is worth noting that even if you have participated in every Expedition to date, your XP, Scrappy materials, and repair value boosts will not stack further once Expedition 4 window ends; they will remain capped at Level 3.

Furthermore, there are no new ways to earn permanent skill points, as they have been replaced by blueprint and Raider Token rewards. Unless changes are made later, the cap for permanent skill points earned through Expeditions will remain at 15.

However, if this is your second or third time participating in an ARC Raiders Expedition window, you still have the chance to catch up and reach the caps for boosts and skill points.

While this means you will always lag slightly behind top ARC Raiders players, that is simply the nature of joining the game later.

There is also a scenario where you participated in a previous Expedition and met the requirements for the preparation phase but missed the window and the permanent rewards because you forgot to sign up.

In this case, a catch-up mechanism allows you to claim the missed rewards after completing the requirements for that specific window.

Tips regarding Ermal

As a recently added vendor, Ermal offers additional stash slots for purchase; however, these cannot be carried over to a new Expedition cycle (season). Only the stash slots earned as permanent expedition rewards stack indefinitely.

Ermal also offers Expedition Vault, which allows you to store five items to carry over into the next expedition, providing a head start when Expedition 5 begins.

However, Expedition Vault resets as well. This means that if you want to bring five items into Expedition 6 a few months down the line, you will need to make this trade with Ermal again.

Summary

Thanks to the new changes and Ermal's trading system, if you meet all the damage output targets for Expedition 4 window, you can start Expedition 5 with five unique blueprints, 750 Raider Tokens, and five items of your choice.

While players previously had concerns about the long-term viability of ARC Raiders expedition reset mechanic, it now appears that, by constantly adapting your strategy, the system remains well worth engaging with.

That covers everything you need to know about ARC Raiders Expedition 4 window! We hope this helps enhance your future gameplay experience.
ARC Raiders China Beta First Look: Not Pure PvE, But You No Longer Have to Fear Backstabbing

Raiders, the Chinese version of ARC Raiders launched its first test on June 24th. As we previously learned, the Chinese version does indeed have a friendly PvE-like mode, allowing for safer exploration - something players in the global version have been eagerly awaiting.

Of course, this mode is a major highlight of the Chinese version of ARC Raiders, but if you think this is the only thing worth paying attention to, you're sorely mistaken.

Next, we'll not only delve into how this PvE-like mode works, but also explain other highly anticipated mechanics and features of the Chinese version of ARC Raiders.

Core Gameplay

The common misconception that the Chinese version of ARC Raiders is simply a PvE mode is incorrect.

There is indeed a map condition in the game called Security Protocol. In this map condition, if you shoot a teammate, there will be a hit effect and blood splatter, but no actual damage will occur to their health.

However, we must recognize that this doesn't mean PvP has been completely eliminated, as the system provides each player with an active Rebellion switch.

An additional key binding, not present in the global version of ARC Raiders, will appear on the right side of the screen. Pressing it will produce a larger and thicker piece of equipment, similar in appearance to Shield Recharger. This device requires a relatively long five-second induction time to activate, and the entire process is completely irreversible.

Once Rebellion is activated, players cannot deactivate it again, and the entire game will be in PvP mode.

To prevent unannounced backstabbing at close range, Rebellion activation process is highly distinctive: activation produces a long-lasting and loud unique sound effect, providing a clear audible warning to all nearby players.

Simultaneously, the player's inventory will flash a striking red light, and their location will be displayed in real-time on HUD compass of all players in the lobby, meaning the betrayer will be exposed to all opponents.

It's important to note that Rebellion mechanic isn't a standalone game mode, but a temporary, rotating map event. Therefore, it's not a completely new, permanent mode as some players on Reddit have mistakenly claimed.

Matchmaking Changes

The changes to the matchmaking system are another highlight of ARC Raiders China server.

Through the test server, we learned that when players first enter early matches, ARC Raiders will be heavily populated with AI bots. These bots behave very passively, almost never actively shooting at players, and even when shot at, they rarely retaliate. Their only possible target is attacking ARCs on the map.

This design isn't meant to deceive players, but as a clear tutorial step to help newcomers familiarize themselves with basic controls and the map environment.

This phenomenon is particularly noticeable in solo matchmaking, while teams entering together may encounter fewer bots because of their higher skill level.

However, the bot population will gradually decrease and eventually disappear completely as players play more matches; it's not all bot matches.

Second, the Chinese version of ARC Raiders introduces an optimized framework for gear intent tracking. This algorithm scans players' current gear configurations before matchmaking loads and groups players into similar matchmaking pools based on gear quality, rather than simply matching based on aggressive behavior or match history.

This means players with high-level gear are more likely to encounter equally well-equipped real opponents.

This mechanism is essentially gear-based matchmaking, unlike the purely random or skill-based matchmaking methods that the global version of ARC Raiders might employ.

Interface and Social System Upgrades

In addition, two highly valuable interface features are launched first in the Chinese version of ARC Raiders, which are not present in the global version.

Built-in Recruitment Board

Global version players will surely be envious, as the Chinese version of ARC Raiders features a native team-up tool directly integrated into the game's main interface, eliminating the need for third-party platforms to find teammates.

This recruitment board offers a wealth of filtering options, including player playstyle tags, leader level, and specific intention notes.

You can view currently available team slots in real time and apply to join with a single click - the process is simple and eliminates the need for manually entering complex specifications.

If only one feature could be ported from ARC Raiders China server to the global server, this would undoubtedly be the top priority.

Three-Slot Preset Gear System

In the game's custom menu, players can create and save up to three complete gear setups, each with a custom name and the ability to modify them at any time.

When you need to quickly change gear, simply click the preset button, and the system will automatically retrieve the corresponding ARC Raiders items from your inventory, completing the gear setup in one step.

If any necessary parts are missing from your inventory, the system will highlight the missing items in red and indicate the required crafting materials.

This design directly addresses a major problem of the global version: after dying, players often have to spend a significant amount of time manually searching their inventory and reassembling their gear.

The gear preset system allows players to almost instantly return to ARC Raiders battlefield after dying, significantly improving game smoothness and pace.

Inspiration of the Changes for the Global Version

The built-in recruitment board and pre-built gear system are purely quality-enhancing tools and do not affect the core PvPvE combat logic and economic system of ARC Raiders. Therefore, it is entirely worthwhile to directly introduce or develop similar features for the global version.

However, mechanisms like Rebellion, which can directly change the rules of game interaction, require careful consideration, as they may weaken the original tense extraction shooting feel of the global version of ARC Raiders.

The Chinese version of ARC Raiders has indeed done a great job, so let's hope that the global version will receive the same recognition in the future!
Countdown to Reset! ARC Raiders Essential Expedition 4 Vault Checklist You Can't Afford to Skip

Raiders, although ARC Raiders Expedition 4 departure window is now open, because of the eventual data reset, we need to quickly select our most valuable items and blueprints to add to our Expedition Vault.

Our choices should be carefully weighed and planned. With Expedition 4 departure window just opened, we still have time to make decisions. A well-designed gear setup can help us quickly restore our account's progress and rebuild our resource accumulation system.

Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) Blueprint

If you have many gear options, adding Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) blueprint to your Expedition Vault is almost undoubtedly a priority.

During the early game, having Safe Pockets, storage capacity, and medium shield provided by Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) gives us a significant advantage in terms of basic attributes.

A more crucial and unique mechanic is that even after being knocked down, your character can still crawl to Raider Hatch and successfully evacuate. This is particularly crucial in PvE, as it effectively reduces the probability of gear loss when exploring high-risk areas.

Considering these advantages, making Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) blueprint a fixed requirement in Expedition Vault is definitely a reasonable decision.

Obtaining Augment blueprints in ARC Raiders isn't as difficult as one might imagine, as they exhibit a clear tiered drop rate system.

Tactical Mk. 3 (Revival), Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking), and Tactical MK. 3 (Defensive) Augment blueprints appear frequently, while Tactical MK. 3 (Smoke), Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper), and Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) Augment blueprints are designated as rare drops.

One effective strategy is to continuously farm Augment blueprints at the preferred location Blue Gate in the near term, but the competition is fierce.

Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper)

Next, we can consider Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper), not its blueprint.

This is chosen because if our PvE lobbies are active, the core strategy should focus on quickly completing the workbench.

During the post-Expedition account progression rebuild, the collection and preparation of materials needed for workbench upgrades is the main obstacle. Whether crafting basic weapons like Renegade early on or requiring advanced materials like Advanced Mechanical Components, complete workbench support is essential.

This is where Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper) comes in handy, as it provides a Max Loadout Weight of 65, eliminating concerns about the bumpy process of upgrading Workbench.

Of course, in the initial stages of the game, you can still use currency to unlock Looting Mk. 2 to collect basic lootable items like Rusted Tools, Power Cables, and Motors. If you need to carry heavier loads to move ARC parts, you should consider using Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper) stored in the vault.

Jupiter

During account rebuilding, it often takes five or six hours to collect most of the basic parts, but the process becomes extremely slow when using Anvil or Renegade to fight ARC enemies and acquire parts like Bombardier Cells, Leaper Pulse Units, and Rocketeer Drivers.

However, if you have Jupiter available, eliminating ARC enemies in the early game will be a breeze.

In addition, with Jupiter's suppressive fire, we can obtain Energy Clips in Harvester map conditions simply by entering and picking them up, with no need to complete complex puzzles, thus gaining sufficient ammunition for combat against ARC enemies.

If the situation becomes dangerous or other players attempt an ambush, Jupiter can be placed in Safe Pocket provided by Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper), ensuring the weapon is preserved and usable again even in unforeseen circumstances.

Therefore, the combination of Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper) and Jupiter allows players to efficiently upgrade their workbench very early in the game, laying a solid equipment foundation for later progress.

Heavy Gun Parts Blueprint and Bettina Blueprint

Finally, the two blueprints that can be placed into your Expedition Vault are Heavy Gun Parts blueprint and Bettina blueprint.

Bettina's performance in ARC Raiders is undeniable.

An even more important reason for choosing Bettina blueprint is its relatively low crafting cost compared to other epic weapons, requiring only three Canisters, three Advanced Mechanical Components, and three Heavy Gun Parts.

While Heavy Gun Parts blueprint and Bettina blueprint themselves aren't particularly rare, the pool of Raider-style blueprints is enormous, making the probability of obtaining both at the start of Expedition quite low.

Specifically, nine other blueprints share the same drop pool, making it difficult to precisely acquire Heavy Gun Parts and Bettina blueprints from such a large pool. Placing them in Expedition Vault is a wise choice.

Many players might consider keeping Anvil blueprint in Expedition Vault instead of Bettina, arguing that Anvil has lower ammo consumption and might be more practical in the early game.

However, a deeper analysis reveals that Anvil appears quite frequently on the map, and even without Anvil blueprint, it's easy to unlock Anvil weapon directly.

Compared to Anvil, Bettina blueprints are almost never dropped if we don't unlock Security Breach skill, making them quite rare in the early stage of ARC Raiders.

Therefore, carrying both Heavy Gun Parts blueprint and Bettina blueprint ensures you have an efficient farming weapon immediately after completing Gunsmith bench 3, avoiding delays because of unlocked blueprints.

If you save your equipment as suggested above during ARC Raiders Expedition 4 departure window, you should be able to restore your pre-expedition account status in a relatively short time!
ARC Raiders Expedition 4 Departure Window Opens: How to Claim Permanent Rewards before this Reset?
ARC Raiders saw a dip in popularity after it was announced that, before Frozen Trail update in October, no other major updates would be released for the time being. However, the upcoming opening of Expedition 4 departure window could help improve the situation.

In ARC Raiders, an Expedition is a process spanning nearly two months, divided into Preparation and Departure phases; all requirements for each phase must be completed in order to trigger the reset and earn permanent rewards.

With Expedition 4 departure window opening soon, we'll cover how long it will last and what you need to do to earn the new permanent rewards.

Expedition 4 departure window duration

Expedition 4 departure window opens once the preparation phase concludes on June 22. Typically, ARC Raiders Expedition departure window lasts one week.

However, during Expedition 3, the window was extended to two weeks to ensure players could meet the requirements following the introduction of new mechanics.

The duration for Expedition 4 departure window is currently unconfirmed. If no new changes are introduced, it may revert to the standard one-week duration, closing around June 30.

However, there is another possibility: if players generally felt that one week was insufficient to complete the new Expedition requirements during Expedition 3 window, the duration might be extended by another week this time as well, ending around July 7.

How to enter the new window?

First, you must complete the material collection tasks across the five stages of Expedition 4 preparation phase. Then, you must actively sign up to participate in the departure window, which serves as Stage 6.

With the window opening soon, if you haven't finished the preparation work yet, you should buy ARC Raiders Expedition Materials on IGGM hurry, or you risk missing this reset opportunity.

Of course, expedition reset is not mandatory. If you feel your skills aren't quite ready or you lack the time to start over from scratch, you can simply skip Expedition 4 and continue with your regular gameplay.

How to complete Expedition 4 departure window?

During Expedition 1 & 2 departure windows, the game assessed your Expedition level based on the total value of the items in your inventory and the coins you held, determining which rewards to award you.

After players criticized the previous mechanism for lacking re-playability, several changes were suddenly implemented just before Expedition 3 window opened; Expedition 4 naturally adopts these revised requirements.

Therefore, to meet the requirements for ARC Raiders Expedition 4 launch window and unlock all permanent rewards and temporary boosts, your primary goal is to deal sufficient damage during the event period.

Meeting this requirement can unlock up to five permanent skill point rewards, allowing you to customize your character more quickly once Expedition 5 begins. If you also completed Expeditions 1 and 2, you stand to gain even more permanent skill points!

The projected damage thresholds and corresponding skill point unlocks are as follows:
- 1 SP: 5,000 damage
- 2 SP: 10,000 damage
- 3 SP: 30,000 damage
- 4 SP: 50,000 damage
- 5 SP: 100,000 damage
Please note that the damage requirement is cumulative; dealing a total of 100,000 damage unlocks all skill points, you do not need to stack them separately.

Other anticipated permanent rewards include at least 12 additional inventory slots and various ARC Raiders cosmetics, all of which are granted simply by participating in Expedition 4.

As for temporary rewards, specifically those earned through participation, these take the form of XP boosts, Scrappy material boosts, and increased repair values.

These bonuses activate upon your first participation in an expedition. With each subsequent expedition, the three boosts stack cumulatively by a certain percentage. However, missing even a single expedition resets them to their base values.

Additional tips

Among the changes introduced during Expedition 3 window is a new feature called Last Call. This feature assists players who completed the preparatory work for an expedition but missed the final launch window because they forgot to sign up.

If you fall into this category, you can use this feature to obtain expedition rewards, excluding skill points. To recover the missed skill points, a new catch-up mechanism assesses your inventory value (based on the criteria from Expeditions 1 and 2) and awards you the corresponding number of skill points.

It is worth noting that this catch-up mechanism was introduced during Expedition 3 window, and the method for earning skill points differs between Expeditions 1 & 2 and Expedition 3. Consequently, the system might undergo some changes this time around.

Is it worth participating in this expedition launch window?

If you have taken part in previous Expeditions or meet the catch-up requirements, Expedition 4 window is not to be missed; otherwise, your bonus streak will be interrupted and reset.

On the other hand, if ARC Raiders does not release any other updates over the next four months, the reset associated with Expedition will be your only opportunity to get more enjoyment out of the game.

Therefore, unless you have barely played during Expedition 4 preparation phase, this launch window is definitely worth participating in.

Once this window closes, the preparation phase for Expedition 5 will probably begin soon, at which point you'll dive into a new round of material farming! Keep up the momentum and keep pushing forward!
Major Shift in ARC Raiders Update 1.33.0: Free Loadouts Banned in Night Raid and Close Scrutiny

ARC Raiders has been stagnant since its last major content update, and the next major update, Frozen Trail, won't be released until October. There's still a long time in between, and studio clearly recognizes this and is trying to win back player goodwill through targeted game quality improvements.

In response to calls from ARC Raiders community since 2025, Embark Studios has officially banned free loadouts in Night Raid and Close Scrutiny. This change went live with Update 1.33.0 released a few days ago, marking a fundamental shift in how players engage in these high-value scenarios.

This article will explain the related content of disabling free loadouts in ARC Raiders Night Raid and Close Scrutiny. Let's take a look.

Specific Content

This restriction is not permanent but a three-week limited-time test, with the evaluation period ending around July 7, 2026. Embark has explicitly stated that this restriction may be extended to more map types in the future, but only after observing its impact and analyzing player feedback.

This experimental approach demonstrates the official team's willingness to make bold changes while maintaining the flexibility to adjust direction based on community feedback.

Underlying Reasons

This decision regarding ARC Raiders stems from the core risk-reward philosophy of extraction shooters. The official statement reads: "We are prohibiting the use of free loadouts in Night Raid and Close Scrutiny to raise the barrier to entry, requiring players to bear the corresponding risks and rewards in these more rewarding scenarios."

For the past few months, the player community has been dissatisfied with the imbalance caused by free loadouts. When players invest their hard-earned equipment in high-risk raids, only to find themselves competing against opponents with no risk, it is undoubtedly a frustrating and pointless situation for those who have truly accumulated resources.

Item duplication vulnerabilities in the game have further exacerbated this problem. Some cheaters can obtain duplicate legendary items at minimal cost.

While the official team has promised stricter measures and stronger anti-cheat support, the proliferation of cheat equipment in the game lobby, coupled with a slow update pace, has frustrated some players. Steam reviews have also fluctuated significantly in recent weeks.

What This Means for Night Raid?

Night Raid has always been a high-risk PvP map condition in ARC Raiders, darker, more intense, and with richer loot than other conditions. The problem is that once a player enters Night Raid on free loadouts, the tension instantly vanishes.

After this update, every player in Night Raid lobby invests their equipment. Kills now have real significance, and loot is truly worth fighting for. The map condition finally delivers the tense and exciting experience it was designed for.

What This Means for Close Scrutiny?

Close Scrutiny is one of the most aggressive map conditions in ARC Raiders. It abandons the traditional looting cycle, instead setting a high-pressure objective around Assessor. Under this condition, the amount of loot scattered across the map is significantly reduced, locked key rooms are disabled, and the density of ARC patrols increases dramatically.

Players must first overcome all threats surrounding Assessor, including the powerful Vaporizer, a high-speed aerial unit equipped with a devastating fire weapon capable of quickly destroying any exposed raiders.

Therefore, the high difficulty of Close Scrutiny map condition is extremely challenging for players using elite weapons, but for those using free loadouts, they can enter ARC Raiders without risk. These players typically have no intention of cooperating against the massive ARC raiders, but instead focus on stealing powerful weapons from those who have invested heavily in building loadouts.

Embark has ensured a fairer lobby environment and more meaningful encounters by banning free loadouts in Close Scrutiny, ensuring every player contributes to the fight.

Gameplay Changes

Players preparing for Night Raid and Close Scrutiny must now bring their own items. This change has been long-awaited by those who have been diligently farming items. It makes Night Raid and Close Scrutiny more competitive, as everyone in the lobby experiences wins and losses.

However, no minimum requirement has been set. Theoretically, players could enter with only a pistol, but this would likely make it difficult to survive against better-equipped opponents and the large ARC enemies common in these map conditions.

If you lack a weapon sufficient for survival, you can buy ARC Raiders Blueprints from IGGM.com and combine them with other materials to craft powerful weapons. This provides the fastest and safest way, giving you an advantage in the game.

Disabling free loadouts in Night Raid and Close Scrutiny lets players know that each opponent has invested real equipment, which will change the way players play: less reckless charging, more cautious positioning, and higher risk per engagement.

It's worth noting that the free loadout option will not be removed from standard raids for the time being. Embark cautiously describes this as a targeted experimental change rather than a complete nerf to the playability of ARC Raiders. New and casual players can still easily participate.

That concludes this article about the official disabling of free loadouts in ARC Raiders Night Raid and Close Scrutiny. The game is currently in a relatively quiet period; it remains to be seen whether this experimental change will be able to retain players who have grown tired of the existing content.