The Expedition system in ARC Raiders is designed to give experienced players a reason to start over without completely throwing away everything they have earned. However, the reset can still be painful if you do not understand exactly what disappears and what stays on your account.
With the fifth Expedition scheduled to be the last one before Expeditions return in early 2027, knowing what to keep, what to spend, and what to carry into the next cycle is more important than ever.
What Gets Reset?
The biggest change happens to your current Raider’s progression. When you depart on an Expedition, your character effectively starts a new progression cycle.
Your level, Skill Tree progress, Stash, Workshop progression, crafting capabilities, and most of your inventory are reset. Weapons, materials, consumables, and other ARC Raiders Items stored in your normal Stash are not simply transferred to the new Raider.
This is why the final preparation stage matters so much. Instead of treating your remaining inventory as permanent property, you should view it as potential Expedition value that can contribute toward your rewards.
What Happens to Blueprints?
Blueprints are another important part of the reset. Under the traditional Expedition system, blueprints tied to character progression are reset when you depart.
However, the Expedition Vault provides a way to protect up to five valuable items across the reset. The Vault was introduced specifically to reduce the frustration of losing favorite equipment and blueprints when starting a new Raider.
If you have a blueprint or item that you absolutely want available after the reset, using the Vault can be far more valuable than filling your final stash with random gear.
What Do You Keep?
Not everything disappears. Cosmetics, achievements, rankings, Raider Deck progress, Codex entries, unlocked map regions, Raider Tokens, and other account-level progression are preserved.
Permanent Expedition rewards are also retained. These can include additional Stash space, Skill Points, cosmetics, and other long-term bonuses earned from previous departures.
This is the main reason the Expedition system is not a traditional full account wipe. Your new Raider is weaker in terms of immediate progression, but your overall account becomes stronger after each successful Expedition.
Fifth Expedition Changes
The fifth Expedition introduces an important quality-of-life change. Players can now choose whether to reset their quest progress instead of being forced to restart it. This is especially useful for players who have already completed difficult quest chains and do not want to repeat everything from the beginning.
This makes the fifth reset less restrictive than earlier Expeditions and gives experienced Raiders more control over what they want to repeat.
What Should You Do Before Resetting?
The best strategy is to stop crafting unnecessary equipment several days before departure and focus on maximizing the value of what you already own.
Prioritize rare materials, valuable weapons, and expensive gear that can contribute toward your Expedition requirements. At the same time, avoid wasting resources on cheap ARC Raiders Items that will disappear anyway unless they are required for a specific objective.
You should also review your Vault slots before departure. Protecting a few genuinely useful items is usually better than carrying over equipment simply because it has a high price.
Do Cheap Items Matter?
Cheap ARC Raiders Items are still useful during the preparation period, especially when you need basic equipment for farming runs. However, they should not become the focus of your final stash strategy.
The goal is to maximize the benefits of the reset, not preserve every piece of equipment. Use inexpensive gear for your final raids, sell or convert unnecessary items when appropriate, and reserve your best resources for Expedition requirements.
Before committing to the Expedition, make sure you have:
- Completed the required Expedition objectives
- Maximized your relevant stash value
- Protected your most important items through the Expedition Vault
- Reviewed your quest reset option
- Spent unnecessary materials instead of losing them
- Claimed all available permanent rewards
- Confirmed your final departure decision
The key lesson is simple: an Expedition reset removes much of your Raider’s temporary progression, but it does not erase your account’s long-term achievements. Plan your final raids around value, protect the items you truly need, and treat the reset as a progression investment rather than a complete loss.
