ARC Raiders Takes a Fresh Approach to Progression Wipes With the Expedition Project

AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer · Fri Oct 10 2025

Embark Studios is tackling the controversial mechanic of extraction shooter progression wipes in ARC Raiders by introducing the Expedition Project, a voluntary system that trades mandatory resets for player choice, persistent cosmetics, and non-combat incentives.

Extraction shooters live and die by their economies and progression loops. For years, mandatory wipes have been the standard industry tool to reset the playing field, giving veterans a fresh start and cooling down hyper inflated economies. They are also deeply polarizing because they routinely wipe out the hard work of players with limited free time. Embark Studios is looking to bypass that friction in ARC Raiders by making its upcoming progression wipes completely voluntary through a new system called the Expedition Project, as detailed in a report by Eurogamer's Ed Nightingale.

Kicking in once players hit level 20, the Expedition Project runs on an eight-week cycle where participants gradually contribute toward a major milestone. Once that cycle concludes, players can choose to trigger a reset that clears out character levels, skills, inventory, and crafting capability. To ensure nobody feels forced into the blender, uncompleted progress can simply roll over into the next window. Crucially, cosmetic items, achievements, and earned awards stay put, meaning your hard-earned style and historical milestones are safe.

To tempt players into taking the plunge, Embark is offering permanent account unlocks, exclusive cosmetics, and quality of life buffs for the subsequent cycle. The studio has wisely noted that these rewards will steer clear of direct combat advantages, focusing instead on bragging rights and smoothing out future progression loops. While a voluntary system lacks the absolute clean slate of a forced global wipe, it shows a welcome willingness to respect player time and effort in a genre that often demands a second job's worth of hours.

Tags: ARC Raiders, Embark Studios, Extraction Shooter, Gaming News, Web3 Economics

Original article: Eurogamer