There is no date for the next Expedition in ARC Raiders. Embark Studios paused Expeditions after the fifth one, whose departure window closed on September 29, 2026, and says they will return in early 2027 “with major improvements.” As of October 27, 2026, Embark has announced no date, window, requirements or rewards for a sixth Expedition.
Below we cover exactly what Embark has said, what has changed in the game since the pause, what happens to your buffs, stash bonus, Expedition Vault and unfinished Caravan, how the PvE test fits in, and what is worth doing while you wait.
What Embark Has Said About the Pause
Embark announced the pause in its fifth Expedition post on August 21, 2026. After reviewing feedback, the studio said issues like “the tight departure windows, the reward structure, and accessibility for new players, need more than incremental fixes. They call for bigger changes.” Its plan:
“The fifth Expedition will be the last one until early 2027, when Expeditions will return with major improvements, tackling some of the biggest player pain points.”
The same post promised more details “on what those changes will look like in September.” Embark’s official news page and its Steam announcements since then have not included that breakdown, so early 2027 remains the only timing Embark has given, with no month attached.
There is also a note of caution from the top. In an interview with PCGamesN in September, executive producer Aleksander Grøndal said the team is “trying to figure out what the next steps for Expeditions are,” adding: “Maybe we’ll scrap the whole system altogether. That is on the table, too.” Until Embark posts the redesign, treat early 2027 as a plan, not a promise.
Expedition Timeline So Far
| Date (2026) | What happened |
|---|---|
| August 21 | Embark announces the fifth Expedition and the pause until early 2027 |
| September 8 | Fifth Expedition window opens at 7 AM EDT; starting an Expedition no longer resets your quests by default |
| September 22 | Update 1.47.0 makes the Expedition Project button show when Expeditions are paused and stops you committing resources after the cutoff |
| September 29 | Window closes and signed-up Raiders depart at 4 AM EDT (10 AM CEST), with no Last Call this time |
| October 8 | Frozen Trail update; Embark lists the Expedition screen as still reachable through the Nomadic Envoys, “though it is not functional” |
| October 13 | Update 2.1.0 grants missing Zenith Outfit toggles to everyone who finished the fifth Expedition |
| October 20 | Store Update 2.2.0 removes the Expedition Vault tab and its offer |
| October 27 | Live Update 2.3.0 says Embark will disable the Expedition Vault, moving its contents to your stash and paying Bronze Statuettes for purchased Vault slots |
None of the updates since the pause mention a return date.
What Happens to Your Progress During the Pause
Embark spelled most of this out in the August post, and Live Update 2.3.0 settled what happens to the Expedition Vault:
- Consecutive buffs persist. The XP boost, Scrappy materials boost and repair value increase you earned stay with you, “so no progress is lost.”
- Your stash bonus stays. Each Expedition added 12 stash slots, maxing out at 60 after five. Frozen Trail separately raised the base stash cap to 328 slots without Expedition bonuses.
- Skill points are capped at 15. Bonus skill points from Expeditions top out at 15, and catch-up for missed points is tied to stash value.
- Finishing all five unlocks the full Zenith Outfit.
- Unfinished Caravans became vouchers. Because Caravans reset, Embark replaced partially completed ones with Ermal Vouchers of equal value, which you can spend on Ermal offers along with ARC Parts and firearms trade, or sell for Coin.
- The Expedition Vault is being disabled. Embark’s Live Update 2.3.0 notes say everything in the Vault moves to your stash, and Raiders who bought Vault slots get Bronze Statuettes as compensation.
If you never started an Expedition, you lose nothing by waiting. Embark’s August post singled out accessibility for new players as one of the problems the redesign is meant to fix.
Where the PvE Test Fits In
The other big experiment this month was separate. Embark’s PvE matchmaking toggle test ran from October 13 and ended on the morning of October 20. In its wrap-up post, Embark says more than 30 million PvE rounds were played, that it will send a survey to a sample of players from October 22, and that it expects to share what comes next “in November.”
Embark has not connected the PvE test to Expeditions, so do not read the November update as Expedition news. Our guide to ARC Raiders PvE mode and our story on the PvE test rules cover how the test worked.
What to Do While You Wait
- Play Trials Season 6. Embark’s Trials Season 6 runs from October 8, 2026, to January 12, 2027, with weekly objectives that pay Blueprints and gear and the Maestro Outfit as the grand prize.
- Rework your build. Frozen Trail revamped the skill tree, and our best skill tree build covers where to spend points now.
- Bank research and upgrades. Our guides to getting Research Points and unlocking the Outpost cover progression that does not depend on Expeditions.
- Do not hoard for a Caravan yet. The Expedition Project no longer accepts resources, and Embark has not said what the next Expedition will ask for.
We will update this page as soon as Embark announces the next window. Every other guide is on our ARC Raiders hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the next ARC Raiders Expedition? Embark has not announced a date. It says Expeditions will return in early 2027 with major improvements, with no month given.
Is there an ARC Raiders Expedition before the end of 2026? No. Embark said the fifth Expedition, which closed on September 29, 2026, would be the last until early 2027.
When did the last Expedition end? The fifth Expedition’s departure window closed on September 29, 2026, at 10 AM CEST (4 AM EDT), and everyone who signed up departed then.
Do you lose Expedition buffs during the pause? No. Embark says consecutive buffs you have earned persist during the pause.
What happened to unfinished Caravans? Embark replaced partially completed Caravans with Ermal Vouchers of equal value, which you can spend with Ermal or sell for Coin.
What happens to the Expedition Vault? Embark is disabling it. Its Live Update 2.3.0 notes say everything in the Vault moves to your stash, and purchased Vault slots are paid back in Bronze Statuettes.
Is Embark scrapping Expeditions? Not officially. Embark’s plan is still a return in early 2027, but executive producer Aleksander Grøndal told PCGamesN in September that scrapping the system is “on the table.”