What to know
- The Second Expedition runs in phases: you help build and supply the caravan, then you choose whether to depart during the signup window
- Signing up is a one-way decision, so you want your stash and coins ready before you lock it in
- Permanent rewards stack with your past Expedition rewards, while temporary buffs grow if you keep going consecutively
- Your stash contents get contributed at departure, and your next Raider’s bonus skill points depend on total stash value
Arc Raiders‘ Second Expedition is just around the corner. So get ready for a full progression reset (entirely optional), with bigger long-term account rewards if you commit to the Second Expedition and hit key stash-value milestones before departure. The Second Expedition is designed to reward preparation, smart inventory value, and consistency across Expedition cycles, while still letting you opt out if you’re not ready to reset.
| Topic | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Expedition timeline | Construction and supply happen first, then a limited signup window opens, and departure follows at the end |
| Opt-in reset | You can keep playing without departing, but you won’t get the full Expedition completion rewards for this journey |
| One-way registration | Once you sign up, you cannot undo it, so you should prepare your stash value first |
| Stash contribution | Items left in your stash get contributed when you depart |
| Skill point bonus | Your next Raider can earn up to 5 bonus skill points based on your total stash value at departure |
| Reward types | Permanent rewards stack; temporary buffs improve with consecutive Expeditions but reset if you break the streak |
| Catch-up support | If you miss max skill points now, the catch-up mechanic lets you earn missing amounts in later Expeditions |
How the Second Expedition timeline works in-game
The Second Expedition is split into a preparation phase and a departure phase. During preparation, you and the broader playerbase progress caravan stages by committing materials and supplies that cannot be retrieved once submitted.
When the signup window opens on February 25th, you decide whether to send your Raider beyond the Rust Belt and start over with a new Raider. If you sign up, you’re locked in, and at departure (March 1st) your stash is effectively converted into contribution value for calculating rewards.
Caravan stages (what you’re actually donating)
Second Expedition progression is built around caravan construction followed by stocking it for the journey. Each stage asks for specific categories of items, and anything you commit is gone for good, so you should treat contributions as a strategic sink rather than routine hand-ins.
Here’s the important part: the final stage ties directly into your stash. Once you commit to departing, everything remaining in your Raider’s stash gets contributed, and that final stash value is what determines how many bonus skill points your next Raider starts with.
How to prepare your stash value efficiently
Step 1
Decide early if you are departing, because your entire preparation plan changes based on that choice.
Step 2
Stop thinking only in terms of favorite gear and start thinking in value density, meaning items and coins that build your stash value without locking you into risky raids.
Step 3
Avoid last-minute stash clutter that you cannot protect, and instead consolidate into items you can reliably extract with, so you keep raising value without donating it to other Raiders.
Step 4
Keep enough functional kits to survive your final farming runs, but aim to end your prep with the highest possible total value sitting in stash right before you sign up.
Step 5
Do not register until you are satisfied with your stash value, because once you register you cannot undo the decision.
Locations while you farm and finish prep
Most players treat pre-departure farming as a route-planning problem across the Rust Belt, rotating through familiar hotspots on maps like Blue Gate, Spaceport, Dam Battlegrounds, and Stella Montis depending on what you still need and what feels safest for consistent extracts.
Rewards and buffs you can earn from the Second Expedition
Second Expedition completion is built around two reward tracks: permanent account rewards that stack, and temporary buffs that scale up if you keep departing in consecutive Expeditions. If you skip an Expedition cycle, the consecutive temporary buff progression resets, but your permanent rewards remain.
| Reward type | What you get | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent cosmetic | Patchwork Raider outfit evolution | Earned from Expedition completion and stacks with prior Expedition completion status |
| Permanent cosmetic | Scrappy cosmetics | Additional cosmetic unlocks tied to Expedition completion |
| Permanent profile indicator | Expeditions indicator icon upgrade | Upgrades per Expedition completed |
| Permanent progression | Stash space increase from 12 to 24 | Granted for continuing on future trips as part of Expedition rewards |
| Permanent progression | Bonus skill points based on stash value, up to 5 for the journey | Your next Raider can start stronger; max total skill points can reach 85 for second-journey starters depending on how the system applies your bonuses |
| Temporary buff (consecutive) | XP boost increases from 5% to 10% | Only improves if you depart consecutively |
| Temporary buff (consecutive) | Materials boost from Scrappy increases from 6% to 12% | Helps your early economy after reset |
| Temporary buff (consecutive) | Repair value buff improves from 10% to 20% | Helps stretch gear value post-departure |
Treat the Second Expedition like a planned rebuild, not a spontaneous reset: raise stash value first, register only when you’re ready, and depart knowing your next Raider starts with meaningful long-term advantages.
