One gameplay staple of extraction shooters is the regular “wipe” that resets everyone’s in-game progress back to square one. Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios knows that this system can be controversial, and to keep things fair, the studio aims to make wipes a voluntary feature of the game through its Expedition Projects.
Players will unlock an Expedition Project at level 20. Each Expedition cycle runs for roughly eight weeks and players will contribute toward overall progress. Once the Expedition is complete, they’ll have the option to reset their progress and lose all gained levels, skills, and their inventory, while their cosmetics and achievements will remain. Players who do not complete an Expedition can instead carry their progress over to the next cycle.
Ideally, this will keep things balanced for everyone. Players who don’t have as much time to commit to playing Arc Raiders won’t have to worry about booting up the game and discovering that they’ve lost all their progress, while dedicated players will be rewarded with unique cosmetic rewards, permanent account unlocks, and buffs that are applied for the duration of the following Expedition cycle.
It’s great to see that Arc Raiders is prioritizing player experience by making progression wipes optional. This thoughtful approach shows a commitment to respecting players’ time and efforts. Looking forward to seeing how this impacts the game’s community!