Arc Raiders expeditions delayed until 2027

Arc Raiders Hits Pause Button for Major Overhaul, Delaying Expeditions Until 2027

Embark Studios has announced a significant shift in the development roadmap for Arc Raiders, opting to pause the long-standing Expedition system to focus on crucial improvements for the community. This decision means that players will have to wait until early 2027 for Expeditions to return, promising a major overhaul designed to address long-standing player concerns.

The developer released the update today, confirming that while ongoing improvements have been made, the community feedback pointed to systemic issues, including restrictive departure windows, the reward structure, and overall accessibility for new players. Embark stated they needed more than incremental fixes; they needed bigger changes.

To address these concerns, the team decided to hit the pause button on the Expedition mechanic. Expedition 5 will be the final iteration before the hiatus, running from September 8 to September 29. Following this, the focus will shift to completely rebuilding the feature, allowing the team to tackle some of the biggest player pain points in the game.

This pause also extends to the weekly Trials, which will be put on hold for two weeks, running from September 22, 2026, until October 8.

Expeditions have long been a core prestige mechanic in Arc Raiders, allowing players to reset their Raiders and re-engage with the skill trees. While the pause might feel like a setback for players who are deep into the grind, the developers are assuring that consecutive buffs will persist during the time the Expeditions are on hold.

Furthermore, players who have completed all Expeditions will still be rewarded with the coveted Zenith outfit. For those who have partially completed Caravans, these will be replaced with Ermal Vouchers of equal value, offering players flexible options for trading with other players or purchasing items.

The decision comes amidst a backdrop of ongoing discussion regarding the game’s pace. Although Arc Raiders has achieved significant success, including reaching 16 million sales, some players have voiced frustration over the frequency of updates. Many felt that the commitment to two major updates per year did not fully satisfy the demand for consistent content, leading some to suggest that pausing a progression system was a necessary, albeit risky, step to ensure a genuinely rewarding experience.

Despite the temporary hold, the underlying goal remains clear: to deliver a fundamentally improved and more accessible end-game experience for all Raiders, setting the stage for a return to the action in early 2027.