One of the most common questions new Raiders ask is the scariest one: will my progress get wiped? For a live extraction game that is a fair worry, because many of its peers force seasonal resets. ARC Raiders handles this differently, and understanding how puts your mind at ease and shapes how you play. This guide explains whether ARC Raiders has wipes, how the voluntary Expedition reset works, and how to rebuild a loaded account quickly if you ever do reset.
Does ARC Raiders have wipes?
The short answer is that ARC Raiders does not plan mandatory wipes. Instead of forcing everyone to restart each season, it offers a voluntary reset called the Expedition, which you choose to take - or not. Content updates add maps, gear and features without erasing your progress, so the default experience is that your account keeps growing. That is a meaningful difference from games that reset your stash and levels on a schedule.
How the Expedition reset works
The Expedition is a fresh start you opt into. Taking it resets your level, skills, stash, workshop, crafting and blueprints - a clean slate - but it is not pure loss: your stash and Coins convert into a small number of skill points for the new Raider, so you carry a head start into the reset. It exists for players who want the early-game experience again with a permanent bonus, not as a punishment.
| Resets | Carries over |
|---|---|
| Level and skills | A few skill points from converted stash and Coins |
| Stash and Coins | Your experience and map knowledge |
| Workshop and crafting | - |
| Blueprints | - |
How updates affect your progress
Content patches add to the game rather than reset it. New maps and features arrive without forcing a restart, though updates occasionally retire or change systems - for example, older currencies being phased out - so it is worth reading patch notes and spending anything being retired before an update lands. The headline, though, is stability: your core progression is safe across updates unless you choose an Expedition.
If you do reset - or fall behind
Whether you take an Expedition for the fresh start or simply return after a break to find the meta moved on, rebuilding to a competitive account is a grind. The fastest way back is to prioritise the same things that matter for a new Raider: survival skills, a sustainable loadout, workshop upgrades and a steady Coin income - in that order.
Recovering a loaded account fast
If you would rather skip the rebuild, a Wipe Recovery bundle restores a strong account in one go, and the Max Everything bundle takes it all the way to a fully kitted Raider. For a chosen fresh start with the bonus, the Expedition project boost handles it. See the ARC Raiders services hub.
Should you ever reset?
Since the Expedition is voluntary, the honest answer for most players is: only if you genuinely want the early game again. The small permanent skill-point bonus is a nice incentive, but it rarely outweighs the hours of progression you give up, so it is a choice for players who love the scavenging-from-nothing phase rather than a box to tick. If you are enjoying your account's momentum, there is no mechanical reason to reset - the game is designed to let you keep building.
Staying current across updates
The main thing to watch across content patches is systems being retired or changed - currencies, for instance, have been phased out in updates. The habit that protects you is simple: skim the patch notes before a big update and spend anything that is being retired beforehand. Beyond that, updates are additive, bringing new maps and gear, so staying current is about adapting your routine to new content rather than bracing for lost progress.
Why ARC Raiders' approach is player-friendly
It is worth appreciating how unusual ARC Raiders' stance on resets is, because it changes how safe your investment feels. Many live extraction and survival games build seasonal wipes into their core loop, which means the hours you pour in have a built-in expiry date - great for keeping everyone on a level field, less great if you simply want your progress to last. By making resets voluntary and additive updates the norm, ARC Raiders lets your account be a long-term project. That security is a genuine feature: you can invest in workshop upgrades and a stash knowing they will still be there next month, which encourages the kind of steady, compounding progression that forced-wipe games actively discourage. Understanding this lets you play with confidence rather than hedging against a reset that is not coming unless you call for it.
Playing the long game
Because your progress is durable, ARC Raiders rewards thinking in months rather than sessions. Investments that would be foolish in a forced-wipe game - sinking materials into a maxed workshop, expanding your stash to the limit, carefully building a skill tree - all make sense here because they last. That changes the optimal way to play: instead of racing to extract value before a reset, you can build patiently, knowing every upgrade compounds. The players who get the most out of the game treat their account as an ongoing project, steadily improving their efficiency run after run. Understanding that the reset is yours to call, not the game's to impose, is what frees you to make those long-term investments with confidence rather than always hedging against a wipe that is not coming.
The bottom line
ARC Raiders does not force wipes - the Expedition reset is voluntary and comes with a small permanent bonus, while content updates add to the game rather than erase it. Your progress is safe unless you choose otherwise, so play with confidence. If you do reset or fall behind, a Wipe Recovery bundle or Max Everything bundle rebuilds fast, on the ARC Raiders services hub.
Related ARC Raiders guides
- ARC Raiders Wipe Recovery bundle
- ARC Raiders Max Everything bundle
- ARC Raiders Expedition project boost
- ARC Raiders skill tree best build
- ARC Raiders workbench upgrades
- All ARC Raiders services
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ARC Raiders have wipes?
No mandatory wipes. Instead there is a voluntary reset called the Expedition that you choose to take or not. Content updates add maps and features without erasing your progress, so by default your account keeps growing.
What does the Expedition reset in ARC Raiders?
Taking an Expedition resets your level, skills, stash, workshop, crafting and blueprints - but your stash and Coins convert into a few skill points for the new Raider, so you carry a head start into the fresh start.
Will an update reset my ARC Raiders progress?
Content patches add to the game rather than reset it, though updates occasionally retire or change systems like older currencies. Spend anything being retired before an update, but your core progression is safe unless you take an Expedition.
How do I recover my account after a reset or break?
Rebuild in the same order a new Raider would: survival skills, a sustainable loadout, workshop upgrades and steady income. A wipe-recovery bundle restores a strong account in one go if you would rather skip the grind.
Should I take an Expedition reset?
Only if you want the early-game experience again - it is voluntary and comes with a small permanent skill-point bonus from your converted stash and Coins. There is no need to take it to keep playing.
Will my ARC Raiders stash ever be wiped automatically?
No. There are no mandatory wipes - your stash persists across updates. The only full reset is the voluntary Expedition, which you choose to take and which hands back a few skill points from your converted stash and Coins.
Is it worth taking an Expedition reset for the bonus?
Only if you genuinely want to replay the early game. The permanent skill-point bonus rarely outweighs the progression you give up, so most players who are enjoying their account's momentum have no reason to reset.