Embark Studios has built ARC Raiders around an optional wipe system rather than forcing everyone back to square one. The mechanic, called Expedition Projects, runs on roughly eight-week cycles and lets players commit to a character reset that grants permanent account unlocks and rewards. Wipes are a hot topic in extraction shooters thanks to games like Escape From Tarkov, where mandatory wipes are a core loop. ARC Raiders takes a different course. Rather than a global, forced reset, players can opt into Expedition Projects once they reach level 20. Completing a project opens the option to reset that character; finishing another large project later lets the player reset again.
The Expedition Project cycle is about eight weeks. During that period, players contribute to the project’s stages and can finalize the reset during the eighth week if they’ve met the requirements. Completing an optional reset grants exclusive unlocks that remain on the account even after the character reset. The developer has published details in its Expedition Projects announcement, and consolepcgaming.com has an explainer on the opt-in eight-week wipe system for readers who want the nuts and bolts.
Progress from public tests and betas does not carry over to the full release. Hours played during closed betas, Server Slam tests, and the open beta are wiped for launch, so gear, character items, and in-game currencies earned in those tests will not appear in players’ launch accounts. That said, players who tested the game should have a familiarity advantage in gameplay going into the full release.
Questions remain about how often players will use the voluntary reset and how developers will balance the rewards against long-term progression. ARC Raiders’ approach gives players a choice: keep a persistent progression road, or opt into cyclical, reward-bearing wipes that refresh the meta without forcing the whole player base to restart.
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