Arc Raiders fans think away project isn't worth it

Embark Studios has provided some details about Arc Raiders' Expedition Project, which launches on December 17th. To put it briefly, this is the game's version of progress-wiping that occurs in many multiplayer games. However, Arc Raiders made it optional for those who wanted to keep their progress, and offered certain benefits to those who chose to do so.

When the Exploration Project was first revealed, players were unsure about wiping all their skills and loot, but now that we know more details, it doesn't seem like the trade-off is worth it at all. In addition to a few temporary buffs, those participating in the expedition will receive some cosmetic items, 12 additional stash slots, and skill points based on the amount of stash (loot) they have accumulated. It seems the rewards aren't as attractive as the developers think.

Arc Raiders' exploration project rewards are worthless

Two characters overlooked by the Queen, a giant mechanical spider in ARC Raiders.

Temporary buffs and cosmetics may look good, but it's the skill points part that most players have trouble with. According to the blog post, “Your next Raider can earn up to five skill points based on the total value of your stash and coins at departure. One million coins worth is equal to one additional skill point for your new Raider.”

The raiders spent more than a month gathering loot ranging from common to legendary. If you were planning on embarking on an expedition, this system encouraged you to hold on to that loot instead of going out and using it. Ideally, you'd want to gun for all the best loot when wipeout is imminent, but this system forces raiders to hold on to it for more skill points after wipeout.

On Reddit, players discussed that this would result in them not being able to redeem any loot until the period closes on December 22nd. Flumingo1990 said, “Now is the time to burn our stashes and equip the most expensive weapons and armor because they're going to disappear anyway.” “But since skill points are tied to storage value, no one wants to risk their gear. The game is actively punishing me for using my best gear.”

An intruder from Arc Raiders pointing a gun in a red light.

relevant

Arc Raiders should have at least been nominated in this GOTY category.

Arc Raiders sound design is fantastic. It's a real shame it didn't win any awards at this year's Game Awards.

Thanks to this warning, we can expect a lot of raiders using the free loadout to build up their stash value to get more skill points later on. So rather than making the expedition cry, you'll mess around with low-tier gear.