Expedition Requirements Compared (Expeditions 1-3)
Side-by-side look at how ARC Raiders Expedition requirements evolved from Expedition 1 through Expedition 3 - item pressure, Load Stage, reward methods, and what changed after the April 17 patch.
Every Expedition still shares the same skeleton: Foundation, Core Systems, Framework, Outfitting, Load Stage, and Departure. The interesting changes now happen in three places:
- the item list,
- the reward method for skill points,
- and the catch-up rules layered behind that main reward track.
Main five-skill-point method
| Expedition | Main reward method | Max main SP |
|---|---|---|
| Expedition 1 | 5,000,000 stash value (1M per point) | 5 |
| Expedition 2 | 3,000,000 stash value (600k per point) | 5 |
| Expedition 3 | Damage challenge during the live window | 5 |
That is the biggest current difference. Expedition 3 no longer asks you to preserve a perfect stash total for the five main points.
Catch-up comparison
| Expedition | Catch-up |
|---|---|
| Expedition 1 | None |
| Expedition 2 | 300k per missed Expedition 1 point |
| Expedition 3 | 300k per point after the damage challenge is complete |
Catch-up stayed stash-value based even when the main Expedition 3 reward method changed.
Stage shape
All three Expeditions still end in the same Stage 5 pressure:
- Combat 200k
- Survival 100k
- Provisions 150k
- Materials 300k
So the Caravan shape is familiar even when the top-level reward rule changes.
Practical difference by cycle
Expedition 1
The hardest stash-value curve, no safety net, and no carry-over for partial work. This was the version that caused the largest community backlash.
Expedition 2
The first accessibility pass. The stash threshold dropped to 3M, catch-up arrived, and the whole system became much more realistic for average players.
Expedition 3
The system stopped being a stash-value sprint for the main five points and became a window-based activity challenge. You still need the Caravan done. You still need Load Stage finished. But once the window opens, the five main skill points come from dealing damage, not from hoarding toward a final stash checkpoint.
The current damage curve is 5,000 / 10,000 / 30,000 / 50,000 / 100,000 damage for 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 skill points.
What this means for planning
If you are comparing cycles, the best mental model is:
- Expedition 1: can your stash survive the 5M grind?
- Expedition 2: can you reach the more forgiving 3M curve?
- Expedition 3: can you finish the Caravan and stay active long enough to clear the damage challenge?
That is a very different final-week question.
Tools that use the same data
When Embark changes an Expedition mid-season, this is one of the first pages that needs to move with it.