ARC Raiders 5th Expedition: Last One Before 2027 Pause

The ARC Raiders 5th Expedition opens September 8, and it comes with a bigger piece of news attached: Embark Studios confirmed it's the last Expedition window until early 2027. If you've been putting off finishing one, this is the moment that decision actually matters.

Updated 2026-10-14: the window has closed and the pause has started. We corrected two lines. The announcement did spell out what happens to partly built Caravans (they become Ermal Vouchers of equal value), and the Expedition buffs are temporary consecutive boosts, not permanent account bonuses. The ARC Raiders Wiki now says Embark is targeting a January return.

Screenshot: ARC Raiders Steam store page

TL;DR: The 5th Expedition runs September 8-29, 2026, and it's the last one before Embark pauses the mode entirely until early 2027 for what the studio calls major improvements. Three changes land with this Expedition: an opt-out for quest-progress resets, a departure window extended by a week, and no "last call" feature. Progress isn't lost during the pause: earned buffs persist, and completing all five unlocks the Zenith Outfit. More detail on the 2027 changes is coming this September.

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What is happening to ARC Raiders Expeditions? (quick answer)

The 5th Expedition (September 8-29, 2026) is confirmed as the last one before Embark Studios pauses the entire Expeditions mode until early 2027. The studio says the pause is to address bigger structural issues, tight departure windows, the reward structure, and new-player accessibility, that incremental patches haven't fixed.

Key takeaways

• 5th Expedition window: September 8, 2026 (1pm CEST/11am UTC/4am PT) through September 29, 2026 (10am CEST/8am UTC/1am PT).
• This is the last Expedition until early 2027. Embark's own announcement uses that exact framing, not a vague "for a while."
• Three confirmed changes for the 5th Expedition: opt out of quest-progress reset, a one-week-longer departure window, and no "last call" feature.
• Progress isn't wiped during the pause. Consecutive buffs already earned persist, and finishing all five Expeditions fully unlocks the Zenith Outfit.
• Caravans reset as part of this transition. Partly built Caravans are replaced with Ermal Vouchers of equal value, usable for Ermal's offers or sold for Coin.
• More detail on the actual 2027 changes lands in September 2026, per Embark's own announcement, so this isn't the full picture yet.

Why Embark is pausing Expeditions

Embark's announcement is unusually direct about the reasoning: player feedback around tight departure windows, the reward structure, and accessibility for new players "need more than incremental fixes. They call for bigger changes." Rather than keep patching the mode piecemeal, the studio is stopping it after the 5th Expedition to rework it before bringing it back in early 2027.

That's a real commitment, not a soft "maybe" framing. Embark named a season (early 2027) rather than leaving the return date open-ended, which is worth noting given how often live-service studios announce pauses without a return window at all.

GODEEPER: What Expeditions paid out (stash space, skill points and stacking XP, Scrappy and repair buffs) and what the late game looks like while they're paused. ARC Raiders Endgame Guide: What to Do After Frozen Trail →

What's actually different about the 5th Expedition

Three changes ship with this specific Expedition window, all described by Embark as responses to player feedback from the first four:

1. Opt out of quest-progress reset. Previous Expeditions reset your quest progress as part of the cycle. Players can now choose not to have that happen.
2. Extended departure window. The window is a full week longer than prior Expeditions, giving more room to actually complete the run instead of racing a tight clock.
3. No "last call" feature this time. Earlier Expeditions had a "last call" mechanic near the window's close; it's absent for the 5th.

Sign-up still works the way it always has: completing your Caravan does not automatically enroll you in the Expedition. You have to sign up during the live window (September 8-29) separately from Caravan progress. If your extraction fundamentals aren't solid yet, this is a reasonable window to shore those up before the mode goes quiet for months.

What happens to your progress during the pause

Embark's answer, point by point:

• Consecutive buffs persist. Whatever stacking bonuses you've earned from completed Expeditions carry through the pause untouched.
• Zenith Outfit fully unlocks if you complete all five Expeditions, meaning the 5th window is a real deadline for players chasing that specific reward, not a soft suggestion.
• Caravans are being reset. Any partially completed Caravan is replaced with Ermal Vouchers of equal value, which can buy Ermal's offers alongside ARC Parts and firearms trades, or be sold for Coin.

The announcement also caps the rewards: Expedition stash space tops out at 60 extra slots (12 per Expedition), bonus skill points cap at 15, and the XP, Scrappy materials and repair buffs cap at three levels. Trials paused too, from the end of the season on September 22 until October 8.

Image: Expedition_Project_card and Icon_Expedition_1 to 5 from the ARC Raiders Wiki, arranged by GameBrief. Game art is the property of Embark Studios.

Tips

Treat September 29 as a real deadline if you want the Zenith Outfit

Since the studio confirmed this is the last Expedition until early 2027, there's no "catch up next cycle" safety net here the way there normally would be. If completing all five Expeditions and the Zenith Outfit matter to you, the 5th Expedition's close is the actual cutoff.

Watch for Embark's September follow-up post

The pause announcement is explicit that more detail on the 2027 changes comes later this same month. Don't assume the current announcement is the full picture of what's changing; treat it as the first half of the story.

Don't skip signing up just because you finished your Caravan

Embark's own wording repeats a rule that's tripped players up before: completing the Caravan is not the same as signing up for the Expedition. You need to actively sign up once the September 8 window opens.

Our take

The pause was the right call, and the voucher refund means nobody who started a Caravan lost the materials. What we'd watch now is the rework itself: Embark promised more detail in September, and as of this update the wiki still lists the return as a January target with no firm date. If you're deciding what to do in the meantime, Trials and the Outpost are where the late game lives until Expeditions come back.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the ARC Raiders 5th Expedition start and end? September 8, 2026 (1pm CEST / 11am UTC / 4am PT) through September 29, 2026 (10am CEST / 8am UTC / 1am PT), per Embark Studios' official announcement. You have to sign up during that window; completing your Caravan beforehand does not count as signing up.

Is the ARC Raiders 5th Expedition the last one? Yes, for a while. Embark Studios confirmed the 5th Expedition is the last one until early 2027, when Expeditions return with what the studio describes as major improvements addressing player pain points around departure windows, reward structure, and new-player accessibility.

What happens to Expedition progress during the ARC Raiders pause? Consecutive buffs already earned persist, so no progress is lost. If you've completed all five Expeditions, the Zenith Outfit unlocks fully. Caravans are being reset, and any partially completed Caravan is replaced with Ermal Vouchers of equal value, which can be spent on Ermal's offers or sold for Coin.

What's different about the ARC Raiders 5th Expedition compared to earlier ones? Three confirmed changes: players can now opt out of resetting quest progress, the departure window is extended by one week compared to prior Expeditions, and there's no "last call" feature this time around.

Why is Embark Studios pausing ARC Raiders Expeditions? The studio cited player feedback around tight departure windows, the reward structure, and accessibility for new players as issues needing bigger changes than incremental patches could fix. Embark says more detail on what those changes look like is coming in September 2026.

References

• ARC Raiders on Steam: official store page
• The 5th Expedition, Embark Studios: the same announcement on Embark's site
• Expedition, ARC Raiders Wiki: the pause notice and the January target
• The 5th Expedition, official Steam announcement: Embark Studios' full announcement, published 2026-08-21