ARC Raiders is about to feel a lot less like a spreadsheet and a lot more like a shooter. With the Riven Tides update arriving in late April 2026, Embark is reworking Expeditions in a way that should click with most active players, especially anyone who's been focused on combat instead of stockpiling ARC Raiders Items in the stash for weeks on end. The big change is simple: permanent skill points are no longer tied to stash value during the live season. You'll now earn them by fighting, not by sitting on loot and watching numbers go up.

A new way to earn skill points

Here's how it works now. First, you finish your Caravan objective before the Expedition deadline. After that, the game gives you a fresh challenge based on total damage dealt. That's the new gate for seasonal skill points. You get five days to complete it, and the nice part is there's no weird loadout restriction attached. Use whatever you want. Rifles, gadgets, messy close-range stuff, all of it counts. That shift matters more than it might seem at first. It rewards people who actually get into raids, take risks, and play well under pressure. A lot of players have wanted that for ages, because the old setup pushed everyone toward hoarding instead of engaging.

Catch-up still exists, but it's handled differently

Embark hasn't totally scrapped the stash value system, though. It's still there as a recovery tool for returning players who missed earlier seasonal skill points. If you skipped a cycle or two, you can still unlock those older points after finishing the current damage challenge. The price is 300,000 stash value or coins for each missed point. That's not cheap, no, but it does stop the game from punishing people forever just because they took time off. And honestly, it feels like a more sensible split. Current progress comes from action. Old progress can be recovered through economy. Clean enough.

Rewards and streak bonuses

The Expedition reward track still has plenty to chase. Players can unlock the Evolved Patchwork Outfit, with toggle options for the helmet and bandolier, plus extra leg accessories. The outfit comes in White and Red or Black and Green variants, which is a decent touch if you care about making your raider look a bit less thrown together. There's also the Scrappy Turban, an Expedition icon that upgrades over time, 12 more stash slots per run, and up to five skill points tied to the combat challenge. On top of that, consecutive Expeditions build up streak bonuses. XP starts at 5% and climbs to 15%, Scrappy materials go from 6% to 18%, and repair value rises from 60% to 80%. Miss a season, though, and that streak is gone.

Why this update could land well with players

What makes this overhaul stand out is that it lines up progression with the part of the game people actually log in for. Shooting, surviving, pushing objectives, getting out alive. Not everyone wants to micromanage loot just to stay competitive. This new system won't fix every complaint overnight, but it does make Expeditions feel more direct and more honest. If you're planning to jump in when Riven Tides launches, the smart move is to clear your Caravan objective early, stay active during that five-day damage window, and if you need a loadout upgrade or want to buy ARC Raiders weapons before the season gets hectic, it's worth sorting that out ahead of time.