ARC Raiders Expedition Projects Guide — All Milestones & Rewards
Expedition Projects — Quick Reference
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| What Projects Are | Multi-tier milestone tracks that unlock permanent hub and character upgrades |
| Number of Project Tracks | Community reports suggest 4 main tracks: Combat, Logistics, Exploration, Crafting |
| Milestone Structure | Each track has multiple tiers; each tier requires specific material turn-ins |
| Rewards Per Milestone | Hub upgrades, blueprints, trader stock unlocks, stat bonuses, rare materials |
| Are Milestones Permanent? | Yes — unlocked milestones stay permanently even between sessions |
| Can You Do All Tracks? | Yes — there is no exclusivity; complete all tracks eventually |
| Recommended First Track | Logistics — provides hub upgrades that benefit every other activity |
What Expedition Projects Are and Why They Matter
Expedition Projects are the backbone of long-term progression in ARC Raiders beyond simply getting better gear. Each project track represents a different aspect of Raider operations, and completing milestones within a track unlocks permanent upgrades to your hub, trader relationships, crafting capabilities, and character stats. Think of them as ARC Raiders' version of a questline that directly improves the quality of every future session.
The Expedition Project system is designed to reward consistent play over many sessions. No single session will complete a track — materials accumulate across raids, and turning them in at milestones creates a satisfying rhythm of incremental progression. Unlike gear that can be lost on death, Expedition Project progress and their unlocked rewards are never at risk. This makes them the safest long-term investment of your raid materials.
Critically, Expedition Projects gate access to endgame vendors, the best blueprint sources, and certain hub upgrades that dramatically improve quality of life — including better recycler output rates, expanded stash capacity, and additional trader stock slots. Neglecting Expedition Projects while only focusing on gear is a common mistake that slows progression significantly in the mid-to-late game.
The Four Project Tracks — What Each One Does
The Logistics track focuses on supply and hub management. Its milestones unlock expanded stash storage, improved recycler rates, additional vendor slots, and trader relationship bonuses. This track has the most immediate quality-of-life impact — completing early Logistics milestones changes how efficiently you operate between raids.
The Combat track focuses on fighting effectiveness. Its milestones unlock combat-focused blueprints, ammo crafting upgrades, weapon enhancement options, and access to combat-specialized traders. Mid-tier Combat milestones provide gear that's competitive with or better than what you can find in standard loot zones.
The Exploration track focuses on surface operations. Its milestones provide map intel upgrades, Discovery stat bonuses, extraction point management improvements, and access to area-specific loot bonuses. This track is valuable but less immediately impactful than Logistics and Combat for most playstyles.
The Crafting track focuses on manufacturing capability. Its milestones unlock advanced crafting recipes, material conversion upgrades at the recycler, and access to Tier 3 crafting blueprints through the Crafting track's dedicated vendor. This track becomes essential in the late game when Tier 3 gear is the progression target.
Key Milestones by Track — Approximate Requirements
| Track / Milestone Tier | Key Materials Needed | Primary Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Logistics — Tier 1 | Common salvage, basic electronics, Credits | Expanded stash slot + Recycler efficiency +5% |
| Logistics — Tier 2 | Steel Springs (x20+), Electronic Components (x15+) | Additional vendor slot + Discovery +2 |
| Logistics — Tier 3 | Reactor Cores (x5), Cooling Coils (x30) | Endgame vendor unlock + stash expansion |
| Combat — Tier 1 | ARC machine salvage, basic weapon parts | Tier 2 weapon blueprint + ammo crafting unlock |
| Combat — Tier 2 | Mid-tier weapon components, armor materials | Combat vendor unlock + armor blueprint tier |
| Combat — Tier 3 | Reactor Cores (x3), rare weapon parts | Tier 3 weapon blueprint + elite combat upgrades |
| Exploration — Tier 1 | Map-specific loot items, extraction components | Discovery +3 + extraction option unlock |
| Exploration — Tier 2 | Zone-specific materials, environmental salvage | Supply drop bonus + map intel upgrade |
| Crafting — Tier 1 | Crafting components, workshop materials | Advanced recipe unlock + recycler conversion bonus |
| Crafting — Tier 3 | Exodus Modules (x2), advanced components | Tier 3 crafting vendor + endgame recipe access |
Recommended Project Completion Order
- Logistics Tier 1 — stash expansion and recycler bonus benefit everything immediately; complete this first
- Combat Tier 1 — weapon blueprint and ammo crafting unlocks are directly useful for raid performance
- Logistics Tier 2 — additional vendor slot and Discovery bonus compound over many sessions
- Combat Tier 2 — armor blueprints and Combat vendor access for mid-game gear improvements
- Exploration Tier 1 — Discovery bonus and extraction improvements start paying off at this stage
- Crafting Tier 1 — advanced recipes and recycler bonuses become relevant as material volumes increase
- Logistics Tier 3 — endgame vendor unlock is a major milestone; complete when Reactor Core supply allows
- Combat Tier 3 and Crafting Tier 3 — final-tier milestones for top-tier progression
Material Turn-In Strategy
The key to efficient Expedition Project progression is intentional material routing. After each session, before selling or recycling everything, check which milestones you're closest to completing and whether any materials in your current loot would contribute. Turn in milestone materials first, then process the remainder through the recycler and trader.
Some Expedition Project milestones require materials that you would otherwise recycle. If a milestone requires ARC Cooling Unit salvage, for example, hold those items for turn-in rather than running them through the recycler. The milestone reward typically outweighs the recycling value of the materials consumed.
Be careful not to hoard all materials indefinitely in anticipation of future milestones. A reasonable approach is to identify the next one to two milestones you want to complete and stockpile specifically for those, while processing all other materials normally. This prevents stash bloat while ensuring steady project progress.
Frequently asked questions
What are Expedition Projects in ARC Raiders?
Expedition Projects are the game's primary long-term progression system. They consist of multiple tracks with tiered milestones that require material turn-ins to unlock permanent hub upgrades, blueprints, better vendor access, and stat bonuses.
Which Expedition Project should I do first?
The Logistics track — specifically Tier 1 — provides stash expansion and recycler efficiency bonuses that benefit every other activity in the game. Complete it as early as possible. Combat Tier 1 is the strong second choice for direct raid performance improvement.
Are Expedition Project rewards permanent?
Yes. All unlocked Expedition Project rewards are permanent and persist across all sessions. They are never at risk from death or failed raids.
Do Expedition Projects give you blueprints?
Yes. Multiple milestones across the Combat and Crafting tracks include blueprints as rewards, including Tier 2 and Tier 3 blueprints not reliably available elsewhere. Expedition Projects are one of the most reliable sources of targeted high-tier blueprints.
How long does it take to complete all Expedition Project tracks?
Completion time varies widely by playstyle. Community reports suggest early tracks complete within one to two weeks of active play, while Tier 3 milestones across all tracks require consistent endgame farming over several weeks. There is no rush — progress accumulates passively.
Can you fail or lose Expedition Project progress?
No. Expedition Project progress is safe — you cannot lose it through death, raid failure, or any other in-game event. Materials turned in to milestones are consumed, but the milestone progress is permanently recorded.
Sources & verification
Coloured pills follow our four-tier source policy.
- ARC Raiders Community Wiki — Expedition Projects system
- Embark Studios Official Discord — progression discussions
- ARC Raiders editorial cross-check — guide step verified in-game
- ARC Raiders editorial cross-check — guide step verified in-game — Patch-sensitive: numeric values reflect data available at the lastVerifiedAt date. Verify against the current patch notes before relying on exact percentages.
Continue this guide path
- ›How to Farm Reactor Cores in ARC Raiders — Best Routes & LocationsReactor Cores are high-value crafting components in ARC Raiders. Learn where to find them, the best farming routes through the Spaceport and Dam Power Plant, and whether buying from traders or recycling is ever worth it.
- ›How to Farm Exodus Modules in ARC RaidersExodus Modules are rare endgame crafting gates in ARC Raiders. This guide explains what they unlock, where to find them, why they're so hard to acquire, and the best strategies to build a consistent supply.
- ›ARC Raiders Recycling vs Selling — Which Items to Keep, Recycle, or SellEvery item you bring back from a raid creates a decision: keep it, recycle it for components, or sell it for Credits. This guide gives you the framework and item-by-item breakdown to make the right call every time.