The Fourth Expedition is the biggest shake-up to ARC Raiders' seasonal loop yet: Embark is scrapping Skill Points for a brand-new Mystery Rewards system, and your damage now buys you Raider Tokens, temporary blueprints, and the first tier of the new Zenith Outfit. The departure window is short — July 7 to July 21, 2026 — so here's exactly what you earn, the damage thresholds you need to hit, and how to clear all five challenges before the caravan leaves.
Quick answer: The Fourth Expedition runs July 7–21, 2026 (14 days to sign up and finish). Instead of Skill Points you get Mystery Rewards: 150 Raider Tokens + one blueprint per departure objective, unlocked by hitting topside damage thresholds of 5,000 / 10,000 / 30,000 / 50,000 / 100,000. Clear all five and you bank 750 Raider Tokens, five blueprints, and the first level of the Zenith Outfit. Tokens are permanent; the blueprints reset with the next Expedition. (Source: arcraiders.com)
Fourth Expedition rewards at a glance
| Topside damage | Reward unlocked | Raider Tokens | Blueprint |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | Reward 1 | 150 | 1 (random) |
| 10,000 | Reward 2 | 150 | 1 (random) |
| 30,000 | Reward 3 | 150 | 1 (random) |
| 50,000 | Reward 4 | 150 | 1 (random) |
| 100,000 | Reward 5 | 150 | 1 (random) |
| All 5 cleared | Full clear | 750 total | 5 total + Zenith Outfit Lvl 1 |
Reward source: ARC Raiders official news, The Fourth Expedition. Blueprint pool = 25 types across weapon parts, gun models, augments, and equipment.
What is the Fourth Expedition in ARC Raiders?
Expeditions are ARC Raiders' rolling seasonal challenge — a ~62-day "departure" you sign up for in Speranza, complete a set of objectives during the window, and then the caravan leaves automatically with everyone who qualified. The Fourth Expedition is the next one in the cycle, and it's the first to ditch the old Skill Point payout entirely.
Why the change? Embark says players have simply outgrown the skill tree. As PCGamesN reported from the announcement, "Extra skill points were the main drive for the previous expeditions, but as players touch the ceiling on the current skill tree, this becomes less appealing." So instead of more points you can't spend, the Fourth Expedition pays out Mystery Rewards — and according to GamesRadar+, part of the goal is also to "address the frustration of new players" who were falling behind.
When does the Fourth Expedition start and end?
The departure window is open for 14 days:
- Opens: July 7, 2026 — 1pm CEST / 11am UTC / 4am PT
- Closes: July 21, 2026 — 10am CEST / 8am UTC / 1am PT
You have those 14 days to sign up and complete the requirements. Everyone who has signed up departs automatically when the window closes, so the only hard deadline is hitting your damage thresholds before July 21. Don't wait until the last night — late-window lobbies get sweaty and you don't want a bad raid streak costing you the 100k tier.
What are Mystery Rewards in ARC Raiders?
"Mystery Rewards" is Embark's new payout structure replacing Skill Points for Expedition completion. It splits into two buckets that behave very differently — and this is where most players get confused:
- Raider Tokens (150 per objective): the premium currency. These are permanent — they do not reset when the next Expedition starts. Clearing all five objectives banks 750 Raider Tokens, which PCGamesN called "a pretty decent deal."
- Blueprints (1 per objective): a random blueprint per reward tier — guaranteed rare or higher — pulled from a pool of 25 types (weapon parts, gun models, augments, equipment). These are temporary — unclaimed/unused blueprints reset with the next Expedition, so use them while the window is live.
On top of the Mystery Rewards, the Fourth Expedition keeps the standard permanent Expedition bonuses: +12 stash spaces (48 total) and a catch-up on missed Skill Points (up to 15 total, 5 per Expedition). So Skill Points aren't gone entirely — you can still recover ones you missed — but the completion payout itself is now tokens and blueprints, not fresh Skill Points (Source: ARC Raiders official "Expeditions Explained").
This is the first time Embark has run the Mystery Reward system, and per the official post they're "monitoring it closely" to see how it performs before deciding whether it stays. If you've cleared past Expeditions on autopilot, read the reward terms this time — permanent tokens vs. expiring blueprints changes how you prioritise.
Fourth Expedition damage challenge thresholds
Every reward in the Fourth Expedition is gated behind cumulative topside damage — damage you deal to enemies (ARC machines and players) while out on a raid, not in Speranza. The five tiers are:
- 5,000 damage → Reward 1
- 10,000 damage → Reward 2
- 30,000 damage → Reward 3
- 50,000 damage → Reward 4
- 100,000 damage → Reward 5
The jump from 50k to 100k is the wall most casual raiders hit. Two things to know: the Damage Challenge rewards are duplicate-protected — you won't be handed the same blueprint twice from the challenge track (though blueprints carried over in Ermal's Expedition Vault can still duplicate). And the in-game expedition damage tracker was fixed in Live Update 1.33.0 to read correctly at high values, so your 100k progress will actually display accurately this time. (Source: arcraiders.com/news/live-update-1-33-0.)
How to complete the Fourth Expedition fast
100,000 topside damage is a grind if you're running budget kits and dying early. To rack damage efficiently:
- Bring sustained-damage weapons, not burst. High-ammo, high-uptime guns (Ferro, Kettle, Anvil) out-damage a one-shot playstyle over a full raid because total damage — not kills — is what counts.
- Farm big-HP ARC machines. A single Matriarch (~35,000 HP) or Queen is worth thousands of damage points on its own. Hunt the heavy roster instead of chipping at small Tick/Wasp swarms. (See our ARC Raiders enemies guide for HP values and weak spots.)
- Survive to extract. Damage only banks if the raid counts — dying with no extract still logs the damage, but losing your kit every run starves you of the gear you need to keep fighting. Play the aggression-based matchmaking system to land in calmer lobbies while you farm.
- Stack the Damage Challenge with Forgotten Relics. The Forgotten Relics event and Converging Paths are live through late July — every topside fight you take for the Expedition also feeds Merits and relic hunting. One raid, three progress bars.
If you're short on time before July 21 — or you just want the 750 Raider Tokens, five blueprints, and the Zenith Outfit without grinding 100k damage solo — a carry or leveling boost clears the thresholds for you, and you can grab the exact rare weapons that make farming damage easy from the blueprint service.
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How to unlock the Zenith Outfit
The Zenith Outfit is the Fourth Expedition's headline cosmetic. With the Patchwork Outfit now fully completed from the previous Expeditions, the Zenith Outfit is the new multi-tier reward set — and completing your fourth Expedition unlocks its first level (Source: arcraiders.com). Early previews describe it as a sleek, balaclava-clad look. Like past Expedition outfits, expect later tiers to unlock across future departures, so getting in on the Fourth Expedition gets you on the ladder from level one.
Is the Fourth Expedition worth it?
Yes — more so than past Expeditions if you don't need Skill Points anymore. The 750 permanent Raider Tokens alone make it worthwhile (Tokens buy stash expansions, trader stock, and cosmetics), the blueprints give you free high-end gear for the window, and the Zenith Outfit is exclusive seasonal prestige. The only catch is the damage grind: if you can't reliably clear 100,000 topside damage in 14 days, you'll leave the top blueprint and the full token payout on the table — which is exactly where a carry pays for itself.
FAQ
When does the ARC Raiders Fourth Expedition start and end? It runs from July 7, 2026 (1pm CEST / 11am UTC / 4am PT) to July 21, 2026 (10am CEST / 8am UTC / 1am PT). You have 14 days to sign up in Speranza and complete the requirements before the caravan departs automatically.
What replaced Skill Points in the Fourth Expedition? A new Mystery Rewards system. Instead of Skill Points, completing departure objectives pays out 150 Raider Tokens and one random blueprint per objective. Embark made the change because players have maxed the skill tree, so extra points were no longer appealing.
How much damage do I need for all the Fourth Expedition rewards? Five cumulative topside-damage thresholds: 5,000, 10,000, 30,000, 50,000, and 100,000. Each tier you clear awards 150 Raider Tokens plus a blueprint, so a full clear is 750 Raider Tokens and five blueprints.
Are the Raider Tokens from the Fourth Expedition permanent? Yes. The 150 Raider Tokens per objective are permanent and carry over — they do not reset with the next Expedition. The blueprints are temporary and reset when the next Expedition begins, so use them during the window.
How do I get the Zenith Outfit in ARC Raiders? Complete your fourth Expedition. Now that the Patchwork Outfit is finished, finishing the Fourth Expedition unlocks the first level of the new Zenith Outfit, with later tiers expected in future Expeditions.
Can I get the same blueprint twice from the Fourth Expedition? No — the Damage Challenge rewards are safeguarded against duplicates, so you won't be handed the same blueprint twice from the challenge track. Blueprints carried over in Ermal's Expedition Vault can still duplicate, though.
