ARC Raiders Expedition 5 pause: Deadline and what you keep

ARC Raiders Expedition 5 signup closes on September 29, 2026, at 8am UTC, and it will be the final Expedition before the system returns in early 2027. The wider game is not pausing, but this is the last announced opportunity to participate under the current Expedition format.

For active players, the practical choice is to enter Expedition 5 if they want its current rewards and can sign up before the deadline. Players do not need to opt into a quest reset simply because they join: Embark has made the quest reset optional for this Expedition. The redesigned system, its rewards and its exact return date remain unannounced. Embark’s official Expedition 5 announcement says more information about the changes will arrive in September.

ARC Raiders Expedition 5 dates and deadline

• Signup opens: September 8, 2026, at 11am UTC.
• Signup closes: September 29, 2026, at 8am UTC.
• Departure: Everyone who has signed up departs on September 29.
• Quest progress: Quest resets are opt-in for Expedition 5, so players can choose not to reset their quest progress.
• No Last Call: Embark says there will be no Last Call feature for this Expedition.
• Longer window: The signup period has been extended from two weeks to three.

Those dates and rule changes come directly from Embark’s Expedition 5 post. The absence of Last Call is especially important: players should treat September 29 at 8am UTC as the firm signup cutoff rather than expect another late-entry opportunity.

Should you do the final 2026 Expedition?

If you understand the current Expedition loop and want the rewards offered for Expedition 5, this is the final confirmed opportunity before the pause. Embark says another Expedition will not run until early 2027, and the studio has not revealed the final rules or reward structure for the redesigned version.

That does not mean players should rush into a reset they do not want. The main accommodation for this round is the optional quest reset: Embark says players can choose not to reset their quest progress. There is also no announced catch-up mechanism for players who skip Expedition 5 beyond the confirmed preservation of consecutive buffs and the Caravan conversion explained below.

It would be premature to assume the 2027 version will use the same rewards, reset rules or accessibility measures. The decision about Expedition 5 should therefore be based on the current confirmed terms, not speculation about the redesign.

“The fifth Expedition will be the last one until early 2027.”

The ARC Raiders Team made that statement in its official Expedition 5 announcement. Embark has not provided a more precise return date.

What happens to buffs and Caravans during the pause?

Embark has confirmed two account-impact details for the period without Expeditions:

• Consecutive buffs persist. Any consecutive buffs a player has earned will remain in place.
• Partially completed Caravans are converted. Caravans will reset, and Embark says any partially completed Caravan will be replaced with Ermal Vouchers of equal value.

Under the announced plan, a partially completed Caravan will therefore receive the stated voucher conversion when Caravans reset. Embark has not published the complete rules for the redesigned Expedition system, so that conversion should not be read as a guarantee about any other progress or reward. The official announcement contains the confirmed protections.

Trials pause after September 22

The current Trials season ends on September 22, 2026. Trials will then pause for two weeks before returning on October 8, 2026. That short Trials interruption is separate from the longer Expedition pause, which is expected to end in early 2027. Embark confirmed the Trials schedule in the Expedition announcement.

Why Embark is pausing Expeditions

Embark says the Expedition system needs more than incremental adjustments. The studio identified tight departure windows, the reward structure and accessibility for newer players as areas requiring larger changes. Its conclusion was direct: “They call for bigger changes.”

That explains the reason for the pause, but not what the finished redesign will include. There is no exact return date beyond early 2027, and Embark has not confirmed revised rewards, reset mechanics or a specific catch-up system for newer players. Embark’s announcement says further details are due in September but does not give a date for that follow-up.

ARC Raiders itself is not paused until 2027

Only Expeditions are taking the extended break. Embark has scheduled Frozen Trail for October 8, 2026, with a new map, an ARC Operation, progression work and continuing live-service improvements. That date also coincides with the planned return of Trials.

The approach is consistent with Embark’s earlier plan to release larger major updates twice a year while continuing regular live updates, balance fixes, bug fixes, store updates and player events. The studio outlined that development cadence in May. For players considering Expedition 5, however, the immediate date to remember is September 29 at 8am UTC.