Embark just moved the first Expedition window for ARC Raiders by a couple of days, and while that sounds rough at first glance, it is low‑key great news if you care about squeezing value. Instead of kicking off on the 15th, the run now starts on December 17th and shuts down on the 22nd, which basically hands everyone a bonus grind window to stack more loot and push their stash value higher, especially if you are eyeing those high‑end ARC Raiders Items and trying to min‑max before the reset hits. How The Big Reset Actually Works The reset is not forced, which already makes it feel way more respectful than a lot of other extraction games. You decide if your Caravan leaves the Rust Belt. Hit that depart button and your Raider gets wiped: levels, crafted gear, active build, all of it. It sounds brutal on paper, and it will scare off a few people, but you keep the stuff that matters long term. Extra stash space stays. Skill Points stay. You can earn up to 5 Skill Points based on the total value of your stash at the moment you bounce out. Since 1 million value equals 1 point, everyone is chasing that 5 million soft cap. On top of that, there is a +12 permanent stash slot bonus, which any extraction player knows is basically a life upgrade, because storage pressure is what forces a lot of dumb choices mid‑season. Squeezing Out Maximum Value With the dates shifted, the mindset kinda changes. Instead of slow, safe runs, you want high‑risk, high‑value routes. If you have a squad that actually communicates, Stella Montis at night is where you want to live for a bit. It is packed with robots, sure, and you will wipe if you wander in half asleep, but the drop rates for Queen Cores and Bastion Cells make the danger worth it. Hit the hidden bunkers, rotate quickly, and do not hang around picking up every low‑tier scrap. If you are solo, it is usually smarter to stick to Blue Gate in the daytime, farm Tempest blueprints and other mid‑tier pieces, then cash out before third‑party squads show up. Either way, treat your stash like a spreadsheet: clear out duplicate junk and vendor it, because everything in there counts towards that final coin total, and half‑used items sitting in the corner do not help you hit 5 million. What You Keep After The Wipe Once the Expedition window closes on the 22nd and the reset lands, anyone who opted in comes back naked but not really weak. You skip the slow intro, no hand‑holding tutorial, no locked maps. You spawn with those extra stash slots and up to 5 extra Skill Points, which means you start the next phase with a build that usually takes weeks of casual play. That early power spike will matter on day one, especially in PvP spots where people are still fumbling with starter gear. The funny thing is that players who ignore this event might not feel it right away, but a few days later they will be wondering why other Raiders hit harder and carry more. Is The Reset Worth It? If you hate the idea of starting with zero gear again, that is fair, a lot of people bounce off wipes for that reason. But this one gives you enough permanent gains that it feels more like a long‑term investment than a punishment, especially if you are willing to grind those last few days and maybe lean on a service when you are short on time. Some players will just push hard in‑game, others will top up with ARC Raiders weapons to get straight back into high‑tier lobbies after the reset, and either way, the event ends up rewarding people who plan ahead instead of just logging in and drifting.