Arc Raiders Expedition 2 is live, and the resource grind is REAL. Unlike generic extraction shooters, Arc Raiders' Expedition system demands specific items across 6 phases before you can reset your progress for exclusive rewards.
Miss one item? You're stuck. Farm inefficiently? You waste hours. This breaks down every requirement, best farming locations, and whether the Expedition reset is actually worth it.
WHAT IS ARC RAIDERS EXPEDITION 2?
Image source: arcraiders.com
The Basics:
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Unlocks at Level 20
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6-phase progression system
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Voluntary reset (not forced wipe)
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Donate materials from your Stash to build a caravan
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Complete before departure window (February 2026)
The Trade:
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You Lose: All items, Blueprints, Stash upgrades, Coins, Skills, Raider Den progress
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You Keep: Maps, Workshop unlocks, Codex entries, Cred, cosmetics, Raider Tokens
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You Gain: +12 Stash space, +5 Skill Points (if you have 5,000,000 assets), temporary XP/repair/material bonuses
PHASE 1: FOUNDATION (EASIEST PHASE)
Required Materials:
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150x Metal Parts
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200x Plastic Parts
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80x ARC Alloy
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15x Steel Springs
Where to Farm Phase 1 Materials
Metal Parts & Plastic Parts (Common):
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Every map - loot containers, weapon dismantle, scrap piles
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Best strategy: Free loadout raids, loot everything, extract fast
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Time estimate: 3-5 raids
ARC Alloy (Uncommon - ARC enemy drops):
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Best locations: Any map with heavy ARC presence
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Kill: Shredders, Leapers, Harvesters
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Time estimate: 5-8 raids
Steel Springs (Uncommon - Industrial loot):
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Best locations: Industrial zones, factories, warehouses
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Specific: Look for toolboxes, industrial containers
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Time estimate: 3-5 raids
PHASE 2: CORE SYSTEMS (MODERATE DIFFICULTY)
Required Materials:
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35x Durable Cloth
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25x Wires
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20x Electrical Components
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4x Cooling Coils
Where to Farm Phase 2 Materials
Durable Cloth (Medical/Commercial zones):
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Best locations: Hospitals, clinics, shopping centers
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Containers: Medical supply boxes, commercial shelving
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Time estimate: 4-6 raids
Wires (Electrical/Technological zones):
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Best locations: Tech buildings, electrical substations
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Containers: Electronic equipment, cable boxes
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Time estimate: 3-5 raids
Electrical Components (Electrical zones):
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Best locations: Power stations, tech labs
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Containers: Electronic devices, junction boxes
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Time estimate: 4-6 raids
Cooling Coils (Industrial zones):
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Best locations: Factories, industrial complexes
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Rarity: Uncommon drop
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Time estimate: 5-8 raids
PHASE 3: FRAMEWORK (CHALLENGING)
Required Materials:
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4x Light Bulbs
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30x Batteries
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10x Shredder Gyros
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1x Exodus Module
Where to Farm Phase 3 Materials
Light Bulbs (Electrical zones):
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Best locations: Residential buildings, offices
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Containers: Light fixtures, electrical boxes
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Time estimate: 2-3 raids
Batteries (Technological/Electrical zones):
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Best locations: Tech buildings, electronic stores
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Common drop: Easy to stockpile
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Time estimate: 5-7 raids
Shredder Gyros (ARC enemy drops):
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Kill: Shredder ARCs specifically
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Drop rate: Uncommon
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Best strategy: Target Shredder spawns, avoid other ARCs
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Time estimate: 8-12 raids
Exodus Module (Exodus enemy drops):
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Kill: Exodus enemies (hardest enemy type)
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Rarity: RARE
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Best strategy: High-tier loadout, bring squad
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Time estimate: 5-10 raids (depending on luck)
PHASE 4: OUTFITTING (HARDEST PHASE)
Required Materials:
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5x Frequency Modulation Boxes
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5x Advanced Electrical Components
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3x Ion Sputters
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3x Leaper Pulse Units
Where to Farm Phase 4 Materials
Frequency Modulation Boxes (Exodus enemy drops):
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Source: Exodus enemies
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Rarity: RARE
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Community feedback: "Took hours, the frequency boxes I see often" (Reddit user)
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Best locations: Stella Montis (high Exodus spawn rate)
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Time estimate: 10-15 raids
Advanced Electrical Components (Electrical zones):
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Source: High-tier electrical containers
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Rarity: Uncommon
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Best strategy: Prioritize Security Lockers (requires Security Breach skill)
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Time estimate: 6-10 raids
Ion Sputters (Exodus enemy drops):
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Source: Exodus enemies
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Rarity: VERY RARE
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Community feedback: "Ran Stella for 4 hours and only got 3 of 8" (Reddit user)
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Best locations: Stella Montis Medical Research, Assembly Workshop
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Time estimate: 15-20 raids (brutal grind)
Leaper Pulse Units (ARC enemy drops):
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Kill: Leaper ARCs
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Rarity: Uncommon
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Time estimate: 8-12 raids
PHASE 5: LOADING (THE MONEY GRIND)
Required Stash Value:
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200,000 Coins worth of Combat Items (Weapons, Mods, Grenades, Ammo, Traps)
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100,000 Coins worth of Survival Items (Shields, Augments, Quick Use)
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150,000 Coins worth of Provisions (Trinkets, Nature Items, Keys)
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300,000 Coins worth of Materials
Total Value Needed: 750,000 Coins
How to Farm Coins Fast for Phase 5
Strategy 1: Stella Montis Trinket Runs (60-80K per hour)
Route:
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Spawn Stella Montis
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Rush Medical Research + Assembly Workshop
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Prioritize Trinkets (highest Coin value per slot)
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Extract after 10-15 minutes
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Repeat
Why this works: Trinkets sell for 5,000-15,000 Coins each. Fill your backpack with 8-10 trinkets = 80,000+ Coins per successful extract.
Risk: High PvP activity in Stella Montis. Use Free Loadouts to avoid losing gear value.
Strategy 2: Security Locker Farming (Spaceport)
Route:
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Spawn Spaceport
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Hit Security Lockers (requires Security Breach skill)
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Loot high-tier weapons (sell for 10,000-25,000 Coins)
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Extract fast
Why this works: Security Lockers have guaranteed high-tier loot. Less contested than Stella Montis.
Strategy 3: Locked Door Farming
Route:
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Bring Keys (cheap investment)
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Target Locked Doors in any map
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Loot high-value items behind doors
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Extract
Why this works: Keys cost little, and rewards are disproportionately valuable.
Time Estimate for Phase 5: 10-15 hours of focused farming (assuming 50,000 Coins/hour average)
PHASE 6: DEPARTURE READY
No Additional Requirements
Once you complete Phase 5, you're ready to depart when the Expedition window opens (February 2026).
BONUS: FARMING FOR +5 SKILL POINTS
The Real Grind: 5,000,000 Total Stash + Wallet Value
Why It Matters: You gain 1 Skill Point per 1,000,000 Coins (max 5 Skill Points).
How to Hit 5,000,000:
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Complete all 5 Expedition phases (750,000 value)
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Farm an additional 4,250,000 Coins in Trinkets/weapons
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Community estimate: "71K per day" for 50+ days (Reddit calculation)
Grandioso Apartment Trinket Run:
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Takes 8 minutes
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Yields 60-80K Coins
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Run once daily = hit 5,000,000 by departure window
IS EXPEDITION 2 WORTH IT?
Image source: arc-raiders.fandom.com
Who Should Do Expedition 2:
YES, if you:
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Want the novelty of starting fresh
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Value +12 Stash space (permanent)
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Can realistically hit 5,000,000 for +5 Skill Points
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Enjoy the progression reset loop
NO, if you:
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Still unlocking Blueprints
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Part of a squad (one person keeping Blueprints helps)
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Don't have time for a 20-30+ hour grind
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Prefer keeping current progress
The Math:
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Time investment: 20-30 hours (Phase 1-5)
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Bonus grind: +20 hours (5,000,000 Coins for Skill Points)
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Total: 40-50 hours for full rewards
Community Consensus: "I found this one much easier for some reason, got it finished pretty quickly. Now plenty of time to get to 5 million" (Reddit user)
Translation: Phase 1-4 easier than Expedition 1. Phase 5 Coin grind is the real bottleneck.
EXPEDITION 2 TIMELINE
Current Status: Active (January 2026)
Departure Window: February 2026 (6-7 day window)
Time Remaining: ~50 days (as of late January)
What Happens at Departure Window:
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You choose to depart (reset) or stay
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If departing: All progress resets, rewards apply immediately
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If staying: Keep everything, no rewards
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Expedition 3 begins approximately 2 months later
THE MENTAL EDGE: WHY EXPEDITION GRINDS DEMAND SUSTAINED FOCUS
Image source: arcraiders.wiki
Here's the reality: Expedition 2 farming is a 40-50 hour grind. Most players burn out at hour 20.
The Grind Breakdown:
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Hours 1-10: Phases 1-3 (straightforward farming)
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Hours 10-25: Phase 4 (Ion Sputter/Frequency Box hell)
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Hours 25-50: Phase 5 (Coin grinding monotony)
The Winners: Players maintaining sustained mental sharpness through 50+ hours. They:
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Don't make positioning mistakes (avoid deaths = protect Stash value)
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Execute efficient farming routes consistently
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Stay focused on Trinket prioritization (maximize Coins per raid)
The Losers: Players burning out at hour 20. They:
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Make sloppy mistakes (lose gear = lose Stash value)
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Farm inefficiently (waste time in the wrong zones)
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Quit before Phase 5 completion
The Bottleneck: Mental stamina during the Coin grind.
G FUEL Energy Formula - 140mg clean caffeine, zero sugar. When you're grinding Expedition 2 across 40-50 hours, sustained energy keeps your:
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Farming route execution crisp (no mental fog ruining efficiency)
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PvP awareness is sharp (avoid deaths that destroy Stash value)
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Coin optimization consistent (Trinket prioritization stays tight)
The players completing Expedition 2 with 5,000,000+ assets aren't the most mechanically skilled. They're the ones who stayed mentally sharp through the 50-hour grind while others burned out.
Clean energy = consistent farming = faster completion = full Skill Point rewards.
FAQs
Q: When does Expedition 2 end?
A: Departure window opens February 2026 (exact dates TBA).
Q: Can I complete Expedition 2 solo?
A: Yes, but slower. Free loadouts recommended to protect Stash value.
Q: What's the hardest phase?
A: Phase 4 (Ion Sputters) and Phase 5 (5,000,000 Coin grind for Skill Points).
Q: Should I do Expedition 2 if I did Expedition 1?
A: Depends. Rewards stack (24 Stash space total, improved XP bonuses). Worth it if you value fresh starts.
Q: Where do I find Ion Sputters?
A: Stella Montis, kill Exodus enemies. Drop rate is brutal (~3 per 4 hours of farming).
Q: How do I farm 5,000,000 Coins efficiently?
A: Stella Montis Trinket runs (8 minutes, 60-80K Coins). Run daily for 50+ days.
Q: Will I lose my Blueprints?
A: Yes. This is the highest cost. Coordinate with the squad - one person keeps Blueprints to craft for others.
Q: Can I stop mid-Expedition and keep progress?
A: Yes. Progress is saved. You can farm for weeks/months.