ARC Raiders is looking to capture the extraction shooter market. Doing so brings up a myriad of questions concerning wipe progression, if any beta progress carries over into the full game, and how it differs from its rivals.
Let’s not beat around the bush: Escape From Tarkov is regarded as the first extraction shooter, and it introduced a whole new hybrid of shooter, looting, and exploring. One of the reasons it’s both adored and frustrating for players is progression and wipes. Tarkov regularly has a ‘wipe’ where the entire player base effectively starts over from scratch—restarting your progress and giving you a new reason to play again.
ARC Raiders is also an extraction shooter using a lot of the same fundamentals. Let’s see how similar its wipe system is, and if it even has one.
Does ARC Raiders Have A Progression Wipe?
ARC Raiders has an optional progression wipe called “Expedition Projects” that works in a similar style to wipes, but is much deeper, and not every player has to do it.
It’s good news for those of you who don’t like progression wipes. Since day one, the developer has stressed that the game will not have mandatory wipes, and the game uses something they’ve touted as a “Voluntary reset mechanic.”
It’s understandable if you don’t want to have hours and days of gameplay essentially be for nothing once the wipe hits. This is why Embark Studios has worked hard to create its own system for ARC Raiders—Expedition Projects.
In the full game, players will have access to a feature called “Projects”. At level 20, the first major project players will have access to is the Expedition Project. Upon completion, this project makes a character reset available. If a player completes a reset, they will be able to do so again so long as they complete another of these projects.
The Expedition Project will operate on a repeating cycle of roughly 8 weeks. During the course of these 8 weeks, players can contribute toward and make progress on their Expedition Project, which will overall be a somewhat large time investment. At the start of the 8th week, the ability to finalize the project will become available & will remain available for that entire week. If a player has fulfilled all of the necessary stages of the project, they will be able to commit to completing the Expedition during this period.”
It’s also explained that you can continue making progress toward the project, even after the period of time has passed.
Performing an optional progression wipe grants you exclusive rewards and unlocks that will stay with your account forever.
Does ARC Raiders Beta Progression Carry To Full Game?
None of the progress you have made in ARC Raiders betas carries over into the game’s full release.
From the Server Slam Playtest to initial betas, you’ve likely racked up many hours of gameplay. Killed robots, being killed by other players, and had a great time. Well, they have to stay as memories, as anything you’ve achieved until now is (ironically) wiped.
It’s a clean slate from October 30. It goes without saying, though, that you have an advantage if you have registered any beta hours.
Let us know if you’re happy that ARC Raiders doesn’t have a mandatory wipe. Is it the perfect answer to people who hate losing all their progress playing Escape From Tarkov? You know what to do. Let us know in the comments and on the Insider Gaming Discord.
You should also read about ARC Raiders’ Price And If It Is Free To Play, as well as Deluxe Edition Content and Pre-Order Bonuses.
