The Arc Raiders wipe is coming soon, and choosing to reset will earn you some massive bonuses

The first Arc Raiders wipe is almost upon us, and the good news right out of the gate is that it isn't mandatory. While many progression wipes in games like Rust and Escape From Tarkov affect all players, Embark Studios has decided to allow you the choice whether you take part in the reset, sending your current Raider out to pasture, or continue on with everything you've already unlocked. But it's just confirmed what we'll get for taking the leap, and honestly it's going to be a hard temptation to resist.

"Perhaps Speranza has been too small for you," the Arc Raiders team writes in a new blog post. "Maybe it's the thrill of danger, the feel of fresh air on your skin, or the promise of wealth that's only available Topside. Whatever your reason, all Raiders share one thing in common: the spirit of adventure." There was a small delay to the multiplayer game's planned expedition, it notes, and now the window to leave the Rust Belt for good will open on Wednesday December 17, lasting for a total of six days.

Choosing to restart will reset everything tied to your current progress. "This means your skill tree, level, stash, workshop, crafting abilities, and blueprints." Make no mistake; you'll be working your way back up from pretty much the ground level. The one thing that is skipped is the initial onboarding, meaning that you'll have all maps and potential workshop upgrades available to you right from the start.

However, you'll get quite the list of benefits. You can earn up to five skill points based on the total worth of your stash and coins (with a conversion rate of one million coins in value per skill point). You'll also get an extra twelve slots of stash space, a Patchwork Raider outfit, a Scrappy Janitor cap, and an Expeditions Indicator icon. On top of this you'll be granted three temporary boosts: a 10% repair buff, 5% bonus XP, and 6% more materials from Scrappy.

These bonus buffs will expire if you choose not to depart with the subsequent expedition, but all of the other unlocks will be yours to keep forever. Personally, the skill points and stash space are sounding too tasty to resist. Embark also confirms that the value of your combined stash and coins will be calculated when the departure window closes, "so don't stop looting before then."

If you aren't feeling ready to call time on your current character, you don't have to. "The optional Expedition Project is our solution to some of the problems that inevitably arise with mandatory wipes," Embark explains, "specifically, by respecting your time investment in the game. We want to offer you the choice." Choose to stay, and your progress towards building your Caravan will be preserved, allowing you to keep working on it until the next departure window arrives in a couple of months.

The Arc Raiders Expedition Window opens on Wednesday December 17 and closes on Monday December 22. You must sign up during this period, and all players who are registered will automatically depart at the same time when the window closes. "For now, the story is yours to write," the developer says. "We can't wait to see what you decide."