▤ Field manualExpeditions, Trials & seasons: ARC Raiders progression
Beyond the raid-to-raid loop, ARC Raiders runs two overlapping progression systems every season: a long-form Expedition and a weekly Trials ladder. They reward different things, and playing both is how you get the most out of a season.
Expeditions — the season's backbone
An Expedition is a themed run of objectives that pays out cosmetics, materials, and progression as you complete it. A new one launches alongside each major update, and the objectives are deliberately spread across the game — they pull you onto different maps, against different ARC machines, and into playstyles you might otherwise skip. It's the slow-burn track you chip away at across the whole season.
Trials — the weekly ladder
Trials is the competitive layer. Each week hands you a set of scored challenges; clearing higher score thresholds earns more points, and your best result per challenge climbs you through fourteen ranks in divisions of 100. The board resets every Monday, so one strong week matters more than a long grind — and there's no penalty for a quiet week.
Our leaderboard breakdown covers the rank ladder in detail, and the live events page shows the current season, the score tiers, and what's active right now.
Playing both
The trick is overlap: pick Trials challenges that also push your Expedition objectives forward, and haul efficiently while you do it. If coin is tight, the loot economics guide keeps your backpack earning; if you're still unlocking the basics, the starter chain comes first.