[STEAM] Arc Raiders devs replace skill points with "mystery rewards" in latest Expedition as they try to address "the frustration of new players"

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is about to kick off its fourth Expedition, and the developers at Embark have some major changes on the way. In short? You're no longer getting any skill points from completing the Expedition challenge this time around, as you'll instead be getting an array of "mystery rewards" made up of small Raider Token payouts and temporary blueprints. The apparent nerf to Expedition rewards seems to be part of an ongoing effort to make the system friendlier to new players.

When the new

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kicks off on July 7, you'll still be dealing damage to earn rewards, in line with

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. Each completed departure objective will reward you with blueprints from a list that Embark has detailed in its

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. These rewards are "temporary and will reset when you depart on your next Expedition." On the permanent side, you'll also get 150 Raider Token payouts for each completed departure objective.

Neither of those rewards really compete with the bonus skill points players were able to earn in the first three expeditions, however. Those extra skill points offered players a nice leg up on reset, but that seems to be exactly the problem – veteran players with a bank of extra skill points always have an advantage over newer ones, and while new players can retroactively get those bonus skill points in subsequent expeditions, it's not fun to dive into a new game with a pile of catch-up work to do.

"We understand the frustration of new players that are only now starting to do their Expeditions," the devs explain. "We need to find the right balance of rewarding our veteran players but also give new players fair and fun ways to catch up and not feel like they are always behind. This is a continuous effort and we'll keep you updated as we have more to share."

Judging by the tone of the responses to the change on

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, it seems the balance isn't really hitting right for veteran players. Without a meaningful reward to grind for, there's little reason to engage with Expeditions at all, and I doubt that's the outcome Embark is looking for.

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