I was five minutes from extraction when my inventory pinged: missing steel springs. You can feel progression stall in ARC Raiders faster than you realize. If you’re planning to finish Expedition 3, you need a map, not guesses.
I’ve run the routes, scraped the salvage, and talked to players on Steam and Discord. I’ll walk you through every stage, the fastest sources for each item, and smart choices that save hours of grind.
I found a rusted coffee pot behind a shuttered storefront and it reminded me how Expedition scavenging works
Expedition 3 follows the same six-stage structure as the past projects. You start with Stage 1; higher stages only unlock once you meet their prerequisites. The sixth stage is the Departure window — no extra tasks: finish stages one through five and you’re set for Departure.
What are the Expedition 3 project requirements?
You’ll move through six stages. Each stage asks for specific parts, salvage, or coin-value sales. Treat this as a checklist: gather predictable drops first, then chase rare enemy parts and trinkets. Grinding without a plan is like feeding coins into a coin-operated slot machine — you might get lucky, but you’ll waste money and time.
Stage 1: Foundation
| Item | Req. Quantity | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Metal Parts | 150 | Common loot from multiple locations, Scrappy, or by recycling items. |
| Chemicals | 100 | Common loot; Scrappy and recycling are reliable sources. |
| ARC Alloy | 80 | Random ARC salvage. Larger ARCs (Leaper, Bombardier) drop more Alloy. |
| Steel Spring | 15 | Found in Industrial-tagged areas and broken vehicles across maps. |
Stage 2: Core Systems
| Item | Req. Quantity | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Durable Cloth | 30 | Advanced textile; better odds in Residential or Medical areas. |
| Wires | 25 | Industrial/Electrical areas or by recycling specific items. |
| Electrical Components | 25 | Random loot, salvaging destroyed ARCs, or craft at a Refinery. |
| Industrial Charger | 3 | Rare drops in Electrical zones; recycle Voltage Converter for a chance. |
Stage 3: Framework
| Item | Req. Quantity | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee Pot | 1 | Common trinket in Residential areas. |
| Battery | 35 | Industrial and Electrical zones or by recycling select items. |
| Firefly Burner | 5 | Destroy Fireflies and salvage their remains. |
| Exodus Modules | 1 | Mythic item found on Stella Montis (areas tagged Exodus Materials) or bought from Celeste using Assorted Seeds. |
Stage 4: Outfitting
| Item | Req. Quantity | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Broken Guidance System | 1 | Common in Industrial-tagged areas. |
| Advanced Electronic Components | 5 | Random loot or best crafted at a Refinery. |
| Breathtaking Snow Globe | 3 | Mythic trinket that spawns in Residential areas at a very low rate. |
| Bombardier Cell | 2 | Salvage from Bombardier kills; legs can drop but not guaranteed. |
Stage 5: Load Stage
| Item | Req. Quantity |
|---|---|
| Combat Items | Sell 200,000 coins worth of items. |
| Survival Items | Sell 100,000 coins worth of items. |
| Provisions | Sell 150,000 coins worth of items. |
| Materials | Sell 300,000 coins worth of items. |
How do I get ARC Alloy?
ARC Alloy is primarily a salvage drop from destroyed ARCs. Bigger targets — Leapers, Bombardiers, and similar — award more Alloy per salvage. If you’re short, focus on missions where larger ARCs spawn and bring a squad that can reliably kill them. Salvage also scales with enemy type, so prioritize named encounters on Stella Montis and similar maps. Community tools on Steam and player-run spreadsheets can show spawn locations and time-of-day modifiers that the in-game map doesn’t surface.
My calendar was already marked with a May slot because rare windows close fast
Based on the countdown visible in-game, Expedition 3’s project window ends on May 3. The window usually opens about four or five days before the end date. Rewards for completing Expedition 3 should appear in the patch notes — expect an announcement around the April update cycle.
When does Expedition 3 end?
The finish date is May 3. Plan backwards: sell required coin-value items early, farm the common supplies during off-peak hours, and reserve mythic hunts (Fireflies, Bombardiers) for focused runs. If you wait until the last minute, you’ll be racing other players for the same rare spawns.
If you want the fastest path: prioritize ARC Alloy and Batteries on maps with heavy ARC presence, craft Advanced Electronic Components at a Refinery instead of chasing every rare drop, and trade consistently with Celeste when she offers Exodus Materials for Assorted Seeds.
Time is the limiting resource here — will you spend it grinding blindly or plan the route that actually gets you out before the window snaps shut?