April 2026 Update Prep: 1.24 Fixes, Expedition 3, and Riven Tides

Patch 1.24.0, released April 14, was the pre-Riven Tides baseline for this prep guide. It was not a weapon balance patch, so the Tempest, Renegade, Dolabra, Canto, Hullcracker, and Aphelion recommendations remained largely unchanged from Flashpoint at the time. The practical improvements were stability and friction fixes: fewer crashes, fixed AMD FSR Frame Generation blur, better Stella Montis audio when line of sight was blocked, and a fix for hold-to-use items like bandages activating automatically after interrupted quick-slot swaps.

Patch 1.24.0 also fixed the Vanguard Set model stretching issue for other players and closed a zipline placement edge case involving carriables on ledges. These did not create a new meta, but they made raids feel more predictable and less bug-prone before Riven Tides landed.

Patch 1.23.0 mattered most for Close Scrutiny players. Assessor platform visibility, platform breakage, platform jumping, map ping accuracy, idle despawn behavior, and Vaporizer pathing near Assessors were all fixed. If you bounced off Flashpoint because the Assessor felt unstable, it is worth trying again on the current version.

The patch also fixed several exploit or combat edge cases. Trigger 'Nades no longer triple-stack damage when two detonate together, Anvil Splitter can no longer bypass its dispersion penalty, barricades can no longer be placed on ziplines, and automatic firing/item activation issues were addressed. That makes Close Scrutiny and PvP fights less prone to weird burst-damage or input bugs.

• Close Scrutiny is more reliable after Assessor platform and Vaporizer pathing fixes
• Trigger 'Nades are less abusive after the triple-damage fix
• Anvil Splitter builds must now respect the intended dispersion penalty
• Zipline barricade setups are gone
• Stella Montis and Buried City received several important map-blocker fixes

The third Expedition window opens April 28 and runs through May 11. The major change is that skill points are now earned through damage dealt during the Expedition window instead of stash value. Damage can be dealt with any weapon or gadget against any target except the practice range.

The damage thresholds are 5,000 damage for 1 skill point, 10,000 for 2, 30,000 for 3, 50,000 for 4, and 100,000 for all 5. Embark compares 100,000 damage to roughly destroying 20 Bastions, so casual players should plan several focused damage runs rather than waiting until the final day.

A new Last Call feature lets players who completed the caravan but missed sign-up still depart later, though without skill point rewards. Catch-up skill points are also available for players on their second or third Expedition after completing the damage challenge.

Before launch, Riven Tides was scheduled for April 28. The official scout report described Panorama Azzurro, a coastal location with an abandoned resort, rooftop bar, pool, beachfront, and a harbor or dockyard tied to the Exodus. The area sounded more open and vertical than Stella Montis, with cranes, containers, flooded sections, wrecked ships, and broad sightlines along the beach.

Now that Riven Tides is live, use the dedicated Riven Tides page and map planner for current route prep. This archived section remains here to show what was confirmed before the update, not to replace live map guidance.

Prioritize Close Scrutiny runs now that the Assessor fixes are live. Dolabra and Canto blueprints remain strong preparation targets, and Vaporizer Regulator farming is still relevant for endgame crafting. The 1.24 fixes make these runs less frustrating, especially if you were affected by crashes or accidental item activation.

For Expedition prep, build a damage-focused stash instead of a pure coin stash. Hullcracker, Aphelion, Tempest, Renegade, Wolfpack Grenades, Surge Coils, ammo, repairs, and shield rechargers are all more useful than hoarded low-value junk. Once the Expedition window opens, the fastest path to rewards will be consistent damage output, not inventory value.