Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios has detailed the game’s Cold Snap update and its fresh chilly weather survival mechanics.
The update, which will be released on December 16, adds a fresh map condition, Cold Snap, which is a winter variant on the Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and Blue Gate maps. Cold Snap adds chilly weather survival mechanics fueled by snowstorms in Speranza. Snowfall reduces visibility, lakes freeze and the open surface becomes even more risky. Exposure to extreme chilly causes frostbite, thus encouraging fresh strategies for healing items, equipment, and shelter indoors.
Gameplay Changes to Arc Raiders Cold Snap by Embark Studios:
- Environmental hazard: Cold and harsh weather creates fresh risks for invaders who stay outside too long. Players must watch out for frostbite, a progressive disease that slowly depletes the health bar.
- Shelter mechanics: To prevent frostbite, the invaders will have to adapt their tactics as the chilly gradually seeps into their bones. Invaders must rethink their equipment, making sure they will be able to heal themselves or their comrades, and carefully plan their evacuation, finding shelter if necessary.
- Visual overview: Frost buildup, frozen lakes, snow accumulation and more on Ladies Battlefields, Buried City, Spaceport and Blue Gate maps.
Elsewhere, unique loot and rewards are available through the Flickering Flames event and the Candleberry Banquet project.
“Flickering Flames” Event: An act of endurance and patience that tests the Invaders’ survival skills during the Cold Strike. Raiders can unlock rewards across 25 levels, including fresh gear, customization items and Outlaw Tokens, by earning Merits that are automatically earned through XP in rounds. To activate the event, the Raiders must play five rounds of play.
Candle and Berry Banquet Design: A fresh design that brings Raiders together to feel the gentle warmth that shines through the icy chilly. Invaders can earn rewards by collecting unique items on the mountain and collecting Candleberries. It consists of five scenes, each of which reveals a fresh scene on the banquet table. Completing stages grants rewards such as cosmetic items, bandit tokens, and merits, with merits contributing to progress in the Flickering Flames event.
From December 26, the Goalie Raider deck will be available in the base game. The fresh deck includes fresh items and perks for players to complete, offering rewards such as bandit tokens, cosmetic items, and more. These include a hockey-inspired Raider uniform in several color options, as well as a Raider hockey stick.
Finally, the Expedition Project Invader Reset allows players to start their journey anew with certain buffs, benefits, and rewards. The Expedition project will provide the Invaders with the opportunity to reset themselves, which will bring a fresh Invader and a fresh story for the player. This optional reset can be unlocked by collecting key materials to build a caravan for an existing Invader and then signing up for the trip in the Expedition window. When leaving, players will reset their character’s progress for a fresh Arc Raiders journey with exclusive power-ups, benefits and rewards that will carry over.
In blog entryEmbark explained why it is doing a seasonal reset. “Progress erasure is extremely difficult to balance in multiplayer online games – we understand that,” the developer said. “A mandatory global wipe has some obvious advantages: heavily invested players can relive the initial grind and the playing field will level out for a while. The optional expedition design is our solution to some of the problems that inevitably arise with mandatory wipes – in particular by respecting the time invested in the game. We want to offer you a choice:
“Not completed as much as you would like? Keep raiding, building and growing. Ready for a fresh challenge and a renewed grind? Embark on an Expedition and you’ll receive buffs, rewards and bragging rights.”
Arc Raiders Cold Snap Update Release Times:
Embark Studios launches Cold Snap on Tuesday, December 16 at 10:30 CET / 9:30 UK time / 1:30 PT / 4:30 ET.
Cold Snap includes limited-time events and features running from Tuesday 16 December 2026 to Tuesday 13 January 2026 at 10:30 CET / 9:30 UK time / 1:30 PT / 4:30 ET.
Cold Snap is the last update listed in Arc Raiders’ 2025 content roadmap, and Embark has yet to outline what’s to come in 2026. Arc Raiders sold over 4 million copies worldwide within two weeks of launch, cementing its commercial success. Nexon also revealed that the extraction shooter had arrived a whopping 700,000 concurrent players across all platforms. It’s done so well entered the world of South Park with an unexpected look that was created in just a few days. Confirming its success, Arc Raiders won the award for Best Multiplayer at last week’s The Game Awards.
IGN Arc Raiders reviewreturned 9/10. We said: “With its polished gunplay and irresistible grind, Arc Raiders sets a new standard in extraction shooters.”
If this has prompted you to jump into Arc Raiders, check out our guide to best settingsfind out what skills we recommend unlocking first and see how to get loot by delivering crates from the field warehouse.
Wesley is the news director at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. Wesley can be reached at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
