ARC Raiders is entering a colder, more demanding phase of its live-service roadmap, and all eyes are on Cold Snap—the next major winter update planned for the game. While Embark Studios has not officially stamped a day on its calendar yet, the roadmap and community signals give us a clear launch window to look toward. With Expeditions, snowfall map conditions, and a new community event circulating in discussions, Cold Snap is shaping up to be the defining late-year update for ARC Raiders.
Expected ARC Raiders Cold Snap Release Window
There is no confirmed official release date yet, but current information places the Cold Snap update in December 2025. According to the publicly shared ARC Raiders roadmap, Cold Snap is tied to the same period as the Expedition Departure window. That timing alone gives fans a narrow launch expectation.
Here’s what the roadmap tells us:
- Cold Snap is scheduled to arrive sometime in December.
- It aligns with Expeditions, which are delayed to December 17.
- The Departure Window closes by December 22, meaning Cold Snap must land before or during that period.
Based on this timeline, the most realistic launch expectation is mid-to-late December 2025, likely within the third week of the month. Embark typically deploys patches on Thursdays, which also supports a window in that range.
What Cold Snap Brings to ARC Raiders
Cold Snap is not just a winter theme—it introduces new conditions that shift how players tackle encounters across Rust Belt Ridge. Unlike previous seasonal content, this update focuses heavily on environment-driven gameplay and systems that play into long-term progression.
1. Snowfall Map Condition
The biggest confirmed feature is the Snowfall condition, transforming existing regions into frozen combat zones. Snow affects visibility, movement, and tactical planning. With storms, blizzard winds, and fresh environmental effects, it pushes squads to rethink their approach rather than rely on familiar patterns.
Expect:
- Reduced long-range line of sight
- Tracking footprints across snow
- Weather-based threat escalation
This is the first map-wide climate layer the game has received, making it one of the most impactful changes of the year.
2. Flickering Flames Seasonal Event
Alongside snowfall, players will face a new periodic event called Flickering Flames. Much like North Line before it, this is expected to be a community-scale push, meaning tasks may require cooperation, resource runs under weather pressure, or raid-style objectives across the ridge.
It aligns naturally with Cold Snap’s harsh conditions—missions become slower, riskier, and visibility-dependent, particularly during snowstorms.
3. Expeditions Departure Window
Cold Snap launches alongside the Expeditions system, allowing you to prestige a character and start fresh. Resetting progress offers exclusive long-term rewards, reinforcing ARC Raiders’ extraction-loop progression and giving players a reason to try new builds instead of holding onto early-game comfort tools.
Players who depart receive:
- A full character restart
- Better rewards over time
- Long-term incentive structures for experienced Raiders
This system is expected to redefine how veterans approach late-game survival.
4. New Raider Deck and Quest Lines
A new Raider Deck is planned for Cold Snap, expanding the pool of items, cosmetics, and utility upgrades. If you have been hoarding resources since North Line, this is the update that gives you somewhere valuable to spend them.
Additionally, Cold Snap introduces new quests after Stella Montis, refreshing progression for players who have exhausted previous quest pools and are preparing for Expedition resets.
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Cold Snap is not simply another update—it bridges ARC Raiders into its next replayable phase. Snowfall conditions force tactical adaptation, Expeditions introduce cyclical progression, and Flickering Flames overlays time-sensitive objectives across a frozen frontier. Players who enjoy the extraction loop will have more systems to push, more routes to explore, and more reasons to return to Speranza with frostbitten gear.
For live-service survival shooters, identity comes from how the world evolves. Cold Snap is ARC Raiders’ statement that the Ridge can change in ways that matter. Play Now!
