ARC Raiders Cold Snap Update New Content and Key Changes Outlined
Starting tomorrow, December 16, ARC Raiders’ last major update of 2025 will drop, and it’s the Cold Snap update that ushers in the holiday-themed content to the extraction shooter.
While the official patch notes aren’t available yet, the info on what’s set to dawn upon us tomorrow is now available thanks to Embark.
Curious what sort of snowy mayhem awaits tomorrow, raider? Read on.
ARC Raiders Cold Snap Update Introduces Key Changes and the Flickering Flams Event
Snowstorms sweep across Speranza as winter conditions take hold of multiple raid locations. Snowfall reduces visibility, lakes freeze over, and the open surface becomes more dangerous than ever — turning every raid into a high-stakes survival run.
Key changes include:
- Environmental Hazard: Cold, harsh weather introduces new risks for raiders who remain outdoors too long. Players must watch out for frostbite, a creeping condition that slowly drains their health bar.
- Shelter Mechanics: To prevent frostbite, raiders will need to adapt their tactics as the cold gradually seeps into their bones. Raiders must rethink their loadouts, ensuring they can heal themselves or their teammates and plan their extractions with care, finding shelter if needed.
- Visual Overhaul: Frost buildup, frozen lakes, snow accumulation and more across Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport and The Blue Gate maps.
Raiders can expect limited-time events and elements to run from December 16 up to January 13, 2026.
Surviving the Freeze
During Cold Snap, players can discover seasonal items and complete two winter-themed challenges tied to the new map conditions, earning rewards such as:
- Flickering Flames Event — An act of endurance and patience that tests Raiders’ survival skills during the Cold Snap. Raiders can unlock rewards across 25 levels, including new gear, customizations elements and Raider Tokens by earning Merits, which are automatically gained from XP in rounds. To activate the event, Raiders must have played five rounds of the game.
- Candleberry Banquet Project — A new project that brings Raiders together to feel the fragile warmth that shines through the frigid cold. Raiders can earn rewards by scavenging unique items topside and collecting Candleberries. It features 5 stages, each revealing a new scene on the banquet table. Completing stages grants rewards such as cosmetic items, Raider Tokens and Merits, with Merits contributing progress in the Flickering Flames event.
The Flickering Flames and Candleberry Banquet events will be available from Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. CET until Tuesday, January 13, 2026 10:30 a.m. CET.
Alongside the Cold Snap, the optional wipe will also be available tomorrow. If you’re interested in that, we go into detail about it in one of our articles.
Once the Cold Snap update is live, expect it to be posted here on MP1st.
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