Arc Raiders Cold Snap is a cosy seasonal bundle

Arc Raiders Cold Snap is the final content update in a successful 2025 for Embark’s extraction title. Having released at the end of October, the game subsequently sold more than four million copies by mid-November, surged beyond 700,000 concurrent players, and even took home the Best Multiplayer Game title at The Game Awards.

So what now? December 16 brought Cold Snap to close out the year, and it’s more than a chill wind blowing our way. The timely, somewhat seasonal update adds more of most things, but is it actually any good? We’ve been braving the harsh conditions Topside and trawling the patch notes to get a feel for any wins and losses. 

Arc Raiders isn’t the first game to bring a wintry map condition to its final major update of the year. There are obvious weather-linked similarities to Battlefield 6’s tepid Winter Offensive. But where the Triple-A title went for one altered map, Arc Raiders has brought its snowy outlook to Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and Blue Gate maps, all on rotation. 

Cold Snap adds an aesthetically pleasing blizzard effect to each in the familiar way that Night Raids become available. And the cold hurts. Similar to BF6 (and survival games), staying out in the freezing conditions negatively impacts your health. Unlike BF6, though, there’s no health regen without a bandage, so ducking indoors is key if you don’t have meds. 

This works far better in Arc Raiders than it does in BF6, and Embark has taken its winter world seriously, too. The Red Lakes are frozen, the world feels like it’s in an icy grip, and it impacts Raider behaviour. While some, this Raider included, are kinder, huddling together, there are also some stone-cold killers taking advantage of 2x loot value during the condition.

Play-style responses to the Cold Snap update were always going to be varied. As expected, then, we have another complex sociological layer on top of the ‘betrayal or trust’ mechanic this game handles so well. But it also adds more content than a straight visual update (BF6, take note). The Flickering Flames Event is the next Project available, laden with festive goodies.

For anyone not grinding for the Expedition Project, or long since done, Flickering Flames offers the chance to create a five-stage Speranza banquet in return for player rewards. Additionally, there’s a new 28-day “Gathering Candleberries” merit reward line. This will unlock further cosmetics, emotes, and other rewards …including candleberries themselves.

The new Arc Raiders update also adds six new quests, three of which are available immediately, and a new Goalie Raider Deck (available December 26). The Deck is also free for everyone to access. Such content and additions are welcome, but there’s so much more that’s gone into the Cold Snap update. Just take a brief look at the Cold Snap patch notes.

Embark’s own patch highlights include: 

Many of the Cold Snap changes, like above, have already been warmly received because they include things players want: More and varied content, but crucial fixes (no more cluster spawns on Stella Montis), welcome additions (a Skill Tree reset without the expedition), and luck boosts (increased blueprint drops in Stella Montis). All have been added to this update. 

In short, it feels like Cold Snap has done everything and more that I could think of, going beyond a simple “here’s some enjoyable seasonal bumf”. And it’s these types of fully-fledged updates that a game like Arc Raiders needs to retain momentum. Arguably, it actually didn’t need to do everything it has done here, but Embark has done so anyway. 

Powerful PC owners, you can even opt for the new ‘Cinematic’ graphics setting, designed for optimal viewing enjoyment. Rattler fans (there must be some), the mag capacity has increased. Oh, and if you didn’t like the static Security Locker spawns, they’re now dynamic across all maps. There’s much more that’s been changed, and little of it feels ill-considered.

To play devil’s advocate for a moment, there’s already a lot to do in Arc Raiders. Tweaks and changes aside, with the new content, some may feel there’s too much going on. Between Trials, Feats, Projects, Quests, and pure looting, where do you focus? But with a ravenous community enjoying it, it’s hard not to support and applaud such an extensive update. 

Indeed, Arc Raiders’ Cold Snap feels like a statement of intent from Embark. We already know that the developer views the game as a 10-year title, and updates like this will help extend its playability. Yes, exploits, glitches, and bugs keeping Raiders out of Raider hatches need attention. Yet ultimately, this is an overwhelmingly good addition.

For some time, we’ve known that Cold Snap would bring a lot of extras. However, while also listening to community feedback, Arc Raiders offers a new map condition that adds to the experience rather than detracts from it, plus much more. Embark has done a cheery job. It’s an update that should keep all but the heaviest grinders happy and busy right into 2026.