Winter has officially hit the Rust Belt in Arc Raiders, and it is not pulling any punches. Embark Studios has rolled out the Cold Snap update alongside the hefty 1.7.0 patch, bringing snowy map conditions, a limited-time winter event, new progression options, and one of the longest lists of fixes and quality of life improvements the extraction shooter has seen so far.
The update went live on December 16, 2025, and it marks the final major milestone on Arc Raiders’ 2025 roadmap.
Cold Snap Brings Snow, Frostbite, and New Map Conditions
The headline feature of the update is the Cold Snap map condition, which transforms familiar locations with snow, blizzards, and freezing winds. Blue Gate’s valleys are now battered by icy storms, the abandoned Spaceport is swept by blizzards, and other topside areas feel far more hostile than before.
Image Credit: Embark Studios
Cold Snap is more than just a visual change. Reduced visibility, footprint tracking, and a frostbite mechanic force players to rethink how they move through outdoor areas. Staying outside for too long can be dangerous, encouraging more indoor fights and tense close-quarters encounters.
The Snowfall condition can appear across Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and Blue Gate, adding a fresh layer of unpredictability to each raid.
Flickering Flames Event and Winter Rewards
Alongside Cold Snap, Embark has launched the Flickering Flames event. While playing during the event, players can earn a new event currency and unlock up to 25 rewards, including gear, cosmetics, and Raider Tokens.
There is also a new multi-stage project called Candleberry Banquet. This task chain sends players across maps to collect specific items, gradually building a banquet table and unlocking more event rewards along the way.
For players who have already completed the full Expedition experience, this update introduces the option to start over with a fresh character. Doing so grants permanent bonuses such as cosmetics, extra stash space, and permanent skill points, offering a new long-term goal for veteran raiders.
New Free Raider Deck and Expedition Changes
A new free Raider Deck called “Goalie” is set to arrive on December 26, giving all players another playstyle option without spending premium currency.
Image Credit: Embark Studios
The update also introduces the Expedition Departure Window, giving players clearer information and more control when extracting. Expedition Projects have been expanded with better progress tracking, clearer reward displays, and improved UI feedback during matches.
Big Gameplay Improvements in Patch 1.7.0
While the winter content sets the mood, patch 1.7.0 delivers major gameplay upgrades across the board.
One of the most requested features, Skill Tree Reset, is now available. Players can respec their builds in exchange for Coins, at a cost of 2,000 Coins per skill point, making experimentation far less punishing.
An option to toggle Aim Down Sights has also been added, alongside a new Cinematic graphics preset designed to push visuals on high-end PCs.
The Wallet now shows a Cred soft cap of 800. Embark says this change is intended to prevent players from stockpiling Cred to instantly unlock new Raider Decks, while still respecting any Cred earned before the cap was introduced.
Raider Tool customisation has also arrived, giving players more control over their loadouts and playstyle.
Weapon Balance and ARC Enemy Updates
Several weapons received targeted balance changes in the Cold Snap update.
The Bettina assault rifle has been buffed to reduce its reliance on a secondary weapon. Its durability burn rate has been heavily reduced, magazine size increased from 20 to 22, and reload time shortened, making it more reliable in PVP while keeping its strong PVE identity.
The Rattler received a small but meaningful buff, with its magazine size increased from 10 to 12. This brings its early-level PVP time-to-kill closer to other close-range options, without changing its deliberate, cover-focused role.
On the enemy side, the ARC Shredder has been significantly improved. Knockback from weapons has been reduced, movement and turning speed increased, navigation improved, and more body parts can now be destroyed. The result is a more aggressive and reliable threat that enters combat faster and behaves more consistently.
Maps, Spawns, and Quality of Life Fixes
Patch 1.7.0 includes a huge number of map fixes and system improvements. Player spawn logic has been improved, particularly in Stella Montis, to reduce cases of players spawning too close together.
Security Lockers now spawn dynamically across all maps, loot and Supply Drops are less likely to appear inside terrain, and countless collision and geometry issues have been fixed. Blue Gate received a new Locked Gate map condition, improved navigation near ledges, and better tree visuals at distance.
Electromagnetic Storms can now leave behind valuable items after lightning strikes, and spawn locations for resources like Great Mullein have been expanded.
UI, Audio, Console, and Stability Updates
The update also brings sweeping improvements to UI, audio, and stability. Achievements are now enabled on the Epic Games Store, directional audio for ARC enemies has been improved, footstep sounds have been refined, and a long list of audio bugs has been squashed.
Console players benefit from updated PlayStation 5 controller prompts and fixes for Xbox crashes. Across all platforms, Embark has addressed numerous crashes, including AMD-related issues, and improved input handling when alt-tabbing or switching focus.
From inventory management and quest tracking to VOIP reliability and menu navigation, nearly every system in Arc Raiders has seen polish or fixes in this patch.
A Strong End to Arc Raiders’ 2025 Roadmap
With the Cold Snap update and patch 1.7.0, Embark Studios has delivered a content-packed winter update that mixes seasonal flavour with meaningful gameplay improvements. New events, better progression tools, improved balance, and an enormous list of fixes make this one of the most significant updates Arc Raiders has received since launch.
Whether you are diving back in for the winter events or returning to see how the game has evolved, there is plenty here to explore. Just remember to stay warm out there, Raiders.