ARC Raiders Cold Snap Update: Release Date, Major Changes, and What You Need to Know
Embark Studios is keeping ARC Raiders humming, and the next drop, Cold Snap, blankets the PvPvE battlegrounds in winter. Bundle up for snowbound skirmishes on Rust Belt Ridge as festive chaos and fresh tweaks roll in.
ARC Raiders is about to get its first real taste of winter. Embark Studios is rolling out a seasonal update called Cold Snap, and yes, it literally snows now. If you have been farming the Rust Belt Ridge and waiting for something to shake up the PvPvE grind, this one looks like an interesting pivot.
So when does Cold Snap land?
Embark has not locked a date yet, but the studio just shifted the Expedition Project schedule, and that basically tells us the window. The Expedition departure window opens on December 17 and closes on December 22, with the Caravan leaving right after. Cold Snap is tied to that window on the public roadmap, which means the update should drop sometime between Dec 17 and Dec 22.
There is also a pattern here: the game tends to ship big updates on Thursdays. If that holds, circle Thursday, December 18. Still, that is an educated guess, not a guarantee.
'The Expedition departure window will open on Dec 17 ... roll out in the Caravan you have built and leave the Rust Belt behind. Prepare to start a fresh new adventure with a brand new Raider.'
What is actually in Cold Snap?
- Snowfall map condition - Every area gets blanketed in snow. It is not just a cosmetic pass; visibility and the way you approach fights will change.
- Flickering Flames event - A new limited-time event built for the winter season.
- Expedition departure window - The big seasonal beat opens Dec 17 and ends Dec 22, with the Caravan departing afterward. If you want to bail on the Rust Belt and start fresh, that is your shot.
- New Raider Deck - A fresh deck is coming alongside the update.
- New quests - Additional objectives will roll out with the patch.
The fine print
No new maps this time. If you skim the roadmap and wonder if something is hiding, it is not. The Snowfall condition is doing the heavy lifting, giving the current Rust Belt Ridge locations a winter overhaul without expanding the map list. Expect more specifics as we get closer to the patch, but that is the confirmed stack right now.
Quick refresher
ARC Raiders launched October 30, 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Embark has been pushing out steady updates since, and Cold Snap is the next seasonal swing, built around the Expedition Project timing. The slightly unusual part is tying a content update to a departure window, but it does make the reset vibe of Expedition feel like an event instead of just a patch note.
Bottom line
Cold Snap is a winter-themed shake-up with snow, a new event, a fresh deck, and quests, anchored to the Dec 17-22 Expedition window. If you are planning to hit the Caravan and start clean with a new Raider, this is your runway. If not, enjoy the snowfall and the new toys while you dig in for the holidays.