ARC Raiders December Update Turns Up the Heat: Cold Snap, Flickering Flames, and Game-Changing Tweaks

ARC Raiders is going full winter survival mode. Embark is pushing the Cold Snap update today, and it is not just a pretty snowfall. We get snowed-in maps, a new frostbite mechanic that actually hurts, and a run of seasonal stuff that stretches through the end of the year and into January, both topside and down below.

Cold Snap turns Speranza into a freezer

Cold Snap is a new map condition that can flip familiar zones into whiteout territory. Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and The Blue Gate can now spawn in a winter state with heavy snow, frozen lakes, and cut-down visibility. Translation: the weather itself is out to kill you.

Stay outside too long and you pick up frostbite, a status effect that chips away at your health until you fix it. Suddenly, hanging in the open and waiting out a fight is a bad plan. You will need to move fast, keep heals on hand, and duck into indoor shelter whenever you can. Being pinned in a blizzard is basically a self-own now.

On the upside, frozen lakes open up new routes, and snowstorms mess with sightlines. That can make tracking enemies harder... or make stalking them weirdly easy if they are not paying attention.

"Frostbite and freezing winds are about to make topside survival even more intense, as the Cold Snap update arrives."

These winter conditions are sticking around until January 13, 2026, so there is a real window to learn the new rhythm.

Underground season: Flickering Flames

While the surface gets mean, the underground season kicks off with Flickering Flames. Think a limited-time 25-level track with cosmetics, gear, weapons, and Raider Tokens on it. You progress by earning Merits, which you get by doing raids. In other words: just play, and you move the meter. The broader seasonal slate here folds in raids, community events, and a few extras tied to the wintry theme.

Candleberry Banquet: yes, you are picking berries now

Alongside the main event, the Candleberry Banquet project asks you to collect Candleberries topside and cash them in. Rewards include new banquet scenes, cosmetics, Raider Tokens, and extra Merits that feed right back into Flickering Flames. The team is leaning into light, camaraderie, and the very versatile Candleberry Bush, which is a delightfully gamey phrase if I have ever heard one.

Later this month: Goalie Raider Deck

On December 26, the Goalie Raider Deck drops. It is the second free, permanent deck in the game, and you can clear it at your own pace. Expect hockey-flavored rewards, including a full outfit and a hockey stick skin for your Raider tool, plus the usual cosmetics and Raider Tokens.

Prestige, ARC Raiders-style: Expedition Project

This update also brings the Expedition Project, basically the game’s take on an optional character reset. If you meet the requirements and opt in, you can retire your current character and start fresh with bonuses, progression perks, and exclusive cosmetics attached. It is a clean slate with incentives, not a mandatory wipe.

• Live now: Cold Snap update with the winter map condition and seasonal content spanning topside and underground
• Where it snows: Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, The Blue Gate can roll into winter mode
• Frostbite matters: staying outside too long drains health; heals, speed, and shelter become core survival tools
• Flickering Flames event: 25-level limited track; earn Merits via raids to unlock cosmetics, gear, weapons, and Raider Tokens
• Candleberry Banquet: gather Candleberries topside to unlock banquet scenes, cosmetics, Raider Tokens, and extra Merits
• December 26: Goalie Raider Deck arrives (free, permanent) with hockey outfit and hockey stick Raider tool
• Expedition Project: optional character reset with bonuses, progression perks, and exclusive cosmetics
• Cold Snap map condition runs through January 13, 2026; this is the studio’s content plan through the end of the year into January

Bundle up. The environment is a third enemy now, and it really does not care how good your aim is.