The biggest Arc Raiders update of December is now live, and it’s a meaningful shift in how raids play — not because it adds a brand-new full map, but because it turns familiar locations into harsher, survival-leaning battlegrounds.
Embark Studios has rolled out the winter-themed Cold Snap update as the game’s final major patch of 2025, delivering weather-driven mechanics, seasonal events, new quests and progression content, plus a long list of quality-of-life improvements. For the official changelog and highlights, Embark is tracking everything on the game’s patch notes page on ARC Raiders’ official site.
❄️ Arc Raiders Cold Snap Update — Overview
Update name: Cold Snap
Patch version: 1.7.0 (Live December 16, 2025)
On consoles, players may see this labeled as update 1.000.015, depending on platform formatting. MP1st has a version-focused breakdown here: MP1st (Update 1.7.0 / Patch 1.000.015).
Cold Snap is built around winter conditions, limited-time objectives, new progression rewards, and polish improvements — a “systems” update more than a map drop, designed to change the moment-to-moment tension inside raids.
📅 Release Date & Global Times
The update launched on December 16, 2025, with rollout timing that can vary slightly by region and platform. Several outlets tracked the expected rollout using prior update timing as a reference, including The Economic Times and release-time roundups like GameRant.
Example rollout times (approx.):
- India (IST): ~3:00 PM
- UK (GMT): ~9:30 AM
- US East (EST): ~4:30 AM
- US West (PST): ~1:30 AM
Note: Exact timing may shift by platform or regional store propagation.
❄️ New Weather & Map Conditions
❄️ Snowfall Map Condition
The headline gameplay change is the new Snowfall / Cold Snap map condition. Instead of a static “holiday reskin,” Embark is using winter to add real tactical pressure: visibility drops, audio feels muted, and the landscape takes on wintry behavior that changes how you rotate, hide, and fight.
- Dynamic snowy conditions can roll in on existing maps
- Reduced visibility and muffled sound shift how fights start and how teams reposition
- Footprints in snow can expose where players have moved, adding tracking risk
- Frostbite / temperature pressure can punish staying exposed too long, pushing smarter shelter and timing
PC Gamer highlighted how the winter conditions add a fresh layer to raids — you’re not only balancing ARC threats and enemy raiders, but also managing survival risks in freezing weather: PC Gamer (Cold Snap preview + temperature mechanic).
🎯 New Events & Seasonal Activities
🔥 Flickering Flames Event
Cold Snap launches alongside Flickering Flames, a limited-time community-style event with seasonal objectives. The core idea: players contribute through performance and event goals, and completing tasks earns themed rewards and progression value.
If you want a simple explainer of what the event is and how it’s framed, NME has a guide-style breakdown here: NME (Flickering Flames event).
🎉 Candleberry Banquet & Seasonal Challenges
In addition to Flickering Flames, the patch brings seasonal projects/challenges — including the Candleberry Banquet — designed to keep the winter loop active with themed rewards such as cosmetics and Raider Tokens. SteamDB’s patch-notes tracking calls out both seasonal challenge streams: SteamDB (Cold Snap patch notes).
🧭 New Progression & Content
📘 Raider Decks
Cold Snap expands progression with a new Raider Deck system — Arc Raiders’ version of a reward track, where you complete Feats during raids to unlock cosmetics and themed items.
One standout detail: a themed deck called “Goalie” (hockey-inspired) is being added and becomes free for all players on December 26, 2025. This is confirmed in SteamDB’s patch notes tracking: SteamDB (Goalie Raider Deck date).
🆕 Quests & Missions
Post-update, new quests are available from vendors in hubs like Speranza, often encouraging engagement with snowfall conditions or event objectives to earn special rewards. Coverage of the vendor quest angle and rollout timing has appeared in outlets like The Economic Times.
🛠️ Gameplay Tweaks & Improvements
Alongside new winter content, Cold Snap ships with a wide set of improvements and fixes. The official notes are on ARC Raiders’ patch notes page, but here are the big categories players will feel immediately:
Quality of Life & UI
- New Aim Down Sights toggle option
- Wallet display now shows the Cred soft cap
- Skill tree reset functionality
- Improved menu navigation and HUD feedback
Customization & Features
- Raider Tool customization
- More control over visuals (including a new cinematic graphics option)
- Improved input handling and platform-level fixes
Quest & UI Enhancements
- Quest icons and interactions improved
- Clearer quest markers and readability
- Inventory and interaction improvements
🧹 Bug Fixes & Stability
Cold Snap also includes a sweeping set of stability work, with fixes that touch collision, traversal, interaction reliability, animations, audio clarity, UI responsiveness, social/party systems, and general crash reduction across platforms — a theme emphasized in Embark’s official patch notes: ARC Raiders (official notes).
🚀 What This Means for Players
Cold Snap transforms Arc Raiders raids into more survival-oriented winter missions, changing pacing and decision-making with environmental risk. Whether you’re chasing rewards through the Raider Deck system, grinding seasonal challenges, or learning how to fight in low-visibility snowstorms, the update adds depth to the live-service loop.
TechRadar frames Cold Snap as the year’s final major patch and a clear step toward longer-term live support: TechRadar (Cold Snap overview).
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