Embark Studios revealed the release date for Arc Raiders’ Cold Snap update in a terse social post, confirming the patch will arrive on December 16, 2025. The announcement came via the game’s official X post that simply showed the date. You can see the original post on X referencing the Cold Snap tease.
16.12.25 pic.twitter.com/UxQH0nAP1L
— ARC Raiders (@ARCRaidersGame) December 9, 2025
According to the roadmap revealed at launch, the Cold Snap update will add a snowfall map condition. That implies reduced visibility and slipperier surfaces during missions, which should change how teams approach objectives and movement. The patch also includes an event called Flickering Flames, new quests, a new raider deck, and the “departure window” for the first Expedition, which is the game’s opt-in character wipe mechanic. If you want a reminder about how Expedition mechanics affect stash and skill points, see our piece on how cash counts toward expedition bonus skill points here.
Embark previously used a community unlock to gate a new map, so the studio has shown it will experiment with collective goals before; read more about that approach in our coverage of the studio’s community unlock plan here. Embark did not provide further details about Cold Snap beyond the date and roadmap items, so players will need to wait until the update goes live to judge how major systems like snowfall actually play out in raids.
ARC Raiders
Developed by Embark Studios
ARC Raiders is a multiplayer, extraction adventure, set in a lethal future earth, ravaged by a mysterious mechanized threat known as ARC.
- Genre: Shooter
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Modes: Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release: 2025-10-30
- Publisher: Embark Studios
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Age Rating:
ESRB T / PEGI 16 / GRAC 15+ / USK 18 / CLASS_IND 14 / ACB M
- IGDB Rating: 89.7/100
