Hey, Elias here. I am still wiping the grime of the Rust Belt off my gear from the “North Line” update, and my ears are ringing from fighting the new Matriarch bot. But let me tell you, what Embark just did with the “Breaking New Ground” event? That is how you build a world. Making the entire community work together to unlock the new Stella Montis map is a genius move, and it proves Embark has a serious long-term plan.
“The North Line” was the appetizer. It set the stage, gave us a new frozen playground in Stella Montis, and introduced new mechanical nightmares like the close-quarters Shredder. But now, it is time to talk about the main course.
Embark has already pulled back the curtain on the next major content drop, slated for December. It is called “Cold Snap,” and if you thought Stella Montis was chilly, you have not seen anything yet. This is not just a patch, it is the update that will introduce some of the most critical systems for the game’s long-term health, including the one we have all been waiting for: the wipe.
Let’s gear up and break down every single thing we know about the coming blizzard.
“Flickering Flames” and “Snowfall”: The Tundra Bites Back
The “Cold Snap” update is all about amping up the atmosphere and environmental pressure. The new icy Stella Montis map was just the start. December is when the weather itself becomes an enemy.
The update will introduce two major features on this front:
- New Map Condition: “Snowfall”
This is the big one for me. We have seen dynamic conditions like Night Raids, but “Snowfall” promises to be a complete game-changer. Imagine trying to land a headshot on a rival Raider when a full-blown blizzard cuts visibility down to ten feet. Or using the fresh snow to track another player’s footprints right to their extraction point. This single addition will fundamentally alter how we approach every map it affects. It will make stealth builds more viable, long-range sniping significantly harder, and the entire world feel more hostile and alive. I am already prepping my thermal scope builds. - New Event: “Flickering Flames”
We do not have the full intel on this event yet, but the name is incredibly evocative. Paired with the “Snowfall” condition, I am betting this will be a new survival-based community event. Will we need to huddle around heat sources to prevent frostbite? Will we have to scrounge for fuel to keep beacons lit across the map? This could add a fantastic new layer of passive danger, forcing us to balance the risk of PvP with the new, constant threat of the environment itself. It is a classic survival-shooter trope, and I am here for it.
The “Wipe” is Coming: Your Expedition Project Reset
This is the most critical part of the “Cold Snap” update. It is the feature that will define the game’s entire economy and progression loop. Yes, we are finally getting the “wipe,” but Embark is doing it in the smartest way I have seen in the genre.
It is not a mandatory, server-wide reset. Instead, it is a voluntary system called the “Expedition Project Raider Reset.”
Here is how it works: This is an 8-week-long project that unlocks for veteran players. You will have tasks to complete over that 8-week cycle. If you complete the project, a 7-day “departure window” opens up. The first-ever window is scheduled to open from December 15 to December 21.
Choosing to “depart” on this expedition is your choice. If you do it, your Raider resets. If you do not, you keep on grinding. This is the perfect solution. It lets the hardcore players who live for the “fresh wipe” feeling get their fix every two months, while players with less time never feel like their progress is being stolen by a forced reset.
But what do you keep, and what do you lose? This is the most important question.
“Cold Snap” Expedition Reset: Keep vs. Lose
| What You KEEP (Account-Wide) | What You LOSE (Character-Specific) |
| All Cosmetics (earned or purchased) | Character Level and Skill Points |
| Blueprints You Have Unlocked | Your Entire Stash and Inventory |
| Raider Deck (Battle Pass) Progress | Your Coin Balance |
| Workshop Station Unlocks | All Quest and Trader Progress |
| All Codex Entries | Your Raider Den (Base) |
As you can see, you lose all the in-game “power” and wealth, but you keep all the permanent unlocks and cosmetics you worked for or bought. This is the ideal system. It resets the economy and the player-power-curve without invalidating the time (or money) you have invested.
New Raider Deck and More Quests
Finally, no major update would be complete without a new grind. The “Cold Snap” update will launch with a brand-new Raider Deck. This is ARC Raiders’ version of a battle pass, so you can expect a fresh track of 100+ tiers of new cosmetics, blueprints, currency, and other goodies to earn as you play.
This will also be paired with a fresh batch of New Quests. These will almost certainly be tied to the new “Flickering Flames” event, the “Snowfall” condition, and will likely continue the story we started unlocking in Stella Montis.
“Cold Snap” is not just more content, it is the moment ARC Raiders transitions from a hot new launch to a true, long-term live-service game. The new weather conditions will change the tactical flow of every raid, but the voluntary Expedition Reset is the masterstroke. It solves the biggest problem in the extraction-shooter genre: how to keep the game fresh for veterans without punishing the casual playerbase.
I am already hoarding my best gear, because I fully intend to lose it all and start over on December 15. This is where the real game begins.
For more deep-dives and guides on ARC Raiders and other shooters, make sure to check out our ARC Raiders category right here on Rivalsector.com.
What part of the “Cold Snap” update are you most excited for? Are you going to take the plunge and reset your Raider in the first Expedition window? Let me know in the comments.
See you on the surface, Raiders.
- Elias
