ARC Raiders brings back the cool moments, here's when

Embark Studios has revealed that the Cold Snap map modifier will be returning ARC Raiders on February 10, although some details of the change remain under wraps. ARC Raiders it contains several modifiers, known in-game as conditions, that affect loot and certain gameplay elements. But Cold Snap has always stood aside as it completely transforms the Rustbelt with freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall.

One of the features that made Cold Snap a fan favorite among hardcore gamers was the introduction of frostbite. Exploring open areas during snowy conditions caused characters to slowly freeze and constantly drain their HP. This raised the stakes and turned exploration into a more tactical part of the game loop, which many fans of the extraction shooter genre appreciated. The good news is that players will soon be able to face the same punishing conditions again when Cold Snap returns.

ARC Raiders increases the frequency of map events after player response

ARC Raiders developer Embark Studios is addressing player backlash and increasing the frequency of the shooter's latest map events.

ARC Raiders' Cold Snap re-release date revealed

Embark Studios shared the news on X and confirmed it ARC RaidersCold Snap status will return to normal map rotation on February 10th. The mod was introduced with the December 2025 update 1.7.0, which brings snowy weather to the game. At the time, Cold Snap was conceived as a limited-time event, ending in January 2026.

Some fans believe signs of the condition's return have already been there. They point to ARC Raiders' the latest plan, which stated, “The cold wave has passed, but its danger casts a long shadow.” The plan also teased that “Extreme weather will continue to test the Raiders as they search the surface for the resources that keep Speranza running.”

While a few players have questioned why the condition was removed in the first place, most of the community seems happy to see it added back. One Reddit user summed up the general sentiment by saying, “I think the more map conditions the better,” a sentiment echoed by many others.

It remains unclear if Cold Snap will be a permanent map condition and if it will still feature its unique collectible, Candleberries.

The upcoming February update is still expected to add the new condition

Following news of the Cold Snap re-release, some fans expressed concern that it could be a map tease condition mentioned in the Escalation plan. For those unaware, Embark Studios has already confirmed that a brand new modifier is coming with the February Shrouded Sky update. This led to fears that the developer might bring back Cold Snap instead of the promised new addition.

That said, it's worth noting that the Shrouded Sky update hasn't gone live yet. The return of Cold Snap appears to be a simple OTA change to expand ARC Raiders' existing set of map conditions rather than introducing something new. It also seems unlikely that Embark Studios will repackage the old mode and introduce it as a new feature.

Fans are constantly speculating about the state of the next main map

With Cold Snap confirmed as a returning stat, the old question resurfaced: what will the next major map modifier be? In the past, dataminers have uncovered files referring to a condition called Toxic Swamps. This modifier was expected to arrive with ARC RaidersThe January update that filled the gap after the Cold Snap, but it never happened. Embark Studios has not yet officially acknowledged the existence of Toxic Swamps.

Aside from this theory, some fans are also hoping for a volcano-themed mod in the future. Much of this speculation comes from ARC Raiders' a world map that appears to show an inaccessible volcanic zone. Whether any of these ideas ever materialize remains to be seen. For now, what's certain is that players craving more varied map conditions can hop back into Cold Snap starting February 10th and experience the harsh winter weather all over again.