After teasing the community with news of its December Update, Embark has finally revealed all the details for the upcoming Winter Event in ARC Raiders, adding in a unique map condition, another community event, as well as opportunities for free rewards. Since ARC Raiders launched on October 30, the game has managed to hold on to its player base thanks in large part to consistent updates on top of an already solid gameplay foundation.
While rocketing out to impressive sales and player numbers at launch, Embark Studios has continued to capture fans through major updates, the first adding a new community event that eventually led to the Stella Montis map. That level of success and player engagement is ultimately what helped ARC Raiders capture Best Multiplayer at The Game Awards 2025, and it doesn’t appear that Embark has any plans to slow down. Coming off the big win, the studio has now revealed all the details for its big December Winter Event update.
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ARC Raiders Winter Event Details
Starting on December 16, the winter season will start rolling into ARC Raiders and its variety of maps. Joining up with the other map conditions currently available in ARC Raiders, players will have to contend with Cold Snap, which adds a freezing temperature and snow to the map currently impacted. Not only does this reduce the player’s vision, the cold weather will start to cause frostbite for those outside for too long.
Embark also reveals that frostbite should not be taken lightly as it can “cut your Raider down in minutes” if left unchecked. To counteract this deadly condition, players will need to seek shelter indoors or find ways to continue healing. Needless to say, it’ll be interesting to see how this changes player behavior, as being caught outside, camping, or engaging in a gunfight while outdoors will likely lead to a quick trip back to Speranza.
However, alongside the deadly new map condition, the Flickering Flames event is also set to begin. Taking inspiration from ARC Raiders‘ Stella Montis community event, the Flickering Flames project tasks players with donating items related to light and heat, while also collecting a new resource called the Candleberry Bush. Donating these items will also be rewarding for players, who can redeem Merits for a variety of rewards.
ARC Raiders Flickering Flames Rewards
- Raider Tokens
- Rare utility items
- Weapons
- Cosmetics
- Merits
For players who suddenly have an excess amount of credits, the Winter Update adds another free Raider Deck to start unlocking items, resources, and gear including the new Goalie outfit. The update also promises more quests to work on, the first ARC Raiders Expedition departure window opens, and for those who want to spend a bit more money, there’s a new Misthorn armor set in the in-game store.
Part of the appeal of ARC Raiders is how emergent the gameplay can be, with each round offering new experiences and situations. Part of that stems from the amount of options players have at their disposal and how creative some wish to be. For example, the flute has been used by many to show that they’re not dangerous, and with the Cold Snap update, Embark is adding another new item. ARC Raiders players can get a guitar, likely in the new Raider Deck, that can be played during rounds. The added instrument will no doubt lead to some interesting encounters, perhaps signaling the start of a roving mariachi band.
- Released
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October 30, 2025
- ESRB
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Teen / Violence, Blood
