Cold Snap doesn't feel like a cute seasonal skin. It's a straight-up rules change, and you notice it the second you step outside. From Dec 16, 2025 to Jan 13, 2026, you're living by the weather meter as much as your ammo count. If you're planning a long run, it's not a bad idea to line up your supplies early, whether that's meds, warm routes, or even ARC Raiders Coins so you're not stuck gambling raids just to keep pace. The tell is obvious: the shiver animation, the frost building on your rig, your screen getting that cold haze. When it hits, don't argue with it. Duck into a building, ride it out, and let other squads be the ones getting melted in the open..

How To Survive The Blizzard Meta

People keep treating this update like normal Rust Belt rotations, and that's where the losses come from. In a blizzard, sprinting across a courtyard isn't "risky," it's a donation to whoever's holding an angle. Indoor fights are where you win now. Doorways, stairwells, short sightlines, quick resets. You'll also start timing your moves around the weather pulses, which feels weird at first. But you'll learn fast. If you can hop between cover points and keep the heat off your character, you keep your kit. If you can't, you're just decorating the snow with a backpack..

Speranza Donations: What Actually Slows You Down

The Speranza project is five stages, and it's the kind of "simple on paper" grind that eats your evenings. Candleberries are the big one: 260 total. You can earn roughly 180 by pushing the event track with XP, but that still leaves you hunting another 80 to 100 in the wild. Look for bright red bushes in natural pockets; they pop against the snow if you stop rushing and actually scan. Stage 2 is the usual wall. You need 1 Industrial Battery and 3 Candle Holders, and the holders are pure rummage pain. Residential zones like Ruby Residence in Dam or Grandioso Apartments in Buried City are your best bet, and yes, you really do check every dresser. For the battery, the trench at Spaceport is the time-saver since it's often a reliable spawn..

Routes, Mushrooms, And A Reward Track Worth Doing

If you're trying to be efficient, run a loop you can repeat without thinking. Dam Battlegrounds has treated me well: swing Hydroponic Dome for berries, then cut over to Scrapyard and bail before the weather turns ugly. Stage 5 asks for 7 Mushrooms, which sounds harmless until you're on your tenth run seeing none. The most consistent spot I've had is near the felled trees by the river at Bastion, where they blend in unless you slow down and look at the ground. The payoff is real, though: Merits, Tokens, and blueprints like the Red Lightstick. Stick with the Merits track and Tier 25's Space Wrench is the kind of tool you'll kick yourself for missing, especially when everyone else has it..

Not everybody has holiday hours to burn, and honestly, I get it. Sometimes you just want the charm, the blueprint, and a clean exit before the event clock runs out. If your schedule's tight and you're tired of running scuffed raids for one last donation item, a shortcut can make sense, and you'll see plenty of players talking about Raider Tokens for sale as a way to lock in progress without living in the snow. Whatever route you take, just make sure your donations are in before January rolls around and the thaw hits..