Arc Raiders Cold Snap has just released, adding a dangerous new Snowfall Map condition that can give players deadly frostbite. While the chill is expected to last a while, Embark Studios is already work on the next map condition that will change how the game is played.
Following the game’s 1.7.2 update, dataminers digging through the files of Arc Raiders discovered a number of upcoming additions for the popular extraction shooter. When Cold Snap ends on January 13, 2026, the game will return to the Hidden Bunker map conditions. However, after that is when it gets real interesting.
According to datamines, January 19, 2026 will introduce the Arc Raiders Toxic Swamp map condition. According to the files, the new map condition will be tied exclusively to the game’s Dam Battlegrounds map which features a large swamp area near the titular Dam.
In the latest update for Arc Raiders, a number of missions reference an increase in the swamp’s toxicity, and some players have even found traces of purple blood in areas around Dam Battlegrounds.
Judging from the name of the map condition, “Toxic Swamp”, the new map condition will likely make the Dam Battleground swamp area deadly to players. This would likely largely boost the loot value of the area with high-value loot now popping up around the swamp, but would deal damage over time to anyone that isn’t sticking to its paths.
Even before the addition of any toxicity, the swamp in Dam Battlegrounds has been a pretty deadly area… at least in my experience. With a high number of Arcs around and wide open buildings that they can largely fly into, it’s a hard place to avoid both Arcs and players, but with all the toxic sludge coming to the area, maybe the Arcs will buzz off?
While Embark Studios is no longer focusing on weekly updates for the game, it seems that a lot is planned to go live while the team is on Christmas break with a number of weekly trials already available in the game files.
For more news on Embark’s popular multiplayer game, read the best weapons tier list. If that doesn’t suit your fancy, maybe read about the real-life chicken that inspired everyone’s favourite pet: Scrappy the Rooster.
