Cold Snap in ARC Raiders is the moment you realise the map isn't just scenery anymore. You can have a clean loadout, a nice plan, and a full shield bar, and it still won't matter if you treat the outdoors like it's business as usual. If you're stocking up for longer runs or just trying to keep your kit consistent, ARC Raiders Coins can help you stay ready without having to gamble every raid on a perfect rotation, because this event punishes sloppy routes more than bad aim.
The first sign isn't some big warning banner. It's subtle. Your screen starts frosting at the edges, your Raider's breathing gets rough, and you'll catch that little shiver that makes you go, "Oh no, not now." Think of Frostbite like a timer you can't see. You've got a short window to be out in the open, then the damage starts ticking. And the nasty part is it doesn't care about shields or armour. It just eats your health anyway, second by second, until you do something about it.
People overthink "shelter" at first. It's not about finding a cosy building with four walls. You just need something overhead. A broken walkway, a garage with half a roof, the edge of a loading bay. Step under it and the status clears fast, and your outdoor clock basically resets. You don't need to hide there for ages, either. Tap in, tap out. That's the rhythm. Cold Snap raids turn into short dashes between ceilings, and you'll start plotting routes the way you'd plan cover in a firefight.
If you get caught in the open, you can brute-force it with healing, but it's a trade. Basic bandages buy you time, not safety. Stronger heals can keep you upright through a long sprint, but then you're burning supplies that should've been profit. This is why regen-style augments feel so good here. You can take a bit of cold damage, slip under a roof, and let the passive healing do the work while you reload, listen, and decide your next move. It's calmer, and it keeps your stash from bleeding out.
Sometimes there's just no cover. You're out in the middle of nowhere with loot you really don't want to drop, and the cold is already chewing on you. That's when players do the dumb-sounding thing that works: fire. If you can set yourself alight with a grenade or hit environmental flames, it can wipe the Frostbite status and give you a fresh window outside. It's risky, it can trash your shield durability, and it feels like you're making a terrible decision on purpose, but it can save a run. The smarter play is still patience and planning, though, and if you want to stay stocked enough to keep learning these rotations, it helps to buy ARC Raiders Coins before you're forced into those panic choices mid-raid.