I hovered over "Expedition Complete" way longer than I want to admit, already picturing my stash getting nuked. Over a hundred hours of scavenging, a pile of Aphelion blueprints, a wallet stuffed to the Cred cap—gone. I hit it anyway, half expecting instant regret. Instead, the reset felt weirdly clean, like dropping a backpack that's been digging into your shoulders all season. The best part is it isn't just a vanity wipe; the permanent boosts actually change how your next runs play. Those extra slots matter every single session, and if you've ever stared at your stash debating what to scrap, you get why I care. I also started paying more attention to the economy side of it, because once you understand your pacing, things like ARC Raiders Coins stop being a random link and start being part of how some players smooth out the rebuild without burning their whole week.
Cold Snap Makes the Map Feel Meaner
The Cold Snap window didn't just add snow for the vibes. It slows everything down and makes bad decisions expensive. You can't sprint across open ground like it's summer and expect to be fine. Frostbite stacks up, visibility dips, and suddenly the "safe" route you used to autopilot becomes a gamble. You'll find yourself checking shelters the way you check ammo. I started treating weather like another enemy squad: something that flanks you, pressures you, and punishes tunnel vision. Even basic rotations changed, because long detours to stay warm can be smarter than the shortest line on the map.
Loadouts Shift When Fights Drag Out
With longer, slower engagements, durability and consistency win more than flashy burst. I leaned into the Bettina AR because it holds up when you're forced into drawn-out trades and you can't just duck back to base after every scrap. I also keep one dirty trick on me: a Molotov. Sure, it's damage, but I've absolutely used it like an emergency heater when a blizzard hits and there's no shelter close. It's not elegant. It is effective. And in snow raids, "effective" is the whole point.
Rebuild Priorities That Actually Pay Off
Starting fresh looks brutal, but the early plan is simple if you don't overthink it. 1) Put points into Breaching first and rush "Security Breach" as soon as you can, because cracked lockers turn into blueprints and steady upgrades while everyone else is still arguing over leftovers. 2) After that, take Mobility for smoother repositioning; "Effortless Roll" keeps you alive when ARCs push you in bad terrain. 3) Then circle back into combat perks once you've got a loot pipeline. People love grabbing damage nodes early, but damage doesn't matter if you're broke and freezing.
The funny thing is, I didn't come out of the wipe feeling weaker—I felt sharper. The title is whatever, but the permanent buffs are the real prize, and they make the next "boring" grind phase go quicker than you'd think. If you're stuck in that stale loop where every raid feels the same, resetting during a strong patch can jolt the game back to life. And if you're short on time and more interested in getting back to high-tier runs than reliving the early scramble, some folks will just buy Raider Tokens and spend their hours on extracting clean instead of clawing back from zero.