I jumped back into ARC Raiders the minute Shared Watch kicked off, mostly because the whole loop feels different now, and I wanted to see if it was real or just hype. From Feb 10 to Feb 24, 2026, the map doesn't feel like a pure player-hunt anymore; it's more like a roaming job board where the machines are the main problem, and everyone's trying to get paid for showing up. If you're already sorting your stash and planning runs, it helps to have a clear idea of what you're chasing, and I've found myself checking ARC Raiders Items just to keep my loadout expectations grounded while I test what actually works in the cold.

Merits Change How People Behave

The key shift is Merits. You don't need the last shot, you don't need the highlight moment, you just need to contribute. Tag a heavy ARC unit, keep pressure on it, stay alive long enough to matter, and the progress rolls in. That sounds small, but it flips the social rules mid-raid. You'll see it fast: strangers hold fire, then quietly stack angles on the same target because nobody wants to waste a chance at Merit gain. It's not friendship, it's business. And yeah, the truce can snap the second the chassis hits the ground, but the fact it happens at all is kind of wild in a game that usually rewards paranoia.

PvP Still Bites, Just Not Every Minute

Don't mistake the vibe for safety. Raiders are still Raiders. People will ambush you on extracts, third-party your fight, or wait until you're reloading after dumping mags into a tanky unit. The difference is the hesitation. A lot of players are doing the math: if they burn ammo and time on you, they're not farming Merits off machines, and they might attract an ARC patrol while they're looting your bag. So you get these awkward moments where someone's in your peripheral vision, you both pretend you didn't see each other, and you keep shooting metal instead. It's tense in a new way, because you're cooperating while assuming betrayal.

Cold Snap Forces Smart Gear and Movement

Cold Snap being back is what makes the event feel like a proper endurance test. You can't just post up in the open and play turret. Exposure pushes you indoors, and those warm spots turn into shared choke points—sometimes defended together, sometimes fought over, often both in the same minute. If you're building for this, think steady, not flashy. Stable fire, decent ammo economy, and a setup you can keep running without panicking when the fight drags on. Mobility matters too. You'll be bouncing between cover and buildings, and the cold punishes the slow, stubborn "I'll hold this hill forever" mindset.

Rewards Worth the Time, Plus a Bridge to What's Next

The Slugger Set is a fun flex and the baseball scavenger look weirdly fits, but the Raider Tokens are the part that sticks with you. They're the long-game fuel, especially with the next Expedition landing Feb 25 and a catch-up route for Skill Points tied to stash value. Shared Watch feels like a runway: you grind machines, you toughen your kit, you learn how people move during Cold Snap, and you roll into the next update less broke and less behind. If you're planning to stock up or fine-tune your progression path before that switch flips, I'd treat ARC Raiders Items buy as a practical reference point while you decide what's actually worth taking back out there.