Official material describes the world as “a frozen open world where city ruins fade into wilderness”. We split that gradient into four biomes and, for each one, answer the only question that matters: what does this place cost you in heat, and what does it pay in salvage?
Pre-launch caveat: biome entries tagged reported are assembled from official framing and trailer material, not from a shipped build. Anything numeric — temperature bands, spawn rates, loot tables — is deliberately absent until someone can measure it.
No biome matches that search.
Frozen Tundra
officialOpen, wind-scoured flatland — the most exposure-heavy biome.
Threats: Whiteout storms · Creeping chill with no shelter nearby · Exposure during long crossings
Salvage: Scrap · Salvaged machinery · Basic insulation materials
Glacier
reportedVertical ice terrain — traversal and falls are the problem.
Threats: Slips and falls on ice · Sudden weather shifts at elevation · Limited flat ground for shelters
Salvage: Ice-cached supplies · Reclaimed pre-catastrophe technology
Ice Forest
reportedDense cover — the safest place to shelter, the worst place to see danger coming.
Threats: Wildlife encounters at close range · Reduced visibility · Getting lost between landmarks
Salvage: Hides and furs · Wood · Hunting materials
Frozen City
officialBuried ruins — the highest-value salvage and the highest risk.
Threats: Hostile factions in deep districts · Structural collapse inside ruins · Frostbite during long indoor scavenging runs
Salvage: Fragile pre-catastrophe technology · Generator parts · Advanced salvage
Compare
Biome comparisons
Side-by-side on threats, salvage and traversal.
Data version 2026.09.24.