Escape From Tarkov's Kolotun event adds in a limited-time Frostbite debuff, which can be cured but changes up gameplay slightly during the Christmas season. When your player has Frostbite, your screen gets frosty! Let's learn how we get it, the stages of Frostbite, and how we can prevent it.

How You Get Frostbite

Note that we are still learning more about this new version of Frostbite. As we learn more, our findings will be updated.

Getting Frostbite in Escape From Tarkov is simple - if you're outside and its snowy or windy, you're going to get chilly. There are two versions of Frostbite, one with a lighter blue icon and another with a darker blue icon. Here are the observed debuffs:

Lighter Blue Frostbite

• Not possible to die from.
• Causes the sides of your screen to blur/distort.
• Causes additional stamina and energy drain.
• It becomes easier to become fatigued when exerting yourself.

Darker Blue Frostbite

• All the rules of the Lighter Blue Frostbite debuff.
• Deals damage over time (1-2 at a time on a single body part).
• Requires constant healing to deal with.

Both debuffs can be cured temporarily - unless you wear the right gear.

How to Cure Frostbite

There are a few different ways to cure Frostbite, and they are all fairly quick solutions to the debuff problem.

Wear the Right Gear

The best way to cure something is to never get it in the first place! There are many items which provide insulation to your character and you can avoid Frostbite altogether!  The downside? You won't be able to protect your precious head - not that helmets always help you anyways! Here are some items, not likely an exhaustive list, that will prevent Frostbite.

• Beanie
• Bomber beanie
• Ded Moroz hat
• Domontovich ushanka hat
• Kotton beanie
• New Year ushanka hat
• Pompon hat
• SSh-68 steel helmet (Olive Drab)
• Santa hat
• Ski hat with holes for eyes
• Tactical fleece beanie (Tan)
• UX PRO beanie
• Ushanka ear flap hat

Going Inside

The easiest way to cure Frostbite is to simply stay inside, keeping your outdoor activities to a minimum. Standing outside in the winter, unless you absolutely have to be outdoors, is silly. Take your sniper positions inside, finding a nice overlook, or simply run inside for a moment to appreciate the holiday lights.

Standing Beside a Fire

Flaming barrels and open fires can be found through Tarkov on all of its maps. Standing beside one of these will warm you up quickly; Just be careful to not get too close and burn yourself.

Getting Drunk

Everyone can appreciate the warming sensation of a glass of your favourite whiskey... or in this case an entire bottle. Beer, Whiskey, Vodka, and Moonshine are all valid ways to cure Frostbite and the effects will last more than instant - drinking alcohol provides you with a timed buff that will keep you warm.

Each kind of drinkable alcohol in Tarkov has a different status effect on you. The warming effect is short-lived, not as long as the primary effects of the alcohol.

• Beer: 120s duration
  • Gives +10 Energy, +40 Hydration
  • Provides a -3 to attention skill for the duration, lowering your loot speed.
• Whiskey: 210s duration 
  • Gives +10 Energy
  • Removes -35 Hydration
  • Provides a -2 to health skill for the duration.
• Vodka: 250s duration
  • Removes -50 Hydration
  • Provides a -5 to health skill for the duration.
• Moonshine:  500s duration
  • Gives +20 Energy
  • Removes -10 Hydration
  • Provides a -1 to health skill for the duration

All the alcohols come with downsides, but provide their effects for longer periods of type depending on the quality of the drink. Beer with its low duration will lower your looting speed, but if you're just hoping to make it out of a map with clarity at the last minute, it's not a bad choice because it doesn't require drinking additional fluids like Vodka would. Moonshine is the best drink overall though, providing not much of a health skill decrease and barely touching your hydration while giving a boost of energy... if only it wasn't so expensive.

Either way, alcohol is just a minor fix for Frostbite and everyone is just going to need to learn to play with it for now.

And that's everything you need to know about Escape From Tarkov's Frostbite effect, how you get it, and how you can cure it. How are your adventures going in the winter wonderland that Tarkov has become?