[2021] What's the point of Artic Biome?

The arctic is my favorite biome, but I can imagine it will not be everyones.

The primary function of the arctic is as a survival challenge. It's much harder to survive, and it bisects the map - becoming very important later when you land in one area but have to head to another. You might decide to cut across the arctic, or go around even though its longer. Or you might know about a secret cave that connects several biomes.

I believe a good survival game is about choice based on risk, and consequence of those choices. The arctic is risky, but this can prove fruitful.

I would say that the game is released in portions, with us trying to balance and adjust each portion as we go. This can mean that the current "portion" doesn't have as clearer "point" when considered as a whole.

In the same way that the "point" of a car chassis might not be apparent until the car is entirely assembled. Initially, it just looks like a weird hunk of metal.

Many people said (rightly so, I might add), there was no "point" to the forest biome, or there is no "point" to the game. Ignoring the obvious esoteric aspects of their being a point to anything (in particular, a video game) - I would argue the primary point of the arctic is to exist as a challenge for the players. To craft any deeper a point, risks the designers getting to smart and making a linear experience. Which I think is not the essence of what makes a survival game great.