Soil is one of the largest reservoirs for antibiotic resistance in the world. Bacteria can carry antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and share them via mechanisms like mobile genetic elements. Antibiotic resistance in the soil microbes impacts microbial community dynamics and it can spread to human and animal pathogens. Despite this importance, this soil ‘resistome’ remains largely unstudied, but a team of researchers set out to change that. Using samples from over 1000 sites that included every continent, they were able to identify ARG hotspots. Specifically, ARGs peaked in high-latitude, cold boreal forests as they contained many ARGs of diverse types. Globally, the dominant groups of ARGs were genes related to multidrug resistance or the ability to pump the antibiotics out of the bacterium, called efflux pumps. Overall, climatic seasonality and mobile genetic elements were key drivers of ARG distribution globally. This study paves the way to improved understanding of the global topsoil resistome and could help in the ongoing battle against antibiotic resistance.